Unix Timestamp: 1225152000
Tuesday, October 28. 2008, 12:00:00 AM UTC

The United States commemorates the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. //www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1028/Statue-of-Liberty-birthday-celebrations-include-Sigourney-Weaver-La-Marseillaise-and-125-new-Americans ("Christian Science Monitor")

China's Tianhe-1 overtakes Nebule to regain top spot as the world's fastest supercomputer. //www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-10/28/content_11472540.htm ("China Daily") //www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11644252 (BBC)

The Boston Red Sox baseball team sweep the Colorado Rockies to win the 2007 World Series. //www.projo.com/redsox/content/sp_bb_sox29_10-29-07_4B7LF7D_v24.34b79ec.html (Providence Journal)

The Vatican beatifies 498 Spanish victims of religious persecution from before and during the Spanish Civil War.

The Roman Catholic Church beatifies 498 people who were executed during the Spanish Civil War. The decision sparks controversy because most of them were supporters of dictator Francisco Franco. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7066094.stm (BBC)

California: Wildfires are largest in state history 1,500 homes are destroyed, 16 people killed and burned. Evacuations are ordered from parts of cities in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. //www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/10/28/california.wildfire/index.html The conflagration also spreads across the border into the Mexican state of Baja California, where two deaths are reported.

Economics: The United States Federal Reserve leaves its key interest rate unchanged at today's meeting, saying that rates will be kept low for a considerable period. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3222071.stm

Solar system: The sun emits another coronal mass ejection directly toward the Earth, the third largest solar flare on record. The effects are projected to affect Earth on the 29th. //www.spaceweather.com///www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/28/solar.flare/index.html

Sports: Team Bath become the first university team to qualify for the FA Cup First Round since 1882. They beat Horsham 4–3 on penalties in the Fourth Qualifying Round replay.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average gains a record 337.17 points, closing at 7,498.32. One billion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time ever.

The U.S. House of Representatives votes to ban partial birth abortions by a vote of 288–139.

Participants in the Yugoslav War begin negotiations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Quebec independentists narrowly lose a referendum for a mandate to negotiate independence from Canada.

NASA loses contact with the Pioneer 11 probe.

Tansu Çiller of DYP forms the new government of Turkey.

A fire in Baku Metro, Azerbaijan, kills 289 passengers (the world's worst subway disaster).

The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid.

The U.S. expands trade sanctions on Haiti to include all goods except food and medicine, in an effort to encourage the leaders of the 1991 Haitian coup d'état to restore democracy.

November 4 ndash The 1991 Perfect Storm strikes the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada, causing over $200 million of damage and resulting in 12 direct fatalities.

Abortion: 48 hours after announcing it was abandoning RU-486, French manufacturer Roussel Uclaf states that it will resume distribution of the drug.

The Socialist Party wins the election in Spain Felipe González is elected Prime Minister.

The Airbus A300 flies for the first time.

Demolition of the 1910Pennsylvania Station begins in New York City. Demolition continues until 1966.

Pope John XXIII succeeds Pope Pius XII as the 261st pope.

Torcida Split is founded.

The massacre of Dawaymeh begins.

The alleged date of The Philadelphia Experiment, in which the U.S. destroyer escortUSS Eldridge was to be rendered invisible to human observers for a brief period.

The Alaska Highway is completed.

WWII: Italian troops invade Greece, meeting strong resistance from Greek troops and civilians. This action signals the beginning of the Balkans Caign.

Prohibition in the United States is authorized: The United States Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. Prohibition did not go into effect until January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The St. Johns School Fire in Peabody, Massachusetts kills twenty-one girls between the ages of 7 and 17.

November ndash Sykes-Picot Agreement: The governments of Britain and France secretly agree to overtake the Middle-Eastern regions of the Ottoman Empire (mostly Syria and Iraq), and establish their own zones of influence.

World War I ndash Battle of Penang, Malaya: The German cruiser "Emden" sinks a Russian cruiser and French destroyer before escaping.

