A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1803 – The U.S. Senate approved the Louisiana Purchase.
1818 – The boundary between the United States and Canada was defined as the 49th parallel.
1873 – A Hippodrome was opened in New York, NY by showman Phineus T. (P.T.) Barnum.
1879 – Thomas A. Edison invented a workable electric light in his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ.
1902 – The first Cadillac was assembled. Some sources also say it happened on either October 16th or 17th. The company was formed from remnants of the Henry Ford Company. Ford left the company after a dispute with his investors along with several of his key partners in March of 1902.
1910 – For the first time in a World Series game, a baseball with a cork center was used.
1913 – Camel cigarettes were introduced for the first time.
1917 – American troops saw action in World War I for the first time.
1927 – The first Ford Model A was first produced. It was not sold until December 2, 1927, replacing the Model T which has been produced for 18 years.
1947 – Hollywood came under scrutiny as the House Un-American Activities Committee opened hearings into alleged Communist influence within the motion picture industry.
1948 – Facsimile high-seed radio transmissions were demonstrated.
1967 – In Northern California, two men along the Bluff Creek, filmed 59 seconds of what they claimed to be Bigfoot.
1968 – Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
1973 – The television show “The Six Million Dollar Man” premiered on ABC.
1973 – The Sydney Opera House in Australia was opened after 14 years of construction.
1977 – Three members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed when their chartered plane crashed near McComb, MS. Lead vocalist/founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (Steve’s older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray all died as a result of the crash while 20 others survived.
1979 – The John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, MA was dedicated.
1993 – Attorney General Janet Reno warned the TV industry to limit the violence in their programs.
1994 – The website WhiteHouse.gov was launched.
1997 – President Bill Clinton’s administration endorsed a revised Republican bill to restructure the Internal Revenue Services and shifted the burden of proof from the taxpayer to the government in contested court cases.
1998 – A Florida judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Bobby Brown after the singer violated his probation by showing up drunk and high to begin serving a five-day sentence for drunk driving.
2001 – Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, The Who, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Bon Jovi, Goo Goo Dolls, Elton John, Five for Fighting, John Mellencamp and others performed at the six-hour Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden. More than five-thousand police officers and firemen attended the benefit for the families of police and firemen killed on September 11th.
2003 – A Michigan man went over Niagara Falls without safety devices and survived. Kirk Jones, an unemployed 40 year old, became the first person to survive going over the falls without protection. He was charged with illegally performing a stunt. He drank vodka and Coke before he jumped into the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. He was fined $2,2600, barred from Niagara Park for a year, and ordered to pay $1,600 to make up for the 45 minutes the tourist attraction was closed to the public following the stunt. Sadly, his body was discovered on June 2, 2017 in the Niagara River, about 12 miles from the falls. It appeared he had tried going over the falls again.
2003 – The D.C. sniper trial opened in Virginia. John A. Muhammad served as his own defense.
BIRTHDAYS:
Barrie Chase – 92 years old (1933) – Actress and dancer
Wanda Jackson – 88 years old (1937) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Dolores Hart – 87 years old (1938) – Actress and nun
Robert Pinsky – 85 years old (1940) – Poet and critic
Diana Gittins – 79 years old (1946) – American-English sociologist, author, and academic
Sandra Dickinson – 77 years old (1948) – American-English actress and composer
William Russ – 75 years old (1950) – Actor and director
Al Greenwood – 74 years old (1951) – Keyboard player
Ken Ham – 74 years old (1951) – Australian-American evangelist
Melanie Mayron – 73 years old (1952) – Actress and director
Keith Hernandez – 72 years old (1953) – Baseball player and sportscaster
Steve Orich – 71 years old (1954) – Composer and conductor
Thomas Newman – 70 years old (1955) – Composer and conductor
Sheldon Whitehouse – 70 years old (1955) – Politician
Hilda Solis – 68 years old (1957) – Academic and politician, 25th United States Secretary of Labor
Valerie Faris – 67 years old (1958) – Director and producer
Lynn Flewelling – 67 years old (1958) – Author and academic
Dave Krieg – 67 years old (1958) – Football player
Viggo Mortensen – 67 years old (1958) – American-Danish actor and producer
David M. Evans – 63 years old (1962) – Director and screenwriter
Kamala Harris – 61 years old (1964) – Politician and lawyer, 49th Vice President of the United States
Jonathan I. Schwartz – 60 years old (1965) – Businessman
