This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 10 1985 U.S. Navy fighter jets intercept Italian cruise ship hijackers Three days after hijacking the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, terrorists from the Palestine Liberation Front attempt to escape but are intercepted by U.S. Navy fighter jets. read more 19th Century 1877 Colonel George Custer’s funeral is held at West Point 1845 U.S. Naval Academy opens Arts & Entertainment 1935 “Porgy and Bess,” the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway 2004 Superman Christopher Reeve dies at age 52 1987 Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” tops the charts Colonial America 1767 Mason and Dixon draw a line, dividing the colonies Crime 1991 A former postal worker commits mass murder U.S. Government and Politics 1973 Vice President Agnew resigns U.S. Presidents 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to African diplomat Vietnam War 1954 Viet Minh take control of North Vietnam Women’s History 2014 Malala Yousafzai, 17, wins Nobel Peace Prize World War II 1940 St. Paul’s Cathedral bombed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 11 2002 Jimmy Carter wins Nobel Peace Prize Former President Jimmy Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work advocating for human rights, world peace and economic and social development. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1809 Meriwether Lewis dies along the Natchez Trace, Tennessee African History 1899 Boer War begins in South Africa American Revolution 1776 Benedict Arnold fights valiantly at Valcour Island 1775 William Howe named commander in chief of British army Arts & Entertainment 1971 John Lennon’s “Imagine” is released 1975 “Saturday Night Live” debuts 1975 Bruce Springsteen scores his first pop hit with “Born to Run” LGBTQ+ History 1987 AIDS Quilt displayed for the first time on the National Mall Religion 1962 Pope John XXIII opens Vatican II Space Exploration 1968 Apollo 7 launched U.S. Presidents 1975 Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham marry World War I 1915 Bulgaria enters World War I

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 12

1492 Columbus reaches the “New World” After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus touches down in the Bahamas, believing he’s made it to East Asia. read more

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21st Century

2002

Terrorists kill 202 in Bali

Arts & Entertainment

1940

Silent-film star Tom Mix dies in Arizona car wreck

1997

John Denver dies in an aircraft accident

2007

Al Gore wins Nobel Prize in the wake of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’

Civil War

1870

Robert E. Lee dies

Cold War

1986

Soviet-U.S. arms control talks break down over President Reagan’s “Star Wars” initiative

1960

Nikita Khrushchev allegedly brandishes his shoe at the United Nations

Crime

2000

USS Cole attacked by terrorists

1998

Matthew Shepard, victim of anti-gay hate crime, dies

European History

1810

The origin of Oktoberfest: a Bavarian royal wedding

Natural Disasters & Environment

1918

Fire rages in Minnesota

Space Exploration

1964

USSR leads the space race

U.S. Presidents

1786

Thomas Jefferson composes an extraordinary romantic letter

Vietnam War

1972

Racial violence breaks out aboard U.S. Navy ships

World War I

1915

British nurse Edith Cavell executed

World War II

1945

Conscientious objector awarded Medal of Honor

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 13 1792 White House cornerstone laid Construction begins on the executive mansion in the newly designated capital city of Washington, D.C. The mansion became known as the White House because its white-gray Virginia freestone contrasted strikingly with nearby red-brick buildings. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1812 Sir Isaac Brock saves Canada from U.S. invasion 21st Century 2021 William Shatner goes to space American Revolution 1775 Continental Congress authorizes first naval force Arts & Entertainment 1975 Singer Charlie Rich protests John Denver’s big win at the CMA Awards Crime 1999 Grand jury dismissed in JonBenét Ramsey murder case European History 1977 Palestinians hijack German airliner Latin American & Caribbean History 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashes in the Andes 2010 Chilean miners are rescued after 69 days underground Middle Ages 1307 Mass arrests of the Knights Templar Sports 1967 American Basketball Association debuts World War II 1943 Italy declares war on Germany

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 14 1947 Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Arts & Entertainment 1892 “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” published 1926 ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ first published 1957 “Wake Up Little Susie” becomes the Everly Brothers’ first No. 1 hit 1994 “Pulp Fiction” opens in theaters Black History 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. wins Nobel Peace Prize Cold War 1964 Nikita Khrushchev ousted as premier of Soviet Union 1962 Soviet missiles photographed in Cuba Crime 1975 Trial begins in Amityville murders European History 1066 The Battle of Hastings LGBTQ+ History 1977 Anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant is hit in the face with a pie U.S. Presidents 1912 Theodore Roosevelt shot in Milwaukee 1890 Dwight D. Eisenhower is born Vietnam War 1968 Military announces it will send U.S. servicemen to Vietnam for second tours World War I 1918 Adolf Hitler wounded in British gas attack World War II 1944 German General Erwin Rommel—aka “The Desert Fox”—dies by suicide