The Union Minière du Haut Katanga, a Belgian mining trust, is created in the Congo.

In New York Harbor, U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty.

November ndash extremely harsh Winter of 1886–1887 begins, killing tens of thousands of cattle on the Great Plains

The first stone is laid for the Clarkson Memorial in Wisbech.

Thomas Edison applies for his first patent, the electric vote recorder.

Helena, Montana is founded after four prospectors (the so-called "Four Georgians") discover gold at "Last Chance Gulch" it is their last and agreed final attempt at weeks of trying to find gold in the northern Rockies.

American Civil War ndash Second Battle of Fair Oaks: Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant withdraw from Fair Oaks, Virginia, after failing to breach the Confederate defenses around Richmond, Virginia.

The Second war of Schleswig is concluded. Denmark renounces all claim to Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg, which come under Prussian and Austrian administration.

American Civil War: The Missouri legislature takes up a bill for Missouri's secession from the Union.

Macy's department store, founded by R.H. Macy, opens for business in New York.

Macy\'sdepartment store, founded by R.H. Macy, opens for business in New York.

Crimean War: The Ottoman army crosses the Danube into Vidin/Kalafat in Wallachia.

Delegate Edward Ralph May delivers speech on behalf of African American suffrage to the Indiana Constitutional Convention.

November ndash Taiping Rebellion: The first clashes of the Taiping Rebellion occur between Imperialist militia and the Heavenly Army.

In Catalonia, Spain, the Barcelona–Mataró railroad route (the first to be constructed in the Iberian Peninsula) is inaugurated.

United Tribes of New Zealand founded at Waitangi with the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand.

American Revolution: Battle of White Plains: British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.

Royal Colony of North Carolina Governor Gabriel Johnston moves to the province's largest and most prosperous city of New Bern. As a result, New Bern replaces Edenton as the capital of North Carolina (a title it holds until Raleigh is established in 1792).

Publication of Charles Batteux's "Les beaux-arts réduits à un même principe" in Paris, putting forward for the first time the idea of "les beaux arts": the fine arts.

An earthquake demolishes Lima and Callao, in Peru.

The town of Vilkovo (Odes'ka oblast', Ukraine) is founded.

December ndash Wu Shifan, grandson of Chinese general Wu Sangui, commits suicide in Yunnan province, ending the 8-year conflict of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories against Qing Dynasty authority in China, then led by the Kangxi Emperor.

A London woman is publicly flogged for the crime of involving herself in politics.

The Admiral's Regiment is formed in England, later known as the Royal Marines.

John Evelyn's "Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber" is published in London in book form.

The French East India Company is founded.

Robert Hooke discovers Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

The Marathas sack Surat.

The first Protestant church assembly for natives is held in Massachusetts (see Waban).

The Dutch corsairs end their occupation of Valdivia in what is now Chile.

William Harvey publishes "Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus," containing his findings about blood circulation.

The Collegiate School, today the oldest educational institution in North America, is established.

The War of the Mantuan Succession breaks out over Mantua and Montferrat. The war is fought between the Duke of Savoy, who is supported by Spain, and the Duke of Nevers, who is supported by France.

Publication of Sir Edward Coke's "Institutes of the Lawes of England" begins with "A Commentary upon Littleton". This will remain an influential legal text on both sides of the Atlantic for three centuries.

The Siege of La Rochelle ends with the surrender of the Huguenots.

The first black slaves arrive in the Dutch Manhattan.

During the Ming Dynasty of China, a tsunami floods over the seawall in Haiyan County of Zhejiang province, inundating the agricultural crop fields with saltwater and ruining many acres of crops. This drives up the price of foodstuffs and many are forced to live off of tree bark and weeds (as one Wang Wenlu stated in his writing of 1545).

Michelangelo starts work on the "Piazza del Cidoglio" (Capitoline Hill).

Sucre, Bolivia is founded under the name "Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo".

The first in a decade-long series of severe famines and epidemics sweep central and southeastern China during the Ming Dynasty, made worse by a previous decision in 1527 to cut back on the intake of grain as for granaries.

