10 October

Nicolas de Largillière
10 October 1656 – 20 March 1746
French artist, paintings can be seen in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; National Gallery, London; Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, England; Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France; National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England. » more

Jean-Antoine Watteau
10 October 1684 – 18 July 1721
French artist of the Rococo period. Paintings can be seen the the Louvre, Paris; the Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin; Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; National Gallery, London. » more

Lambert-Sigisbert Adam
10 October 1700 – 12 May 1759
French sculptor. Works can be seen at the Louvre, Paris. » more

Henry Cavendish
10 October 1731 – 24 February 1810
English scientist who discovered ‘inflamable air’ – Hydrogen. » more

Benjamin Wright
10 October 1770 – 24 August 1842
American engineer who oversaw the construction of many canals in USA, including Erie, Chesapeake and Ohio as well as the St. Lawrence Canal. » more

Giuseppe Verdi
10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901
Italian composer remembered for his operas. » more

Sir John Simon
10 October 1816 – 23 July 1904
English doctor whose research resulted in the development to standards in Public Health services. » more

Maurice Prendergast
10 October 1859 – 1 February 1924
American artist renowned for his watercolour paintings. » more

Fridtjof Nansen
10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930
Norwegian explorer who led an expedition to the Arctic in 1893. » more

William Nuffield
10 October 1877 – 22 August 1963
English businessman who developed the Morris car. » more

Alberto Giacometti
10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966
Swiss artist and sculptor. Works can be seen in the Tate Gallery, London; Städel Museum, Frankfurt; Musee Jenisch, Vevey, Switzerland. » more

Today’s National Day
10 October – Fiji

Today’s Quote
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
 … Lord Chesterfield (1694 – 1773)

Today’s No. 1 Hit
1993 – Dreamlover by Mariah Carey

Today’s events
10 October 1886 – An English design dinner jacket worn at a function at the Tuxedo Park Club (New York) becomes known in America as the Tuxedo.
10 October 1964 – The Tokyo Summer Olympics opening ceremony first televised live through communications satellite.
10 October 1967 – The Outer Space Treaty comes into operation, governing the exploration and use of outer space.
10 October 1971 – London Bridge re-opens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona (America), after having being bought on the assumption of being Tower Bridge.
10 October 1976 – The oldest marathon runner, 98 year old Dimitrion Yordanidis (Greece), completes a 26-mile marathon course in 7 hours 33 minutes