William Zabka – 60 years old (1965) – Actor and producer
Patrick Volkerding – 59 years old (1966) – Computer scientist and engineer, founded Slackware
Michelle Malkin – 55 years old (1970) – Blogger and author
Taj McWilliams-Franklin – 55 years old (1970) – Basketball player
Kenneth Choi – 54 years old (1971) – Actor
Snoop Dogg – 54 years old (1971) – Rapper, producer, and actor
Eddie Jones – 54 years old (1971) – Basketball player
Brian Schatz – 53 years old (1972) – Academic and politician, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Ed Hale – 51 years old (1974) – Singer-songwriter, writer and socio-political activist
Bashar Rahal – 51 years old (1974) – Emirati-American actor and producer
Dan Fogler – 49 years old (1976) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Leila Josefowicz – 48 years old (1977) – Canadian-American violinist
Sam Witwer – 48 years old (1977) – Actor and musician
John Krasinski – 46 years old (1979) – Actor, director, and producer
Paul Terek – 46 years old (1979) – Decathlete
Katie Featherston – 43 years old (1982) – Actress
Lawrence Roberts – 43 years old (1982) – Basketball player
Jennifer Freeman – 40 years old (1985) – Actress
Dominic McGuire – 40 years old (1985) – Basketball player
Alphonso Smith – 40 years old (1985) – Football player
ASAP Ferg – 37 years old (1988) – Rapper
Jamie Collins – 36 years old (1989) – Football player
Rodney Hood – 33 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Kyle Wiltjer – 33 years old (1992) – Canadian-American basketball player
YoungBoy Never Broke Again – 26 years old (1999) – Rapper
Kenneth Walker III – 25 years old (2000) – Football player
Paige Bueckers – 24 years old (2001) – Basketball player
TODAY IS:
- International Chefs Day: Visit a fine restaurant, get gourmet in your own kitchen, thank a chef in your life and encourage others to get crafty with food on International Chef’s Day.
- Suspenders Day: How could suspenders ever have gone out of style? Dig in your closet or visit a store to bring back one of the most fashionable accessories available.
- World Osteoporosis Day: Bone health matters—fortify resilience, defy fragility. Embrace vitality through mindful choices and strength-building practices.
- National Day on Writing: National Day on Writing is celebrated every October 20. It's a day dedicated to acknowledging the significance of writing as both a crucial skill and a form of art. This special day encourages everyone to appreciate and engage in writing activities. This day is important because it aims to highlight the...
- Office Chocolate Day: Bring some joy to your office with a selection of decadent chocolate. Bring trays of chocolates, baked chocolate goodies, or whatever else you like.
- National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day: Back up your important files and photos on hard drives, set up folders, and get your virtual desktop de-cluttered, streamlined, and well organized.
- Community Media Day: Support free speech and journalists everywhere on a day devoted to those who share their stories, and others', with the wider world.
- Information Overload Day: Put away your phone and email, and take steps to limit the flow of information to you, a flow which has become an unmanageable flood for most people today.
- National Youth Confidence Day: With a global youth population that is continuing to grow by millions each year, the world is filled with young people who have lots of energy – but who also might need to gain a bit of confidence through skill-building and mentoring. National Youth Confidence Day encourages teens and young people...
- World Statistics Day: Imagine a world without numbers. No data to guide decisions, no figures to measure progress. World Statistics Day shines a light on the vital role of statistics in our daily lives. From tracking health trends to understanding economic shifts, statistics help us make sense of complex information. This global event celebrates...
- National Sasquatch Awareness Day: National Sasquatch Awareness Day highlights the mystery of an unknown creature said to live in forests across North America. Some think it’s real. Others see it as a story passed down over time. The day pulls in skeptics and believers alike. It gets people talking, not about proof, but about what...
- National Call-In Day for Health Reform: National Call-In Day for Health Reform is when people across the country pick up the phone and speak out for better health care. It’s not about big speeches or grand gestures. Just regular folks calling their representatives and asking for care that’s affordable, fair, and available to all. One call...
- Miss American Rose Day: Miss American Rose Day honors women of every age through a pageant that’s held online and through mail-in entries. It celebrates their education, achievements, talents, community service, and professional work. On this day, people pause to honor the women in their lives, appreciating the unique skills and strengths each one brings...
- Talent Transformation Day: Talent Transformation Day dives into the wild, fast-moving world of work and asks—how do we keep up without losing ourselves? It brings together people from every kind of job to figure that out. The workplace isn’t what it used to be. New tech, fresh roles, unexpected twists—it’s all on the...
