^B{^#!16!18 October^N! Feast day of St Luke, St Gwen of Corwall, and St Justus of Beauvais.
^B{1685^B} The Edict of Nantes, granting religious freedom to the Huguenots, was revoked by King Louis XIV of France. ^B{1826^B} Britain's last state lottery was held. ^B{1887^B} Russia transferred Alaska to the US for $7.2 million. ^B{1922^B} The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) was officially formed. ^B{1977^B} Germany's anti-terrorist squad stormed a hijacked Lufthansa aircraft at Mogadishu Airport, Somalia, killing three of the four Palestinian hijackers and freeing all of the hostages. ^B{1989^B} Following a wave of pro-democracy demonstrations in East Germany, Erich Honecker was replaced as head of state by Egon Krenz. ^B{1989^B} With the end of Communist rule, Hungary was proclaimed a free republic.
^B{^I{^#!14!Born ^N}Canaletto, Italian painter, ^B{1697^B}; Henri Bergson, French philosopher, ^B{1859^B}; Pierre Trudeau, Canadian politician, ^B{1919^B}; Chuck Berry, US singer, ^B{1926^B}; George C Scott, US film actor, ^B{1927^B}; Martina Navratilova, Czech tennis player, ^B{1956^B}.
^B{^I{^#!14!Died ^N}Lord Palmerston, British politician, ^B{1865^B}; Charles Babbage, English mathematician, ^B{1871^B}; Charles Franτois Gounod, French composer, ^B{1893^B}; Thomas Edison, US inventor, ^B{1931^B}; Elizabeth Arden, cosmetics company founder, ^B{1966^B}; Pierre MendΦs-France, French statesman, ^B{1982^B}.
