Today is Wednesday, October 21, the 294th day of 2009. There are 71 days left in the year.
2137 B.C. _ First recorded total eclipse of the sun China
1520 _ Magellan entered the strait which bears his name
1805 _ Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson defeats French and Spanish fleet and dies
1879 _ Thomas Edison perfects the carbonized cotton filament light bulb
1945 _ Women in France allowed to vote for first time
1950 _ Chinese forces occupy Tibet
1967 _ Thousands opposing Vietnam War try to storm the Pentagon
1970 _ 777 Unification Church couples wed in Korea
1977 _ U.S. recalls William Bowdler, ambassador to South Africa
1988 _ Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos indicted on racketeering charges