132 things happened on 25 October, from AD 473 to 2022. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1760 · 266 years ago
George III became King of Great Britain and Ireland, taking over from his grandfather, George II. He was the first king from the House of Hanover to be born in Great Britain. During his long reign, which lasted until 1820, the Acts of Union 1800 joined Great …
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
In the Hundred Years' War, Henry V's English army surprisingly beat a much larger French force at the Battle of Agincourt. Henry's army was made up mostly of archers, while the French relied on cavalry, or soldiers on horseback. The battle was fought on Saint Crispin's Day. Along with his conquest of Normandy, it gave England the upper hand in the war.
UK story
During the War of the Austrian Succession, a British fleet led by Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke defeated the French off Cape Finisterre, Spain. The French warships were guarding a convoy of 250 merchant ships sailing from western France to the West Indies. A convoy is a group of ships that travel together for protection. Hawke had 14 large warships, called ships of the line.
UK story
George III became King of Great Britain and Ireland, taking over from his grandfather, George II. He was the first king from the House of Hanover to be born in Great Britain. During his long reign, which lasted until 1820, the Acts of Union 1800 joined Great Britain and Ireland together. This created the United Kingdom.
UK story
Celebrations were held to mark King George III beginning the 50th year of his reign. The event was also called the Grand National Jubilee. It was the first royal jubilee to be celebrated in a big way across the United Kingdom and its colonies. Later British monarchs went on to hold even grander jubilees.
UK story
During the Crimean War, British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan charged straight at a well-defended Russian gun battery. It happened because an order from the commander, Lord Raglan, was misunderstood. The horsemen reached the guns but were forced to retreat, with heavy losses. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' made the event famous.
UK story
War of 1812: The American frigate, USS United States, commanded by Stephen Decatur, captures the British frigate HMS Macedonian.
UK story
The Daily Mail published the Zinoviev letter, a hoax purported to be a directive from Moscow to increase communist agitation.
UK story
George Lansbury became the leader of the opposition British Labour Party.
UK story
At 49 days, Liz Truss concluded the shortest tenure as prime minister of the United Kingdom.
The Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog left an inscribed metal plate on an island in Shark Bay, on the west coast of Australia. His expedition was only the second group of Europeans to land in Australia. The Hartog Plate is the oldest-known object from European exploration of Australia that still exists. The island is now called Dirk Hartog Island.
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 was first performed in Boston, in the United States, with Hans von Bülow at the piano. Tchaikovsky had wanted the pianist Nikolai Rubinstein to play it, but Rubinstein had criticised the music. He later changed his mind and became a great champion of the piece. It is now one of the most popular pieces of classical music.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US ambassador Adlai Stevenson showed the United Nations Security Council photographs of Soviet missiles in Cuba. The crisis was a 13-day stand-off between the United States and the Soviet Union. It began after the Soviets placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, matching American missiles placed in the UK, Italy and Turkey.
Microsoft's Windows XP went on sale in shops. Windows is an operating system, the main software that runs a computer. XP became one of the most popular and widely used versions of Windows. It replaced Windows 2000 for business users and Windows Me for home users.
Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II as Caesar of the East Roman Empire.
Reconquista: Forces under Afonso I of Portugal captured Lisbon from the Moors after a four-month siege in one of the few Christian victories during the Second Crusade.
Seljuk Turks defeat German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum.
Greek War of Independence: The First Siege of Missolonghi begins.
The Toronto Stock Exchange is created.
American Civil War: During Price's Missouri Expedition, Union troops defeated Sterling Price's Confederate army in three successive battles: Marais des Cygnes, Mine Creek, and Marmiton River.
The Uspenski Cathedral, designed by Aleksey Gornostayev, is inaugurated in Helsinki, Finland.
Old Style date of the October Revolution in Russia.
Following a series of similar actions against other sculptures, hundreds of students at Armstrong College in Newcastle tarred and feathered Statue of Industry (pictured), created by the college's master of sculpture Herbert Maryon.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. is named the first African American general in the United States Army.
World War II: The final attempt of the Imperial Japanese Navy to win the war climaxes at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Fifty years of Japanese administration of Taiwan formally ends when the Republic of China assumes control.
The Battle of Guningtou in the Taiwan Strait begins.
The People's Volunteer Army ambushed the South Korean II Corps at the Battle of Onjong, and elsewhere engaged the 1st Infantry Division at the Battle of Unsan, marking China's entry into the Korean War.
Soyuz 2 is launched.
The People's Republic of China replaces the Republic of China at the United Nations.
Egypt and Israel accept United Nations Security Council Resolution 339.
The first leg of the 1989 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira is held at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic declares its sovereignty from the Soviet Union.
After a civil war, Denis Sassou Nguesso proclaims himself President of the Republic of the Congo.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Henry V's archers win the Battle of Agincourt”?
A: 1415. 1415 — that’s 611 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “George III becomes king”?
A: 1760. 1760 — that’s 266 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: Henry V's archers win the Battle of Agincourt. 1854: The Charge of the Light Brigade takes place · 1760: George III becomes king · 1415: Henry V's archers win the Battle of Agincourt Find it on the page
“The Charge of the Light Brigade takes place” happened in 1854. How many years ago was that?
C: 172 years. 2026 − 1854 = 172. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 25 October.
UK story
William Grenville, who became Prime Minister, was born. He led the government from 1806 to 1807. His most important achievement as prime minister was the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. He also spent ten years as foreign secretary.
UK story
The painter Richard Parkes Bonington was born. He was an English Romantic artist, known for his landscapes and, later, paintings of figures from history. His family moved to France when he was 14, so he is also seen as a French artist. Although he died young, he became one of the most influential British artists of his time.
Well-known people who died on 25 October.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 25 October somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “October 25” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.