Fun On this date in history...

And because I can:

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 2nd:

In 1780, British spy John Andre, Benedict Arnold’s accomplice in the attempted surrender of West Point, was hanged in Tappan, NY during the Revolutionary War.

In 1789, George Washington sent proposed Constitutional amendments (later known as the Bill of Rights) to the States for ratification.

In 1835, the first battle of the Texas Revolution took place as American settlers fought Mexican soldiers near the Guadalupe River; the Mexicans ended up withdrawing.

In 1890, actor/comedian Groucho Marx was born in New York City.

In 1897, actor/comedian Bud Abbott was born in Asbury Park, NJ.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson suffered a serious stroke at the White House that left him paralyzed on his left side.

In 1920, the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates played the only triple-header in baseball history. The Reds won 2 of the 3 games.

In 1921, engineer/test pilot Albert Scott Crossfield was born in Berkeley, CA. He’d later fly a wide variety of experimental aircraft, and become the first man to fly faster than Mach 2 in the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket.

In 1928, actor George “Spanky” McFarland, best-known for the “Our Gang” comedies, was born in Denison, TX.

In 1941, during World War II, Operation Typhoon began, as German forces began an all-out offensive against Moscow.

In 1942, filmmaker Steve Sabol, co-founder of NFL Films, was born in Moorestown, NJ.

In 1944, German troops crushed the two-month-old Warsaw Uprising, during which a quarter of a million people had been killed.

In 1948, actor/director/singer Avery Brooks was born in Evansville, IN. Trekkers are quite familiar with his later posting to DS-9, and his even later posting as Emissary of the Prophets.

Also in 1948, actress/model/author Persis Khambatta was born in Bombay, India. Her brief service as navigator on board the refitted NCC-1701 would come later.

In 1950, the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles Schulz was first published.

In 1955, the suspense anthology "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1957, the World War II drama “The Bridge on the River Kwai” premiered in London. Directed by David Lean, it starred Alec Guinness and William Holden.

In 1959, the science fiction/fantasy anthology “The Twilight Zone”, created & hosted by Rod Serling, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court as the court opened its new term. He was the first African American to serve on the Court.

In 1970, a plane carrying the Wichita State University football team, administrators, and supporters crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people.

In 1973, the drama “Mean Streets”, directed by Martin Scorsese and co-starring Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro, premiered at the New York Film Festival.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally welcomed Japan's Emperor Hirohito to the United States during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

In 2002, the Washington D.C.-area sniper attacks began, setting off a frantic manhunt lasting three weeks. (John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were finally arrested for 10 killings and three woundings; Muhammad was executed in 2009; Malvo was sentenced to life in prison.)

In 2006, five school girls were murdered in a shooting at an Amish school in Nickel Mines, PA before the gunman committed suicide.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 3rd:

In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26, 1789, a day of Thanksgiving to express gratitude to God for the creation of the United States of America.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day.

In 1874, actor Charles Middleton was born in Elizabethtown, KY. He’s best-known for playing Ming the Merciless in three “Flash Gordon” serials.

In 1879, actor Warner Oland was born in Nyby, Bjorholm Municipality, Vasterbotten County, Sweden. He’s best-known for playing Charlie Chan in 16 movies; my Dad liked them.

In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton, D-Ga., became the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Senate. (However, she ended up serving only a day).

In 1932, Iraq became independent of British administration.

In 1935, engineer/pilot/astronaut Charles Duke, LM Pilot of Apollo 16, was born in Charlotte, NC.

In 1941, the film noir "The Maltese Falcon", starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, premiered in New York City.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. Army troops cracked the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, Germany.

In 1945, 10-year-old Elvis Presley made his first public appearance in a talent show at the Mississippi-Alabama Dairy Show, singing "Old Shep." He won second place and $5.

In 1949, WERD, the first black-owned radio station in the United States, opened in Atlanta.

In 1951, the New York Giants captured the National League pennant by a score of 5-4 as Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ralph Branca in the "shot heard 'round the world."

In 1952, The United Kingdom successfully tested a nuclear weapon to become the world's third nuclear power.

In 1954, the TV version of the sit-com "Father Knows Best" premiered on CBS.

In 1955, two classic children’s programs premiered: "Captain Kangaroo" on CBS-TV, and "The Mickey Mouse Club" on ABC-TV.

