TODAY IN HISTORY: Elaborate publicity stunt see man fall 39 kilometres, break the sound barrier and survive
October 14
On October 14, 2012, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from a helium balloon in the stratosphere, plummeting 39 kilometres back down to earth.
He became the first man to break the sound barrier without travelling in a powered machine.
He eventually landed safely, in what was a seriously elaborate stunt to sell an energy drink.
After landing in New Mexico, the daredevil appeared to hold his hand out for a can of the sponsor's product.
Or, perhaps he was just waving and saying he was OK after the fall from space.
Either way the Red Bull "Stratos" leap of October 14, 2012, was an event that captured the entire world's attention.
In 1982, then-US president Ronald Reagan (pictured here with wife Nancy) declared the War on Drugs on October 14.
While the politician and his administration went about creating policies, the First Lady took their message out on the road.
Nancy Reagan toured primary schools around the country to warn students about the dangers of illicit drugs.
In 1958, legendary Australian Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson died, aged 76.
The geologist, who was born in England but came to Australia as a child, is credited with being the principal instigator of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914), which explored thousands of kilometres of previously uncharted territory, collecting geological and botanical samples along the way.
However, tragedy truck when two members of his Far Eastern Party died, leaving him to travel solo for a month to make it back to the main base.
In his honour one of Australia's three research stations in Antarctica is named after him - this is Mawson Station.
It's staffed by around 20 people over the frigid Antarctic winter, with the population there booming to more than 50 in the summer.
October 13
On October 13, 2010, a group of 33 miners were rescued after being trapped for more than two months in a mine near Copiapo, Chile.
After a huge collapse at the San José Mine in the Atacama Desert, the trapped miners took refuge in a steel encased safe room.
They survived for 69 days with each man eating only two small cookies once a day made from emergency rations.
After a huge rescue effort, the miners were brought to the surface.
Many of the men faced post-traumatic stress following their ordeal, with some suffering nightmares.
But one miner - Alex Vega - after two years of suffering took the drastic move to return to mining. His nightmares never returned.
Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser made Olympics history on October 13, 1964, when she clinched her third successive 100-metre freestyle gold medal.
Her success at the Tokyo Games followed gold medal victories at Rome in 1960 and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
The two-month ordeal for 16 survivors of a plane that crashed over the Argentine Andes began on October 13, 1972.
After hopes of a quick rescue evaporated, they were forced to eat the remains of some people who died in the disaster.
The ordeal inspired the movie 'Alive' and countless memoirs have been written about what became known as the "Miracle in the Andes".
Roman Emperor Claudius died on October 13, 54AD, after eating a suspected poisoned mushroom.
Many Roman citizens suspected he was deliberately poisoned by his ambitious younger wife Agrippa who was eager to install her son Nero as emperor.
A 'hungry bear' crisis gripped eastern Russia on October 13, 2017, after overfishing forced the animals to seek food in human communities.
The incident left two people dead and 83 hostile bears shot on Sakhalin Island, in Siberia.
October 12
Japanese politician Inejiro Asanuma was assassinated in a stunning and brutal way in front of a horrified crowd on October 12, 1960.
While Asanuma was speaking at a televised event, teenage right-wing extremist Otoya Yamaguchi rushed at him wielding a samurai sword.
He stabbed Asanuma through the ribs, fatally injuring him.
The assassination of Asanuma sent shockwaves through Japan and was watched by millions of television viewers.
Yamaguchi was captured at the scene of the crime, and a few weeks afterwards committed suicide by hanging himself while in police custody.
The Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany, was first held on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria.
By the early 20th century, large beer halls had been built in Munich for guests to enjoy the city's beers.
On October 12, 2002, three bombs were detonated in two busy nightspots in Bali, killing 202 people, 88 of whom were Australian.
It was the single largest loss of Australian life due to an act of terror.
Indonesian extremist Umar Patek later arrested and convicted for building the bombs. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison but released in late 2022.
Sid Vicious of the punk band The Sex Pistols on October 12, 1978, was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in New York city.
Spungen's body was found in her hotel room with a knife wound, while Vicious was walking in a nearby corridor.
The musician died of a heroin overdose while on bail in February 1979 before the case went to trial.
On October 12, 1492, explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall during this expedition to what he called the 'New World'.
Columbus said he landed on a Caribbean island he named San Salvador, but was likely part of the Bahamas, about 360kms south-east of the modern-day Miami.
October 11
Nobel Prize winning scientist Albert Einstein warned US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on October 11, 1939, that Nazi Germany could develop nuclear weapons.
In a letter delivered to the White House and supported by other leading scientists, Einstein said the US could not ignore the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
The document spurred Roosevelt to later set up the Manhattan Project - a huge US project that led to the invention of the atomic bomb.
Legendary American blues musician Muddy Waters survived a horrendous car crash on October 11. 1969.
Waters, considered the 'father of Chicago blues', was travelling home from a night show in Tennessee when his car was hit head-on by a vehicle.
Waters' driver died in the crash, as did the two passengers of the other vehicle. The popular singer broke three ribs and shattered his pelvis, hip and sprained his back.
Despite his near-death experience, the incident led to a resurgence in Waters' music. He produced a string of hits and cemented his place as one of the greats in blues music.
The wreck of the famous warship Mary Rose was raised from waters off southern England on October 11, 1982.
Launched in 1510, the vessel sank on its way to engage the French enemy fleet off Portsmouth Sound in 1545.
The wreck was discovered by a diver and amateur historian in 1966.
Much-loved Australian cricketer Keith Miller died on October 11, 2004, in Melbourne.
The dashing Test player was regarded as Australia's finest all-rounder.
He was also a World War II pilot, flying missions for the RAAF over Nazi-occupied Europe.