Discover · History

On this day — October 22

A hand-curated thread of what happened on this date, across centuries.

2019

Milestone

Same-sex marriage is legalised

and abortion is decriminalised in Northern Ireland as a result of the Northern Ireland Assembly not being restored.

2014

Politics

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau attacks the Parliament of Canada

killing a soldier and injuring three other people.

2013

Milestone

The Australian Capital Territory becomes the first Australian jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage with the Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013.

2012

Milestone

Cyclist Lance Armstrong is formally stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after being charged for doping.

2008

Milestone

India launches its first uncrewed lunar probe mission Chandrayaan-1.

2007

Milestone

A raid on Anuradhapura Air Force Base is carried out by 21 Tamil Tiger commandos

with all except one dying in this attack. Eight Sri Lanka Air Force planes are destroyed and ten damaged.

2006

Milestone

A Panama Canal expansion proposal is approved by 77.8% of voters in a national referendum.

2005

Disaster

Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin

making the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season the most active Atlantic hurricane season until surpassed by the 2020 season.

2005

Milestone

Bellview Airlines Flight 210 crashes in Nigeria

killing all 117 people on board.

1999

Politics

Maurice Papon

an official in the Vichy government during World War II, is jailed for crimes against humanity.

1997

Milestone

Danish fugitive Steen Christensen kills two police officers

Chief Constable Eero Holsti and Senior Constable Antero Palo, in Ullanlinna, Helsinki, Finland during his prison escape.

1992

Milestone

Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-52 to deploy the LAGEOS-2 satellite and microgravity experiments.

1987

Milestone

John Adams' opera Nixon in China premiered at the Houston Grand Opera.

1983

Milestone

Two correctional officers are killed by inmates at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois

The incident inspires the Supermax model of prisons.

1981

Milestone

The US Federal Labor Relations Authority votes to decertify the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) for its strike the previous August.