In 1960, the sit-com “The Andy Griffith Show” premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1961, the sit-com “The Dick Van Dyke Show” premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra became the fifth American to fly in space as he blasted off from Cape Canaveral aboard the Sigma 7 on a 9-hour flight.

In 1964, the Western “Cheyenne Autumn”, the last Western directed by John Ford, was released in the U.S.

In 1974, Frank Robinson was named major league baseball's first black manager as he was placed in charge of the Cleveland Indians.

In 1981, Irish nationalists at the Maze Prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland, ended seven months of hunger strikes that had claimed 10 lives.

In 1985, the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis made its maiden flight.

In 1989, Art Shell became the first African-American head coach in the modern NFL when he took over the Los Angeles Raiders.

In 1990, West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.

In 1995, the jury in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles found the former football star not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. (However, Simpson was later found liable for damages in a civil trial).

In 2008, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room. (Simpson was later sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was paroled in 2017.)

Also in 2008, the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” premiered on Cartoon Network.

In 2014, an Internet video was released showing an Islamic State group militant beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the terrorist group.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 4th:

In 1535, the first complete English-language Bible (the Coverdale Bible) was printed, with translations by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale.

In 1777, Gen. George Washington's troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, PA, resulting in heavy American casualties.

In 1822, Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the U.S., was born in Delaware, OH.

In 1862, author/publisher Edward Stratemeyer was born in Elizabeth, NJ. He created several juvenile book series, including “The Hardy Boys”, “Tom Swift” and “Nancy Drew”.

In 1895, actor/director/producer Buster Keaton was born in Piqua, KS.

In 1918, an explosion killed more than 100 and destroyed the T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant in Morgan, NJ, a small community near adjacent to Sayreville. Fires and explosions continued for three days forcing massive evacuations and spreading ordnance over a wide area, pieces of which were still being found as of 2007.

In 1922, composer Dudley Simpson was born in Melbourne, Australia. He’s best-known for his extensive work on the original “Doctor Who” series.

In 1924, author Donald J. Sobol was born in New York City. He’s best-known as the creator of Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective. Your humble correspondent read books from this series a lot when he was younger, and recently bought one for his godson, too.

In 1931, the comic strip "Dick Tracy," created by Chester Gould, made its debut.

In 1940, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini conferred at Brenner Pass in the Alps.

Also in 1940, the biopic "Knute Rockne All American," starring Pat O'Brien as Rockne and featuring Ronald Reagan as George Gipp, premiered in South Bend, IN.

In 1956, the TV anthology series “Playhouse 90” premiered on CBS. The first production was “Forbidden Area”, adapted by Rod Serling and starring Charlton Heston.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit.

Also in 1957, the television series "Leave It to Beaver" premiered on CBS.

In 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 3, a space probe which transmitted images of the far side of the moon.

In 1960, an Eastern Air Lines Lockheed L-188A Electra crashed on takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport, killing all but 10 of the 72 people on board.

In 1962, the film “The Longest Day”, based on Cornelius Ryan’s book on the D-Day invasion of Normandy, was released in the U.S.

Also in 1962, the mystery/thriller series “The Saint”, starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar, premiered on ITV.

In 1964, the Supermarionation series “Stingray” premiered on ATV.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI, making the first-ever papal visit to the Western Hemisphere, addressed the U.N. General Assembly, where he urged delegates to adopt as their solemn oath: "No more war, war never again."

In 1970, singer/songwriter Janis Joplin died in Los Angeles at age 27.

Also in 1970, the Hammer Horror movie “The Vampire Lovers”, starring Ingrid Pitt, was released in the UK. It was the first film in the “Karnstein Trilogy”.

In 1972, the horror movie “Night of the Lepus”, co-starring Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and DeForrest Kelley, was released in the U.S. The trailer and ads made sure not to mention that the movie featured killer, mutant rabbits.

In 1985, Islamic Jihad issued a statement saying it had killed American hostage William Buckley. (Fellow hostage David Jacobsen later said he believed Buckley had died of torture injuries four months earlier.)

In 1988, a full-color reconstruction of “The Cage”, the original pilot film for “Star Trek”, was broadcast in syndication.

In 1989, actor/comedian/author/Python Graham Chapman died in Maidstone, Kent, England at age 48. His passing occurred the day before the anniversary of the premiere of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”; fellow Python Terry Jones called it, “the worst case of party-pooping in all history”.

