On this day: October 22

1938 English Village Struck by Unexplained Spontaneous Fires

On 22 October 1938, residents of a rural English village reported a series of unexplained household and barn fires that appeared to ignite without obvious sources. Contemporary investigations found no definitive cause, leaving the incidents a subject of local memory and periodic historical curiosity.

Global sanctions escalate against South Africa as apartheid laws prompt international action

On Oct. 22, 1986, growing international condemnation of South Africa’s apartheid system culminated in expanded sanctions and financial restrictions aimed at pressuring the government to dismantle racially discriminatory laws.