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 15 1917 Dancer and spy Mata Hari is executed Mata Hari, the dancer and spy, is executed for espionage by a French firing squad outside of Paris. She was accused of acting as a double agent for the French and Germans during World War II. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev wins Nobel Peace Prize Arts & Entertainment 1951 ‘I Love Lucy’ premieres on CBS 1973 Dolly Parton releases hit single “Jolene” Black History 1966 Black Panther Party founded Civil War 1863 H.L. Hunley sinks during demonstration Crime 1970 RICO Act passed, heralding decline of the mob 1948 A murderous husband is executed Inventions & Science 2004 “Funeral coaches” exempted from car-seat law Native American History 1880 Chiricahua Apache leader Victorio is killed south of El Paso, Texas Sports 1989 Wayne Gretzky breaks NHL points record U.S. Government and Politics 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmed to the Supreme Court U.S. Presidents 1948 Gerald Ford marries Elizabeth Bloomer 1796 Editorial subtly accuses Thomas Jefferson of affair with enslaved woman Vietnam War 1965 Antiwar demonstrations staged in 40 U.S. cities World War II 1946 High-ranking Nazi leader Hermann Göring dies 1945 Vichy leader executed for treason

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 16 1934 The Long March Mao Zedong begins leading his Communists followers on a 6,000-mile trek from southeastern to northwestern China. read more 1980s 1987 Baby Jessica rescued from a well as the world watches Arts & Entertainment 1854 Celebrated writer Oscar Wilde is born 1970 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber release “Jesus Christ Superstar” concept album 1923 Walt Disney Company is founded Asian History 1964 China joins A-bomb club Black History 1995 Million Man March Crime 1991 23 diners massacred at Texas restaurant 1906 A shoemaker leads German soldiers in a robbery European History 1793 Marie Antoinette is beheaded Inventions & Science 1958 Chevrolet introduces the El Camino Slavery 1859 John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry Sports 1968 Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists at the 1968 Olympics 1996 Stampede kills 84 at World Cup match U.S. Presidents 1854 Abraham Lincoln speaks out against slavery Vietnam War 1973 Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho awarded Nobel Peace Prize World War II 1946 Nazi war criminals executed 1946 Alfred Rosenberg is executed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 17 1931 Al Capone convicted of tax evasion Gangster Al Capone is found guilty of tax evasion, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. He was later sentenced to 11 years in prison. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1835 The first resolution formally creating the Texas Rangers is approved American Revolution 1777 Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga European History 1912 Serbia and Greece declare war on Ottoman Empire in First Balkan War Middle Eastern History 1973 OPEC enacts oil embargo Natural Disasters & Environment 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake strikes near San Francisco Sports 1989 Oakland-San Francisco World Series game postponed because of earthquake U.S. Presidents 1974 President Ford explains his pardon of Nixon to Congress

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 18 1867 U.S. takes possession of Alaska The U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1980s 1986 U.S. aid to Contras signed into law Arts & Entertainment 1988 “Roseanne” debuts 1974 Soul singer Al Green is attacked in his own bathtub Asian History 1860 Peking’s Summer Palace destroyed Crime 1968 John Lennon and Yoko Ono arrested for drug possession Inventions & Science 1931 Thomas Edison dies 1933 R. Buckminster Fuller tries to patent his Dymaxion Car Sports 1977 Reggie Jackson—aka “Mr. October”—hits three homers in three swings U.S. Government and Politics 1972 Clean Water Act becomes law U.S. States 1898 U.S. takes control of Puerto Rico World War I 1916 British soldier Harry Farr executed for cowardice

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 19 1781 Americans defeat the British at Yorktown British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers to the Americans at the Battle of Yorktown, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1980s 1987 Stock markets have the largest-ever one-day crash on “Black Monday” Arts & Entertainment 1985 First Blockbuster store opens 1847 Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ is published in London 1985 “Take on Me” music video helps Norway’s A-ha top the U.S. pop charts Civil War 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek Crime 1982 John Z. DeLorean is arrested in $24 million cocaine deal 1994 Man charged in murder of Megan Kanka European History 1989 Guildford Four are cleared of IRA bombings 1812 Napoleon retreats from Moscow 1469 Ferdinand of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile Natural Disasters & Environment 1991 Fire sweeps through Oakland hills World War I 1914 First Battle of Ypres