In 1990, for the first time in nearly six decades, German lawmakers met in the Reichstag for the first meeting of reunified Germany's parliament.

In 1995, Pope John Paul II arrived in the United States for a five-day visit.

In 2004, SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space.

In 2006, Wikileaks was launched by Julian Assange.

In 2010, the Ajka plant accident in Hungary released a million cubic metres of liquid alumina sludge, killing nine people, injuring 122, and severely contaminating two major rivers.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 5th:

In 1789, during the French Revolution, The Women’s March on Versailles occurred. Women from the Paris marketplaces, along with revolutionary agitators, marched in protest of a lack of bread and political reforms, effectively terminating royal authority.

In 1829, General/lawyer/politician Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the U.S., was born in Fairfield, VT.

In 1857, the city of Anaheim, CA was founded. Disneyland would arrive nearly a century later.

In 1882, engineer/physicist/inventor Robert H. Goddard, one of the pioneers of modern rocketry, was born in Worcester, MA.

In 1902, actor/comedian/musician/Stooge Larry Fine was born in Philadelphia, PA.

Also in 1902, businessman Ray Kroc, best-known for building the McDonald’s restaurant franchise, was born in Oak Park, IL.

In 1919, actor Donald Pleasance, OBE was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. His pursuit of Michael Myers would come later.

In 1922, cartoonist Bil Keane, creator of “The Family Circus”, was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1929, aviator/chemist/astronaut Richard F. Gordon was born in Seattle, WA. He’d later serve as Pilot for Gemini 11 and Command Module Pilot for Apollo 12.

In 1930, the British airship R101 crashed in France en route to India on its maiden voyage.

Also in 1930, cosmonaut Pavel Popovich, pilot of Vostok 4 and commander of Soyuz 14, was born in Uzyn, Kiev Oblast, U.S.S.R.

In 1931, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon completed the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean, arriving in Washington State some 41 hours after leaving Japan.

In 1943, ninety-eight American POW's were executed by Japanese forces on Wake Island.

In 1947, President Truman made the first televised address from the Oval Office.

In 1951, actress Karen Allen was born in Carrollton, IL. Defense Dept. records on her involvement in the archaeological dig at the Tanis site remain classified.

In 1956, the Biblical epic “The Ten Commandments”, directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlton Heston, was released in the U.S.

In 1961, the comedy/drama “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, starring Audrey Hepburn, premiered in New York City.

In 1962, the first James Bond movie, “Dr. No”, starring Sean Connery as 007, premiered in London.

Also in 1962, “Love Me Do”, the debut single from the Beatles, was released in the U.K. on the Parlophone label. (The B-side featured “P.S. I Love You”.)

In 1969, It’s… “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, premiering on BBC 1.

In 1970, British trade commissioner James Richard Cross was kidnapped in Canada by militant Quebec separatists; he was released the following December.

Also in 1970, The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was founded.

In 1974, the Irish Republican Army bombed two pubs in Guildford, Surrey, England, resulting in five deaths and dozens of injuries. (Four men who became known as the Guildford Four were convicted of the bombings, but were ultimately vindicated.)

In 1988, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Remembrance of the Daleks” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first on-screen view of a Dalek going up a flight of stairs, thus making years of jokes obsolete.

In 1999, two packed commuter trains collided near London's Paddington Station, killing 31 people.

Also in 1999, the “Star Wars” novel Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore was published by Bantam Books. It was the first novel in the “New Jedi Order” series. It caused a certain amount of controversy among fans.

In 2000, mass demonstrations in Belgrade, Serbia forced the resignation of Yugoslavia’s president, Slobodan Milošević.

In 2011, entrepreneur/businessman Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc., died in Palo Alto, CA at age 56.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 6th:

In 1683, thirteen families from Krefeld, Germany, arrived in Philadelphia to begin Germantown, one of America's oldest settlements.

In 1876, the American Library Association was founded.

In 1884, the Naval War College was established in Newport, RI.

In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, a movie featuring both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

In 1939, in a speech to the Reichstag, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler spoke of his plans to reorder the ethnic layout of Europe, a plan which would entail settling the "Jewish problem."

In 1949, U.S.-born Iva Toguri D'Aquino, convicted of treason for being Japanese wartime broadcaster "Tokyo Rose," was sentenced in San Francisco to 10 years in prison. (She ended up serving more than six.)

