Dr. David Livingstone found by Henry Stanley
On this day in 1871, according to his journal, explorer Henry Stanley greeted David Livingstone, the fellow explorer in search of the source of the Nile River, with the famous words “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

World War I ends
At 5:00 on this day in 1918, the Allied powers and Germany signed an armistice document in the railway carriage of Ferdinand Foch, the commander of the Allied armies, and six hours later World War I came to an end.

1980 The U.S. space probe Voyager 1 reached the planet Saturn.

Terrorist attacks in Paris
On this day in 2015, terrorists staged coordinated attacks in Paris and its environs, the deadliest occurring at the Bataclan theatre and concert hall; in all, at least 130 people were killed and more than 350 were wounded.

Eritrea made a province of the Ethiopian empire
On this day in 1962, the Ethiopian parliament and Eritrean Assembly voted unanimously for the abolition of Eritrea's federal status, making Eritrea (independent since 1993) a simple province of the Ethiopian empire.

Palestinian statehood proclaimed by Yasser Arafat
Meeting at Algiers, the Palestine National Council, at the urging of PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, issued a declaration of independence for a state of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on this day in 1988.

Election of Bhutto as Pakistan's prime minister
Benazir Bhutto, elected prime minister of Pakistan on this day in 1988, became the first woman in modern history to lead a Muslim country, serving as prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996.

Arnold Schwarzenegger inaugurated as governor of California
Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-born American bodybuilder and film actor, was inaugurated on this day in 2003 as the governor of California following a recall election that ousted the sitting governor.

2015 New Zealand rugby union football player Jonah Lomu, who was perhaps rugby's first global icon, died of a heart attack at age 40 after a long battle with kidney disease.

Anwar Sadat's visit to Israel
After the Arab-Israeli war of 1973–74, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat began to work toward peace, and on this day in 1977 he began his historic visit to Israel, during which he offered a peace plan to its parliament.

Mexican Revolution launched by Francisco Madero
On this day in 1910, Francisco Madero launched a failed revolt that nonetheless sparked the Mexican Revolution by inspiring hope in such leaders as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, who then mobilized their ragged armies.

Signing of Mayflower Compact
On this day in 1620, 41 male passengers on the Mayflower, prior to landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, by which they agreed to abide by the laws of the new government they would establish.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy assassinated
The most notorious political murder in recent American history occurred this day in 1963, when John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president (1961–63), was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, while riding in an open car.

1963 The first episode of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who aired, and the show became a landmark of British popular culture.

2001 The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ratified changes to the country's legal code that made women equal to men before the law and no longer subject to their husbands.