On this day in history - October 24

What Happened On This Day – October 24

• 2007 China Launches Chang'e 1

  It was the first spacecraft of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, which is responsible for sending unmanned robotic space probes to the Moon and the lunar orbit in order to better understand Earth’s largest natural satellite. The space probe crashed into the lunar surface on March 2, 2009, after orbiting the Moon for over a year.

• 1964 Zambian independence

  The African country gained independence from British rule with the passage of the Zambia Independence Act 1964 by the UK Parliament.

• 1945 United Nations founded

  The U.N. charter was ratified by the then 5 permanent members and 46 member states.

• 1930 Coup in Brazil

  President Washington Luís was deposed by the heads of the armed forces just 4 years after he came to office. The coup prevented President-elect Júlio Prestes from coming to power and the military junta instead installed Getúlio Vargas as the de facto President of the country. The coup was in part a response to the government’s “coffee with milk policy”, which allowed governance power to be alternated between the coffee producing state of São Paulo and the milk producing state of Minas Gerais. This policy led to a rebellion in some parts of the country, which in turn prompted the army to take action against the government.

• 1926 Last performance of Houdini

  The world famous escape artist performed for the last time at the Garrick Theater in Detroit, Michigan.