- National Chicken and Waffles Day: Chicken and waffles might sound like an odd pair at first, but one bite is all it takes to get it. Crispy, juicy chicken meets warm, buttery waffles. Add a little syrup, maybe some hot sauce, and you've got a plate that feels like a big, cozy hug. National Chicken...
- International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Disease Awareness Day: Imagine your body reacting to everyday things like sunlight, exercise, or even stress. For people with mastocytosis or mast cell diseases, this is their reality. These conditions involve mast cells, which are part of the immune system, behaving abnormally. Instead of helping, they release chemicals that cause symptoms like itching, swelling...
- National Brandied Fruit Day: Try making your own brandied fruit at home: just take some fruit, sugar, spices and flavorings, and brandy. Cook it down, let it sit a few weeks, then enjoy.
- National Chemistry Week: Through intricate reactions and bonds, this noble science unveils the secrets of matter, forging advancements that enrich lives and shape the world.
- Ace Week: Raising understanding and recognition for a diverse orientation, asexual awareness fosters inclusivity and validation in society.
- National Baking Week: Creating delightful treats combines creativity, skill, and tradition, bringing joy and delicious aromas to any home.
- Free Speech Week: Neither a political event nor an ideological platform, Free Speech Week is a unifying celebration reminding the people of the US that they all have a voice that may be used and that their neighbor’s voice and opinion are just as valuable as their own! As was written by Evelyn Beatrice...
- YWCA Week Without Violence: Every man, woman, and child can be more involved with building a community that has no tolerance for violence, provides resources and protection for those who need them, and shows honor and respect to every human being! The YWCA Week Without Violence provides a targeted opportunity to increase conversations, tell stories...
- National Parenting Week: National Parenting Week is a special time set aside each October to celebrate and reflect on the art of raising children. The week will shine a light on the critical role parenting plays in shaping children's futures. This week underscores the significance of good parenting and its impact on a...
- National Health Education Week: National Health Education Week focuses on the vital role that health education plays in improving public well-being. It encourages communities to focus on health literacy, helping people understand how to take control of their health. During this week, various public health topics are addressed to help people make informed choices...
- National Temperature Check Week: National Temperature Check Week emphasizes the importance of regularly monitoring body temperature. This week raises awareness about how temperature fluctuations can signal health issues. By checking temperatures, people can detect early signs of infections and other conditions, promoting better health practices. Why Do We Celebrate National Temperature Check Week? Celebrating this week...
- National Adoption Week: National Adoption Week is an annual event that celebrates the positive impact of adoption on children and families. This week provides an opportunity to share inspiring stories from adoptive families and highlight how adoption changes lives. It also helps to educate the public about the adoption process and encourages people...
- Respiratory Care Week: National Respiratory Care Week has been celebrated for more than 40 years, bringing attention and awareness to this critical healthcare role! How to Celebrate National Respiratory Care Week Thank a Respiratory Therapist Whether a friend, family member or colleague, show some appreciation to a respiratory therapist during this important week. Say...
- International Infection Prevention Week: With the hope of educating the public as well as acting as a reminder to those working in the medical sector, International Infection Prevention Week is here to shine a light on the necessity of active prevention of the spread of illnesses and infections! History of International Infection Prevention Week The...
- National Friends of Libraries Week: While many public libraries in the US do receive some funding from the government, it is often not enough to accomplish the programs and provide all the activities and resources the community could benefit from. Because of this, most libraries have relationships with local businesses, organizations, groups, and individuals who...
- National Massage Therapy Awareness Week: More than just making a person feel relaxed, massage therapy can have all sorts of positive effects on a person’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Whether it’s a short armchair massage to relieve stress or a full-body deep-tissue massage for healing after illness, this therapeutic practice can work on its...
- National Teen Driver Safety Week: As the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, car crashes by teen drivers need to be taken seriously and discussed healthily. National Teen Driver Safety Week raises awareness about this issue and brings opportunities to have important conversations about safety! History of National Teen Driver Safety Week The...
- Nuclear Science Week: Nuclear Science Week invites people of all ages, from all around the globe, to get involved and learn more during this important awareness event! History of Nuclear Science Week Beginning in the late 1800s and developing through the first half of the 20th century, the science of atomic radiation, nuclear fission...
- National School Bus Safety Week: Behind the wheel, they navigate the roads of possibility, ensuring the next generation's safe voyage to knowledge with a friendly smile.
- Map Reading Week: Being able to read a map is a fundamental life skill and the basis of all outdoor activities. We want to create an annual event that encourages everyone to improve their map-reading skills! During Map Reading Week, Ordnance Survey and other outdoor organizations will be providing help and support with all...
Powered by Days Of The Year
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
