Hitchhiker's Guide Published: Universe Gets Satire
Douglas Adams publishes the first book of his comedy science fiction series, instantly launching a multimedia franchise that redefined absurdism in pop culture. The story's immediate success spawned radio adaptations, television shows, and a stage play, establishing its status as a cornerstone of British humor worldwide.
October 12, 1979
47 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on October 12
Cyrus the Great marched his Persian forces into Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire without a major battle. By allowing the city’s captive populations, in…
Cyrus the Great's forces marched into Babylon on October 12, 539 BC, toppling a millennia-old empire without a battle. This conquest immediately freed Jewish ca…
Edwin of Northumbria died at Hatfield Chase with most of his army. He'd united northern England and converted to Christianity. Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of …
King Ladislaus I established the fortress of Varadinum, formally documenting the site now known as Oradea in a papal bull. This administrative recognition trans…
King John lost the English Crown Jewels in The Wash in 1216 when his baggage train tried to cross the estuary at low tide and misjudged the timing. The tide cam…
Nichiren inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, a mandala he considered the supreme object of devotion for his branch of Buddhism. He'd been exiled, nearly executed, and p…
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