October 9th

Charlemagne and his brother Carloman I are crowned Kings of The Franks.

Assassination Attempt on Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani education activist was shot at and injured while going back home from school. Malala survived the attack and has since gone on to become one of the leading voices for the education of girls in the world. In 2014, at the age of 17, she received the Nobel Peace Prize along with Kailash Satyarthi, making her the youngest recipient of the prestigious award.

North Korea allegedly tests its first nuclear device.

Phantom of Opera makes its theatrical debut. The musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in London’s West End. The plot of the musical was inspired by French author Gaston Leroux's novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, which follows the life of Erik or the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius. The musical is the longest running show on Broadway.

Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end the nuclear arms race.

Khmer Republic established. The Khmer Republic was formally established under the leadership of General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak. These two leaders took power earlier in took power in a coup against Prince Norodom Sihanouk

Che Guevara was executed in Bolivia.

Ugandan independence. Uganda gained independence from British rule. The country had become a British protectorate in 1894, 32 years after the first European, British John Hanning Speke set foot in the country. Milton Obote became the first prime minister of an independent Uganda.

Aviator Laura Ingalls became the first woman to make a solo transcontinental flight across the United States.

For the first time the public was admitted to the Washington Monument.

General Postal Union Created. The precursor the Universal Postal Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was formed after 22 countries signed the Treaty of Bern. The treaty regulated international mail and postage. 4 years later, in 1878, the union changed its name to the Universal Postal Union to reflect the growing international membership of the group.

Ioannis Kapodistrias, first Head of State of modern Greece, assassinated in Nafplion.

Religious dissident and Rhode Island founder, Roger Williams, was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The Hangul alphabet is published in Korea.

Leif Ericson discovers "Vinland" (possibly L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada) reputedly becoming first European to reach North America.