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Major Events of October 2021: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from October 2021 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of October 2021: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Oct 2021 Global COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches Grim Milestone: The worldwide recorded COVID-19 death toll surpasses 5 million, with the Delta variant continuing to drive significant transmission and mortality rates across the globe. This milestone underscores the pandemic's profound global impact.
  • 02 Oct 2021 Brazil Political Protests Against President Bolsonaro: Large-scale political demonstrations erupted across Brazil, with protesters demanding the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro. These protests reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the president's governance, handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and controversial political policies. The demonstrations represented a significant moment of political tension and civic engagement in Brazil.
  • 03 Oct 2021 Pandora Papers Expose Global Leaders' Hidden Wealth: A groundbreaking international investigative journalism project revealed secret offshore financial holdings of 30 current and former world leaders, including King Abdullah II of Jordan, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The investigation exposed complex networks of hidden wealth, raising significant questions about financial transparency and potential tax avoidance among global political elites.
  • 04 Oct 2021 Pandora Papers Expose Global Wealth Concealment: The Pandora Papers investigation revealed extensive financial strategies used by world leaders and wealthy individuals to hide assets through offshore accounts, exposing systemic global tax avoidance practices.
  • 05 Oct 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics Honors Climate Change Research: The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three distinguished scientists - Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi - for their groundbreaking research that significantly advanced understanding of complex physical systems and provided critical insights into climate change mechanisms.
  • 06 Oct 2021 Denmark Suspends Moderna Vaccine for Minors: Denmark made a precautionary decision to suspend the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals under 18 years old. This action was taken following reports of rare side effects, specifically myocarditis and meningitis, demonstrating the country's commitment to vaccine safety and transparent public health management.
  • 07 Oct 2021 WHO Endorses First Malaria Vaccine: The World Health Organization endorsed a groundbreaking vaccine against malaria, specifically targeting children in sub-Saharan Africa. Pilot programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi demonstrated the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, showing a 30% reduction in severe malaria cases.
  • 08 Oct 2021 Global COVID-19 Pandemic Updates: Multiple COVID-19 developments occurred globally: Cyprus's president received a booster vaccine, Iceland suspended Moderna's vaccine, Russia reported record daily deaths, Malaysia approved Pfizer booster shots, and Singapore experienced a record daily case count.
  • 09 Oct 2021 Unremarkable Day in Global History: On October 9, 2021, no significant global events were recorded in the primary historical sources. This day passed without major political, social, scientific, or cultural milestones of widespread historical importance.
  • 10 Oct 2021 Fatal Let L-410 Aircraft Crash in Russia: A tragic aviation accident occurred when a Let L-410 aircraft carrying parachute jumpers crashed shortly after takeoff from Menzelinsk Airport in Tatarstan, Russia. The crash resulted in 16 fatalities and six injuries, underscoring the inherent risks in aviation and parachuting activities.
  • 11 Oct 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics Awarded for Groundbreaking Research Methodology: The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to David Card, Joshua Angrist, and Guido Imbens for their pioneering work on 'natural experiments', a revolutionary approach to understanding economic causality. Their research methodology allows economists to draw more robust conclusions about economic phenomena by analyzing real-world events as quasi-experimental settings.
  • 12 Oct 2021 Squid Game Global Phenomenon: Netflix confirmed that the South Korean television series *Squid Game* became a global entertainment sensation, achieving unprecedented viewership by reaching over 111 million accounts worldwide since its September release. The series marked a significant milestone in the global popularity of Korean entertainment content.
  • 13 Oct 2021 Tragic Bow and Arrow Attack in Kongsberg, Norway: A devastating terrorist attack occurred in Kongsberg, Norway, where an assailant used a bow and arrow to kill five people and injure two others. The incident shocked the local community and raised significant concerns about public safety and potential terrorist threats.
  • 14 Oct 2021 Kaohsiung Tower Fire Disaster: A devastating fire in a 13-story residential tower block in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, claimed the lives of 46 people and injured 79 others, raising serious questions about building safety regulations.
  • 15 Oct 2021 Murder of British MP David Amess: On October 15, 2021, British Conservative Party Member of Parliament David Amess was tragically assassinated while conducting a constituency surgery (public meeting) in the United Kingdom. Initial investigations suggested the murder was potentially linked to Islamist terrorism. A suspect was immediately taken into custody following the fatal stabbing. Amess, a long-serving parliamentarian, was meeting with local constituents when the attack occurred, shocking the British political establishment.
  • 16 Oct 2021 COVID-19 Pandemic Developments: Russia experienced its fourth consecutive day of record-breaking COVID-19 cases and deaths, reporting over 1,000 fatalities. Simultaneously, Southern Tasmania entered a lockdown due to an increase in locally transmitted cases, demonstrating the ongoing global challenges of the pandemic.
