Today in History: October 6, Anwar Sadat assassinated

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 6, the 279th day of 2026. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 6, 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad while reviewing a military parade.

Also on this date:

In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, a feature film containing both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

In 1949, Iva Toguri D’Aquino, a U.S. citizen commonly known as “Tokyo Rose” for participating in Radio Tokyo propaganda broadcasts during World War II, was sentenced in San Francisco to 10 years in prison for treason. She was released from prison in 1956 and pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977.

In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur holiday, starting a nearly three-week conflict that would become known as the Yom Kippur War.

In 1976, Republican President Gerald R. Ford, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, asserted that there was “no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.” Carter went on to narrowly defeat Ford.

In 1976, two bombs exploded on a Cubana de Aviacion flight off the coast of Barbados, killing all 73 on board, including the 24 members of Cuba’s national youth fencing team.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a weeklong U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 2007, British adventurer Jason Lewis completed the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, spanning 13 years and more than 46,000 miles (74,000 kilometers).

In 2010, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay tossed just the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history, blanking the Cincinnati Reds 4-0.

In 2014, the Supreme Court unexpectedly cleared the way for a dramatic expansion of same-sex marriage in the United States as it rejected appeals from five states seeking to preserve their bans, effectively making such marriages legal in 30 states.

In 2018, in the narrowest Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in nearly a century and a half, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 vote; he was sworn in hours later.

In 2023, Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her tireless campaigning for women’s rights and democracy, and against the death penalty. Mohammadi kept up her activism despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and having spent years behind bars.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Britt Ekland is 84. Irish politician Gerry Adams is 78. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy is 71. Bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr. is 67. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 63. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, is 61. Actor Emily Mortimer is 55. Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo is 53. Actor Ioan Gruffudd (YOH’-ihn GRIH’-fihth) is 53. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 52. Football Hall of Famer Richard Seymour is 47. NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence is 27. Social media personality Addison Rae is 26. Basketball player Bronny James is 22.