24 October - Treaty of Westphalia signed

 

On October 24, 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia was signed, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic. This peace agreement is often seen as a foundational moment in modern European history, as it established principles of state sovereignty and laid the groundwork for the nation-state system. The treaties were signed in the Westphalian cities of Münster and Osnabrück, with multiple European powers involved in negotiations, including France, Sweden, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire.

The treaty’s terms redrew national boundaries and introduced religious freedom for different Christian denominations within certain regions, reducing the power of the Catholic Habsburgs in the Holy Roman Empire. Westphalia’s emphasis on the sovereignty of each state to govern its internal affairs without external interference was a pivotal step toward establishing modern diplomacy. This landmark event is often cited as the starting point for international law and the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states.

24 October - Sheffield F.C. founded

Sheffield F.C., founded on 24 October 1857, is celebrated as the world’s oldest association football club still in existence. Established by cricket enthusiasts Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, Sheffield F.C. was born out of a desire to create a formalized football club at a time when soccer was largely unorganized and varied widely in rules. Long before the establishment of the Football Association (FA) in 1863, Sheffield F.C. devised its own "Sheffield Rules," a code that included innovations such as the corner kick, the free kick, and throw-ins, which significantly influenced the development of modern football rules. The Sheffield Rules were used in local matches for years and, eventually, many aspects were incorporated into the FA rules, shaping the foundational principles of association football.

Sheffield F.C. fostered a culture of camaraderie and competition, often playing against local teams and even forming interclub matches. Their early rivalry with Hallam F.C., another Sheffield-based club, established in 1860, created the "Rules Derby," recognized as the world’s first football derby, which continues to this day. The club’s historic impact on football was later recognized by FIFA, who awarded Sheffield F.C. the FIFA Order of Merit in 2004—a rare honor shared with only one other club, Real Madrid. Despite the evolution of professional football, Sheffield F.C. remains an amateur club, dedicated to preserving the spirit and traditions of the game, ensuring its legacy as the birthplace of organized club football.