Today is Tuesday, October 4, the 277th day of 2011. There are 88 days left in the year.
1582 ― Last day of the Julian calendar in Italy, many Catholic countries
1824 ― Mexico becomes a republic
1830 ― Provisional government declares secession of Belgium from Netherlands
1940 ― Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini confer at Brenner Pass in the Alps
1955 ― Rev. Moon Sun-myung leaves prison in Seoul
1958 ― Transatlantic commercial jet passenger service began (BOAC)
1958 ― 5th French republic established
1965 ― Pope Paul VI becomes first Pope to visit Western Hemisphere (U.N.)
1984 ― U.S. government closes down due to budget problems
1990 ― Regional elections held, in what was East Germany