On This Day in History

Korean War: Chinese and North Korean troops captured Seoul from United Nations forces.

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake occurred in Tonghai County, China, killing at least 15,000 people.

Rose Heilbron (pictured) became the first female judge to sit at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales.

Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.

The English punk-rock band Sex Pistols' lewd and disruptive behaviour at Heathrow Airport prompted the record label EMI to end their contract.

Two American F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23 Floggers that appeared to be attempting to engage them over the Gulf of Sidra.

Spirit (artist's impression depicted), the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars.

Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government.

The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, officially opened in Dubai.

A fire in an escape room in Koszalin, Poland, killed five teenagers.

Sembawang Hot Spring Park in Singapore reopened after being redeveloped by the National Parks Board.