October 9·Every year

Leif Erikson Day

October 9th commemorates Norse explorer Leif Erikson, who reached North America around 1000 CE — nearly 500 years before Columbus. The Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada, was confirmed archaeologically in 1960 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The date was chosen because a replica Viking ship arrived in Wisconsin on that day in 1930.

Category: History
Observed in: United StatesofficialNorwayofficialIcelandofficialCanada

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Notable · 2019

Syrian civil war: Turkish forces began an offensive into north-eastern Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.

2024Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane, causing US$34.3 billion in damage only two weeks after Hurricane Helene impacted the state.
2019Turkey begins its military offensive in north-eastern Syria.
2016The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launches its first attack on Myanmar security forces along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border.