Today in History for 4th October 2025

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Historical Events

1777 - Battle of Germantown: Gen George Washington's troops attack and are defeated by the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania
1944 - British troops land on Greek mainland
1992 - Bijlmer Air Disaster: El Al cargo plane crashes into an apartment building in Bijlmer, Amsterdam, killing at least 47 people
1994 - Soyuz TM-20 launches
2003 - Red Raiders' quarterback B.J. Symons sets a Big 12 Conference record with 8 touchdown passes, leading Texas Tech to a convincing 59-28 win over Texas A and M

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Famous Birthdays

1880 - Damon Runyon, American journalist and writer (Guys and Dolls-based on his work), born in Manhattan, Kansas (d. 1946)
1887 - Francis Bull, Norwegian writer (Norsk literature historian), born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1974)
1895 - Giovanni Brunero, Italian road cyclist (Giro d'Italia General classification 1921, 22, 26), born in San Maurizio Canavese, Italy (d. 1934)
1903 - Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Austrian nazi (SS/SD), born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria-Hungary (d. 1946)
1952 - Anita Luceete Defrantz, American rower (Olympic bronze 1976; first female vice-president IOC executive committee), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1749 - Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier whose unit is considered one of the worst in European history due to insubordination and plundering, dies in captivity at 38
1904 - Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, French sculptor (designed the Statue of Liberty), and painter, dies of tuberculosis at 70
1943 - Richard T. Ely, American economist and author (Ground under our feet), dies at 89
1993 - Fran Carlon, dies of cancer at 80
2018 - Hamiet Bluiett, American jazz baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer (World Saxophone Quartet - "Hattie Wall'), dies at 78

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