October 24, 1981 (Saturday)
- A weekend of anti-nuclear protests began in cities throughout Europe, as 200,000 marched in Rome and another 150,000 in London to protest the deployment of American Pershing II missiles at bases in five European nations. On Sunday, a crowd of 200,000 turned out in Brussels for the largest demonstration since World War II, and smaller crowds marched in Paris, Berlin and Oslo.
- Born: Tila Tequila, Vietnamese American model and singer, as Tila Nguyen, in Singapore
- Died: Edith Head, 84, American costume designer and 8-time Oscar winner
Read more about this topic: October 1981