1926: Harry Houdini, the world's most famous escape artist, dies aged 52 from complications of a ruptured appendix. It is reported that a student unexpectedly punched Houdini in the stomach after hearing him boast about his ability to withstand blows, potentially worsening an existing condition. Houdini's death on Halloween adds to his enduring mystique, and his wife later held séances in an unsuccessful attempt to contact him.
2000: The first resident crew arrives at the International Space Station via Soyuz TM-31. It has been continuously crewed since.
2008: A person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto publishes the Bitcoin white paper, proposing a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that could operate without a central financial institution. The paper outlines the foundations of a decentralised digital currency, eventually helping launch the cryptocurrency industry and influencing debates about money, banking and financial technology. Nakamoto's true identity remains unknown.
2011: The date the UN declared that the global population has reached seven billion.