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 20 1947 Congress investigates Communists in Hollywood The notorious Red Scare kicks into high gear in Washington, D.C., when the House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigated alleged Communists in Hollywood. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1803 U.S. Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase African History 2011 Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi is killed American Revolution 1774 Congress creates the Continental Association Arts & Entertainment 1977 Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash 1994 Actor Burt Lancaster dies 1854 French poet Arthur Rimbaud is born 1973 Sydney Opera House opens 1962 “Monster Mash” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart Asian History 1935 Mao’s Long March concludes Sports 1968 Dick Fosbury flops to an Olympic high jump record U.S. Government and Politics 1973 Watergate special prosecutor dismissed in so-called “Saturday Night Massacre” U.S. Presidents 1962 President Kennedy secretly plans blockade of Cuba World War II 1944 General MacArthur returns to the Philippines

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 21 1959 Guggenheim Museum opens in New York City The contemporary art museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, drew thousands to its opening day. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Civil War 1861 Battle of Ball’s Bluff Crime 2021 Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins killed on set for the Western movie ‘Rust’ Early U.S. 1797 USS Constitution launched European History 1805 Battle of Trafalgar Natural Disasters & Environment 1966 Aberfan disaster kills 144 people and levels a Welsh mining village Vietnam War 1967 Thousands protest the war in Vietnam World War II 1941 Germans massacre men, women and children in Yugoslavia

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 22 1962 JFK’s address on Cuban Missile Crisis shocks the nation During the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, U.S. and Soviet leaders engaged in a tense, 13-day standoff over the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1920s 1926 Harry Houdini is punched nine days before his death Arts & Entertainment 1964 Jean-Paul Sartre wins—and declines—Nobel Prize in Literature Crime 1934 FBI agents kill fugitive “Pretty Boy” Floyd Inventions & Science 1797 First parachute jump is made over Paris U.S. Presidents 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signs the Highway Beautification Act Sports 2012 Cyclist Lance Armstrong is stripped of his seven Tour de France titles Vietnam War 1965 173rd Airborne trooper dives onto live grenade, saving comrades 1972 South Vietnamese President Thieu turns down peace proposal 1957 American forces suffer first casualties in Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 23 2002 Hostage crisis in Moscow theater Fifty Chechen rebels storm a Moscow theater, taking up to 700 people hostage during a sold-out performance of a popular musical. More than 120 ended up dying. read more 1980s 1989 Gas leak kills 23 at plastics factory Ancient Rome 42 B.C. Brutus dies by suicide Arts & Entertainment 1958 Boris Pasternak wins Nobel Prize for ‘Dr. Zhivago,’ later forced to refuse the honor Crime 1998 Doctor is killed by anti-abortion radical Inventions & Science 2001 Apple announces the first iPod Middle Eastern History 1983 Beirut barracks blown up Sports 1993 Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter wins World Series with ninth-inning home run Women’s History 1850 The first National Women’s Rights Convention begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 24 1901 First barrel ride down Niagara Falls A 63-year-old schoolteacher, Annie Edson Taylor, becomes the first person to take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She survived the daring publicity stunt. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1861 Western Union completes the first transcontinental telegraph line 21st Century 2003 The Concorde makes its final commercial flight Arts & Entertainment 1969 Richard Burton buys Elizabeth Taylor a diamond 1962 James Brown records breakthrough “Live at the Apollo” album Crime 1997 Marv Albert faces sentencing in sexual assault case European History 1648 Thirty Years’ War ends Landmarks 1931 George Washington Bridge is dedicated U.S. Presidents 1951 President Truman declares war with Germany is officially over Vietnam War 1973 President Nixon vetoes War Powers Resolution World War I 1921 Unknown Soldier is selected 1916 French troops celebrate recapture of Fort Douaumont at Verdun 1917 Battle of Caporetto World War II 1945 The United Nations is born

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 25 1929 Former Cabinet member found guilty in Teapot Dome scandal Former Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, who served in Warren G. Harding’s administration, is found guilty of accepting a bribe while he was in office. Fall was the first individual to be convicted of a crime committed while a presidential Cabinet member. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1853 Native Americans attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah 1881 Pablo Picasso is born Arts & Entertainment 1980 Australian rock gods AC/DC earn their first Top 40 hit with “You Shook Me All Night Long” 1957 Atomic Age sci-fi thriller ‘The Amazing Colossal Man’ premieres in New York Asian History 1971 The U.N. seats the People’s Republic of China and expels Taiwan Cold War 1983 United States invades Grenada Crime 1994 Susan Smith reports a false carjacking to cover killing her kids European History 1415 Battle of Agincourt 1920 Greece’s King Alexander dies after being bitten by a monkey 1854 Charge of the Light Brigade Sports 1964 Minnesota Vikings’ Jim Marshall runs wrong way with recovered fumble U.S. Presidents 1764 John Adams marries Abigail Smith Vietnam War 1954 President Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnam World War II 1944 First kamikaze attack of the war begins