- October 4, 0610 “Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas and becomes Emperor.”
- October 4, 1209 Otto IV is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III.
- October 4, 1227 Assassination of Caliph al-Adil.
- October 4, 1363 “End of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat that of his rival, Chen Youliang, in one of the largest naval battles in history.”
- October 4, 1511 “Formation of the Holy League of Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Papal States and the Republic of Venice against France.”
- October 4, 1537 “The first complete English-language Bible (the Matthew Bible) is printed, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.”
- October 4, 1582 “Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15.”
- October 4, 1636 The first code of law for Plymouth Colony
- October 4, 1636 The Swedish Army defeats the armies of Saxony and the Holy Roman Empire at the Battle of Wittstock.
- October 4, 1648 Peter Stuyvesant establishes Americas 1st volunteer firemen
- October 4, 1693 Battle of Marsaglia: Piedmontese troops are defeated by the French.
- October 4, 1725 Foundation of Rosario in Argentina.
- October 4, 1777 Battle of Germantown: Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under Sir William Howe.
- October 4, 1779 The Fort Wilson Riot takes place.
- October 4, 1795 “Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence with a “”Whiff of Grapeshot””, using cannon to suppress armed counter-revolutionary rioters threatening the French Legislature (National Convention).”
- October 4, 1824 Mexico adopts a new constitution and becomes a federal republic.
- October 4, 1830 Creation of the state of Belgium after separation from The Netherlands.
- October 4, 1853 Crimean War: The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia.
- October 4, 1854 Honest Abe Lincoln made his first great political speech while attending the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
- October 4, 1862 Battle of Corinth ends
- October 4, 1864 “New Orleans Tribune, first black daily newspaper, forms”
- October 4, 1881 “The player piano was invented by Edward Leveaux of Sussex, England, who received a patent for it this day.”
- October 4, 1883 First run of the Orient Express.
- October 4, 1883 “Orient Express’ 1st run, linking Turkey to Europe by rail”
- October 4, 1895 “The first U.S. Open Men’s Golf Championship administered by the United States Golf Association is played at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island.”
- October 4, 1901 Columbia (US) beats Shamrock II (England) in 12th America’s Cup
- October 4, 1904 “Frederic Auguste Bertholdi French sculptor (“”Statue of Liberty””) dies”
- October 4, 1910 Adoption of the Flag of Bermuda.
- October 4, 1910 Declaration of the Portuguese Republic. King Manuel II flees to the United Kingdom.
- October 4, 1910 “Portugal becomes a republic, King Manuel II flees to England”
- October 4, 1912 “Nicaraguan Gen Zeledon, opponent of US occupation, is executed”
- October 4, 1916 “Market Street’s “”Path of Gold”” lit for 1st time”
- October 4, 1918 “An explosion kills more than 100 and destroys the T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant in Sayreville, New Jersey. Fires and explosions continue for three days forcing massive evacuations and spreading ordnance over a wide area, pieces of which are still being found in 2007.”
- October 4, 1921 Riccardo Zanella becomes first elected president of Free State of Fiume.
- October 4, 1922 The Canadian National Railway Company becomes a corporate entity (order in council P.C. 2094).
- October 4, 1923 Young Stribling held light-heavyweight boxing championship for the shortest amount of time (3 hrs). Referee overturns the decision
- October 4, 1926 Dahlia is officially designated as SF city flower
- October 4, 1927 Gutzon Borglum begins sculpting Mt. Rushmore.
- October 4, 1931 “”” Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”” Gumshoe Dick Tracy debuted in The Detroit Mirror. A week later, The New York Daily News and hundreds of others picked up the Chester Gould comic strip.”
- October 4, 1931 The comic strip Dick Tracy by Chester Gould debuts