Today in History 10/8/19

314 – Constantine I defeats Roman Emperor Licinius, who loses his European territories.

1829 – Stephenson’s Rocket wins the Rainhill Trials.

1862 – American Civil War: The Confederate invasion of Kentucky is halted at the Battle of Perryville.

1871 – The Great Chicago Fire and the much deadlier Peshtigo Fire break out. The Peshtigo fire was a large forest fire in northeastern Wisconsin, including much of the Door Peninsula, and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

1895 – Korean Empress Myeongseong is assassinated by Japanese infiltrators.

1939 – World War II: Germany annexes western Poland.

1956 – The New York Yankees’s Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.

1962 – Der Spiegel publishes an article disclosing the sorry state of the Bundeswehr, and is soon accused of treason.

1982 – Poland bans Solidarity and all other trade unions.

2001 – President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

2016 – In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the death toll rises to nearly 900.

1150 – Narapatisithu, king of Burma (d. 1211)

1789 – William John Swainson, English-New Zealand ornithologist and entomologist (d. 1855)

1890 – Eddie Rickenbacker, American soldier and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1973)

1895 – Zog I of Albania (d. 1961)

1895 – Juan Perón, general and politician, 29th President of Argentina (d. 1974)

1949 – Sigourney Weaver, American actress and producer

1970 – Matt Damon, American actor, producer, and screenwriter

1970 – Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

923 – Pilgrim I, archbishop of Salzburg

1436 – Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut (b. 1401)

1754 – Henry Fielding, English novelist and playwright (b. 1707)

1793 – John Hancock, American merchant and politician, 1st Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1737)

1944 – Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (b. 1892)

1992 – Willy Brandt, German lawyer and politician, 4th Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)

2015 – Paul Prudhomme, American chef and author (b. 1940)