October 24: Eid ul-Fitr (2006); United Nations Day; Independence Day in Zambia (1964).

• 1260 - The Cathedral of Chartres (pictured) was dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France.

• 1648 - The Peace of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years' War and "officially" recognizing the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and Swiss Confederation as independent states.

• 1929 - The Great Depression: The New York Stock Exchange crashed on "Black Thursday", setting off a chain of bankruptcies and triggering a worldwide economic depression.

• 1945 - The UN Charter, the constitution of the United Nations, entered into force.

• 1960 - A prototype of the Soviet R-16 intercontinental ballistic missile exploded on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, killing over 100 people in the Nedelin catastrophe.

Recent days: October 23 – October 22 – October 21