21 Mehr 1382 | Monday 13 October 2003

This day in four calendars

54 (1972 years ago) Roman emperor Claudius dies from poisoning under mysterious circumstances. He is succeeded by his adopted son Nero, rather than by Britannicus, his son with Messalina.
409 (1617 years ago) Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania.
1269 (757 years ago) The present church building at Westminster Abbey is consecrated.
1307 (719 years ago) Hundreds of the Knights Templar in France are arrested at dawn by King Philip the Fair, and later confess under torture to heresy.
1792 (234 years ago) In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid.
1923 (103 years ago) Ankara becomes the capital of Turkey.
1976 (50 years ago) A Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 707 crashes after takeoff from El Trompillo Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, killing 91.
2016 (10 years ago) The Maldives announces its decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations.

1821 (205 years ago) Rudolf Virchow, German physician, biologist, and politician (died 1902)
1921 (105 years ago) Yves Montand, Italian-French actor and singer (died 1991)
1925 (101 years ago) Margaret Thatcher, English chemist and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 2013)
1927 (99 years ago) Turgut Özal, Turkish engineer and politician, 8th President of Turkey (died 1993)
1934 (92 years ago) Nana Mouskouri, Greek singer and politician
1941 (85 years ago) Paul Simon, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1971 (55 years ago) Sacha Baron Cohen, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
1989 (37 years ago) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, American politician

54 (1972 years ago) Claudius, Roman emperor (born 10 BC)
1815 (211 years ago) Joachim Murat, French general (born 1767)
1919 (107 years ago) Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1857)
1987 (39 years ago) Walter Houser Brattain, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902)
2003 (23 years ago) Bertram Brockhouse, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918)
2016 (10 years ago) Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), King of Thailand (born 1927)
2016 (10 years ago) Dario Fo, Italian playwright, actor, director, and composer Nobel Prize laureate (born 1926)
2023 (3 years ago) Louise Glück, American poet and essayist (born 1943)