In History, Today on October 10

The Great Hurricane of 1780, the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, makes landfall in the Caribbean, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

The United States Naval Academy opens in Annapolis, Maryland, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors.

The Xinhai Revolution begins in China with the Wuchang Uprising, leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.

A United Airlines Boeing 247 is destroyed by sabotage, the first proven case of air sabotage in commercial aviation history.

The Fiji Independence Act 1970 is enacted, granting Fiji independence from the United Kingdom.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the El Asnam region of Algeria, resulting in significant casualties and damage.

U.S. Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise ship and force it to land at a NATO base in Sicily, leading to their arrest.

The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany comes into effect, leading to the reunification of Germany.

The Treaty of Amsterdam is signed, amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European Communities.

U.S. President George W. Bush presents a list of 22 most wanted terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, as part of the War on Terror following the September 11 attacks.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) reach an agreement to form a grand coalition government in Germany, paving the way for Merkel to become the first female Chancellor of Germany.

The Netherlands Antilles is dissolved as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, resulting in Curaçao and Sint Maarten becoming constituent countries, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba become special municipalities of the Netherlands.

Two suicide bombings occur at a peace rally in Ankara, Turkey, killing over 100 people and injuring more than 400, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Turkey's history.

Hurricane Ophelia forms in the Atlantic Ocean, eventually becoming the easternmost major hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin.

Hurricane Michael makes landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 hurricane, causing widespread destruction and becoming the strongest storm to hit the continental U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after weeks of fighting, though violations continue.