Bisham Abbey is dissolved.

The first university of the New World, the Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino, is founded.

Byland Abbey is dissolved.

Paracelsus visits Villach.

Battle of Amba Sel: ImamAhmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi again defeats the army of Lebna Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia. The southern part of Ethiopia thus falls under Imam Ahmad's control.

A French army invading Italy under King Francis besieges Pavia.

Battle of Yaunis Khan: Turkish forces under the Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha defeat the Mameluks near Gaza.

Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba.

Nicholas of Cusa invents concave lens spectacles to treat myopia.

Revolt of Ghent: Ghent takes up arms against Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

The University of Glasgow is founded.

December ndash Battle of Chalagan - Kara Koyunlu Turkomans defeat Georgians under Constantine I of Georgia and their ally Ibrahim I of Shirvan.

Years after its publication in the 14th century, the Ming Dynasty Chinese artillery officer Jiao Yu adds the preface to his classic book on gunpowder warfare, the "Huolongjing".

John II of Castile declares the Valladolid laws that restrict the social rights of Jews. Among many other restrictions the laws force Jews to wear distinctive clothes and denies them administrative positions.

Eric of Pomerania becomes sole ruler of the Kalmar Union (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) upon the death of Queen Margaret.

Uththama Chola becomes the Chola Emperor after the mysterious death of Aditya Karikalan (also known as Aditya Chola II). He rules for 16 years. Arulmolivarman becomes the heir apparent, and later the great Rajaraja Chola I.

Byzantine general Michael Bourtzes seizes part of Antioch's fortifications. The capture of the city from the Arabs is completed three days later, when reinforcements under Peter Phokas arrive.

Ankō is after a 3-year reign assassinated by the 10-year-old Mayowa no Ōkimi (prince Mayowa) in retaliation for the execution of his father. He is succeeded by his brother Yūryaku and becomes the 21st emperor of Japan.

The Visigoths brutally sack the Suebi's capital of Braga (modern Portugal), churches are burnt to the ground.

Saint Patrick leaves Britain once more to evangelise Ireland as a missionary bishop. The Anglo-Saxons call the British nobles to a peace conference at Stonehenge but turn on them and massacre almost everyone (approximate date).

Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine I defeats usurper Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge and becomes the only Roman Emperor in the West. During the battle, he reportedly has a vision of a cross ("labarum") with the phrase "in hoc signo vinces" (In this sign you shall conquer).

The Baths of Diocletian are dedicated, the "thermae" become the largest imperial baths in Rome.

Christianity is established in Britain. British bishops participate in the councils of Arles (314), Nicaea (325) and Arminum (349).

The Franks cross the Rhine, but are repulsed by Constantine I.

Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (Basilica Nova), Rome, is started to be built.

The War of the Eight Princes ends in China.

Southern Italy bitter over the subjection to taxation, supports Maxentius, as does Africa, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily.

Maxentius, son of the former Western Emperor Maximian, joins a revolt by the Praetorian Guard in Rome, and is proclaimed Emperor.

The Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa is built in Lisbon.

Saint Metrophanes becomes bishop of Byzantium.

Galerius sends Severus II to suppress the rebellion in Rome. The soldiers desert him and Severus flees to Ravenna.

The Council of Elvira declares that killing through a spell is a sin and the work of the devil.

The Roman colony of Cuicul is started in Numidia.

Emperor Nerva recalls his general Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, age 44, from the German frontier and is forced by the Praetorian Guard to adopt him as his successor.

Pope Evaristus succeeds Pope Clement I as the fifth pope (according to Catholic tradition none of the Popes until the mid second century is certain).

Chinese general Ban Chao orders his lieutenant, Gan Ying, to establish regular relations with the Parthians.

Nerva recognizes the Sanhedrin of Jamnia as an official governmental body of the Jews, and the patriarch or "nasi" is designated as the representative of the Jewish people in Rome.

Tacitus advances to consulship.