This Day in History – October 4

Discover important historical events that happened on this day. Explore key moments in politics, science, culture, and more — organized by date and year.

OCTOBER 4, 1957

The Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Soviet space program was the state space program of the Soviet Union, active from 1951 until the dissolution of the Soviet Read More

OCTOBER 4, 2003

A suicide bomber killed 21 people, including a two-month-old baby, and injured 60 others inside a restaurant in Haifa, Israel.

The Maxim restaurant bombing was a Palestinian suicide bombing which occurred on October 4, 2003, in the beachfront restaurant Maxim in Haifa, Read More

OCTOBER 4, 1363

Red Turban Rebellions: The rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang won the Battle of Lake Poyang by deploying ships intentionally set aflame when the emperor tried to escape.

The Red Turban Rebellions were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Read More