Today In History

The Allied raid on Tobruk, Libya resulted in failure; 746 Allied personnel were killed, wounded, or captured; the Axis suffered 66 casualties. However, the raid on Barce, Libya was successful, destroying 16 aircraft on the ground; on the way out, the Barce raiders were strafed by Italian aircraft and lost several vehicles.

RAF Mosquito aircraft conducted a daring low-level raid on the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo, Norway.

The Soviet Union eliminated the Political Commissar position from the army, leaving only one military commander in each of its units.

The construction of the Alaska-Canadian Highway was completed; it would not be dedicated until 20 Nov 1942.

The Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan (31 October 1784 – 14 December 1784) began in the Metaliferi Mountains, Hunedoara, but it soon spread throughout all Transylvania and the Apuseni Mountains. As mouthpiece for the Romanian peasants, Horea traveled to Vienna often in the years from 1779 to 1782 to explain the hardships of the Transylvanian peasantry and lack of representation, without any result. On November 1st, the revolt reaches Curechiu, Hunedoara and quickly spreads to the neighboring counties. Civilian casualties were about 4,000 people from 133 settlements. The uprising reverberated throughout western Europe.