October 25: Agincourt, Windows XP & a Tarred Statue

Some days just show up and overachieve. October 25 is the date of royal upsets, computer nostalgia, art vandalism by college students, and a crop of birthdays that includes some genuinely famous faces. Buckle up.

Underdogs and Operating Systems

Back in 1415, Henry V of England rolled up to the Battle of Agincourt on Saint Crispin's Day with an army that was mostly archers and, somehow, outclassed the numerically superior French cavalry. It's the kind of victory that inspires rousing speeches for centuries — and proves that showing up with a good plan beats showing up with a bigger budget.

Fast-forward to 2001, when Microsoft released Windows XP for retail. If you ever sat and stared at that rolling green hill and perfect blue sky, congratulations: that was peak computing serenity. XP became one of the most beloved versions of Windows ever, mostly because it just worked — a sentence we rarely say about anything these days.

Happy Birthday, You Famous People

October 25 has a stacked lineup. Liverpool fans can celebrate Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai (2000), while baseball fans tip their caps to Dominican superstar Juan Soto (1998), whose plate discipline is basically a magic trick. Italian football gets a double feature with Federico Chiesa (1997), and K-pop fans will recognize Lee Know of Stray Kids (1998). Not bad for a single calendar square — if you threw them all a joint party, you'd need a stadium and a very confused caterer.

A Really Short Job and a Really Tarred Statue

In 2022, Liz Truss wrapped up the shortest tenure as UK prime minister at a brisk 49 days — roughly the shelf life of a head of lettuce, as a certain tabloid memorably noted. Sometimes the job just isn't for you, and that's okay.

But the true weird-history gold goes to 1929, when hundreds of students at Armstrong College in Newcastle, England, decided that Herbert Maryon's Statue of Industry needed a little makeover — and tarred and feathered it. Art critics have strong opinions, sure, but these students really committed to the review.

Something to Celebrate

Over in Romania, October 25 is Armed Forces Day, a genuine national observance honoring the country's military. So whatever you're doing today — defeating a larger army, booting up an old PC, or admiring statues from a respectful, feather-free distance — raise a glass. October 25 earned it.