Today In History – Oct. 30 – 1905 – Russian Tsar Nicholas II Grants Civil Liberties, Accepts 1st Duma (Parliament)

1340 Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali of Morocco and Yusuf I of Granada, last Marīnids invasion of Iberian Peninsula

1768 Philip Embury preaches the dedication service of the first Methodist chapel in America, a building he had helped erect with his own hands, located on John Street in New York City.

1779 Christian poet and former slave Phillis Wheatley publishes a notice in the Evening Post and General Advisor of Boston requesting subscriptions for a new book of poems.

1879 A Council of Protestant missionaries in Tokyo undertakes translation of the Old Testament into Japanese.

1899 Battle of Ladysmith, Natal: Boers defeat the British, leading to the Siege of Ladysmith

1905 “October Manifesto” Russian Tsar Nicholas II grants civil liberties and accepts the first Duma (Parliament)

1917 British government gives final approval to Balfour Declaration

1973 The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosporus for the first time

Today’s Historical Events
Today in Music
1944 Aaron Copland’s ballet score “Appalachian Spring” premieres in Washington, D.C. with Martha Graham dancing lead role

Today in Sport
1974 “The Rumble in the Jungle”: Muhammad Ali KOs George Foreman in the 8th round in Kinshasa, Zaire; regains world heavyweight boxing title with famous “rope-a-dope” tactic

Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
Soviet Union tests a 58 megaton hydrogen bomb named Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, on this day in 1961

Would you believe this fact about today? Would You Believe?
A radio broadcast of H. G. Wells “The War of the Worlds”, narrated by Orson Welles, allegedly causes a mass panic, on this day in 1938