  • 17 Oct 2021 Saudi-Led Coalition Airstrikes Against Houthi Militants in Yemen: During a significant military operation in the ongoing Yemeni Civil War, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition conducted 32 targeted airstrikes in the Marib region, claiming to have eliminated 160 Houthi militants within a 24-hour period. The coalition reported a broader offensive, stating they had killed over 700 Houthi fighters during the preceding week, highlighting the intense conflict in Yemen.
  • 18 Oct 2021 Devastating Floods in Northern India and Nepal Claim Over 100 Lives: Catastrophic flash floods and extreme rainfall in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand and Nepal resulted in a tragic loss of life, with over 100 people killed after an unprecedented 328mm of rain fell within a 24-hour period. The disaster highlighted the region's vulnerability to climate-induced extreme weather events.
  • 19 Oct 2021 Global COVID-19 Pandemic Developments: On October 19, 2021, several countries implemented significant COVID-19 measures. Bulgaria introduced a mandatory COVID-19 Green Certificate for indoor activities starting October 21. In Russia, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin ordered a stay-at-home mandate for unvaccinated or unrecovered individuals aged 60 and older, to be enforced for four months. The United Kingdom reported 233 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, marking the highest single-day total since March 3, highlighting the ongoing pandemic challenges.
  • 20 Oct 2021 Damascus Bus Bombing and Military Shellfire in Syria: A devastating terrorist attack in Damascus involved two bombs detonating on a military bus near Jisr al-Rais bridge, killing 14 people. Subsequently, military shellfire in Ariha, Idlib Governorate, resulted in at least 10 civilian casualties, further highlighting the ongoing brutality of the Syrian Civil War.
  • 21 Oct 2021 Fatal Shooting on Rust Film Set: During the production of the film 'Rust' in New Mexico, actor Alec Baldwin accidentally discharged a prop firearm that was unexpectedly loaded with live ammunition. The incident resulted in the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and critically injured director Joel Souza. The shooting raised significant questions about on-set safety protocols and firearm handling in film productions.
  • 22 Oct 2021 House Votes to Hold Steve Bannon in Contempt: The U.S. House of Representatives voted to declare former Trump aide Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the January 6 Capitol attack investigation committee.
  • 23 Oct 2021 Nixon Agrees to Release Watergate Tapes: On October 23, 1973, President Richard Nixon agreed to turn over White House tape recordings subpoenaed by the Watergate special prosecutor to Judge John J. Sirica. This pivotal moment in the Watergate scandal represented a significant challenge to presidential power and transparency, ultimately contributing to Nixon's eventual resignation.
  • 24 Oct 2021 Eastern Europe Surpasses 20 Million COVID-19 Cases: The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact Eastern Europe, with total cases exceeding 20 million. Russia, Ukraine, and Romania reported the highest number of deaths, highlighting the region's ongoing struggle with the coronavirus.
  • 25 Oct 2021 First Potential Extragalactic Planet Discovery: NASA scientists announced a groundbreaking potential discovery of the first planet detected outside the Milky Way galaxy. The candidate planet is located in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), an astonishing 28 million light-years away from Earth. This discovery represents a significant milestone in astronomical research, pushing the boundaries of our understanding of planetary formation and existence beyond our galactic neighborhood.
  • 26 Oct 2021 Global Greenhouse Gas Levels Reach Record High: Despite a temporary reduction during coronavirus lockdowns, global greenhouse gas concentrations have reached unprecedented levels, underscoring the ongoing challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability.
  • 27 Oct 2021 Brazilian Senate Moves to Charge Bolsonaro Over COVID-19 Response: The Brazilian Senate voted to pursue charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for his controversial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential charges include crimes against humanity, incitement to crime, document falsification, and violation of social rights, reflecting Brazil's status as having the second-highest COVID-19 death toll globally.
  • 28 Oct 2021 Tigray War Continues: Ethiopian military forces conducted an airstrike on Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray Region, targeting a compound of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Tigrayan sources disputed the military's claims, asserting that six civilians, including three children, were killed in the attack.
  • 29 Oct 2021 Biden Announces Comprehensive Social Infrastructure and Climate Investment Framework: President Joe Biden unveiled a landmark $1.75 trillion spending plan designed to significantly expand the United States' social safety net and make unprecedented investments in climate change mitigation. The comprehensive framework proposed $555 billion specifically targeted at environmental initiatives, representing the largest federal commitment to addressing climate challenges in U.S. history. The plan aimed to simultaneously address social infrastructure needs and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy, signaling a transformative approach to national policy.
  • 30 Oct 2021 Global Corporate Tax Agreement at G20 Summit: During the G20 summit in Rome on October 30, 2021, world leaders reached a groundbreaking agreement to establish a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15%. This historic accord aims to prevent multinational corporations from shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions and ensure a more equitable international taxation system.
  • 31 Oct 2021 COP 26 Climate Conference Begins in Glasgow: The 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 26) commenced in Glasgow, Scotland, following the conclusion of the G20 summit in Rome. This critical global event brought together world leaders to discuss urgent climate action and strategies to mitigate global warming.