In 1958, the nuclear submarine USS Seawolf surfaced after spending 60 days submerged.

In 1960, the historical drama "Spartacus," starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in New York City.

In 1967, on the original series “Star Trek”, the episode “Mirror, Mirror” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It was the first “Star Trek” story set in the “mirror universe”.

In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday. (Israel, initially caught off-guard, suffered heavy losses before rebounding and pushing back the Arab forces before a cease-fire finally took hold in the nearly three-week conflict.)

Also in 1973, on “Star Trek: The Animated Series”, the episode “More Tribbles, More Troubles” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It was a sequel to the TOS episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”, and featuring Stanley Adams reprising his role of Cyrano Jones.

In 1976, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, President Gerald R. Ford asserted there was "no Soviet domination of eastern Europe." (Ford later conceded that was not the case.)

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a week-long U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by terrorists while reviewing a military parade.

In 1983, the James Bond movie “Never Say Never Again”, starring Sean Connery, premiered in Los Angeles. A re-make of “Thunderball”, it’s one of only two James Bond movies not made by Eon Productions.

In 1989, the Shakespeare adaptation “Henry V” premiered in London. It was adapted by, directed by and starred Kenneth Branagh.

In 1997, actress Adrienne Hill died in London at age 60. She’s best-known, during the William Hartnell era of “Doctor Who” for playing Katarina, the first of the Doctor’s Companions to be killed off.

In 2000, the crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” premiered on CBS-TV.

In 2007, author/explorer Jason Lewis completed the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, a journey that took 13 years.

In 2010, the mainstream internet photo-sharing application Instagram was founded.

In 2013, Matt Smith recorded his final scenes (to date) as the Doctor for the “Doctor Who” episode “The Time of the Doctor”.

 

And now CSI is due to be rebooted as CSI: Vegas soon.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 7th:

In 1765, the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up colonial grievances against England.

In 1849, author Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore at age 40.

In 1858, the fifth debate between Illinois senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place in Galesburg.

In 1916, Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland University 222–0 in the most lopsided college football game in American history.

In 1940, Artie Shaw and his Orchestra recorded Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust" (as it was spelled then) for RCA Victor.

In 1949, the Republic of East Germany was formed.

In 1950, comic book writer/artist Howard Chaykin was born in Newark, NJ. His extensive career included work on the earliest issues of Marvel’s “Star Wars” comic book.

In 1954, Marian Anderson became the first African American singer hired by the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York.

In 1958, the horror movie “The Trollenberg Terror” was released in the UK. Re-titled “The Crawling Eye”, it would reach the U.S. in December and later be the first featured movie of the cable-run of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”.

In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy and Republican opponent Richard Nixon held their second televised debate, this one in Washington, D.C.

In 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America adopted its film-rating system, ranging from "G" for general audiences to "X" for adult patrons only.

In 1971, the crime drama “The French Connection”, starring Gene Hackman, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1975, John Lennon won his battle against U.S. immigration authorities when a Federal appeals court overturned an order to deport him. Officials had wanted to expel Lennon because of a drug arrest in Britain.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II concluded his week-long tour of the United States with a Mass on the Washington Mall.

In 1985, Palestinian gunmen hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean. (The hijackers killed Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish-American tourist, before surrendering on October 9.)

In 1989, Hungary's Communist Party renounced Marxism in favor of democratic socialism during a party congress in Budapest.

In 1991, University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill publicly accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of making sexually inappropriate comments when she worked for him; Thomas denied Hill's allegations.

In 1996, the Fox News Channel began broadcasting.

In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was found tied to a fence after being savagely beaten by two young adults in Laramie, WY.

In 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan initiated with an air assault and covert operations on the ground.

In 2003, Gray Davis was recalled as Governor of California, in favor of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 2010, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie canceled construction of a decades-in-the-making train tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan, citing cost overruns that had ballooned the price tag from $5 billion to $10 billion or more.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 8th:

In 1869, Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the U.S., died in Concord, NH at age 64.

In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted; fires also broke out in Peshtigo, WI, and in several communities in Michigan. The Peshtigo Fire was the deadliest of the incidents, with a death toll estimated between 1,500 and 2,500 people.*

In 1890, ace pilot/auto racer/business executive/Medal of Honor recipient Eddie Rickenbacker was born in Columbus, OH.

In 1918, U.S. Army Cpl. Alvin C. York led an attack that killed 25 German soldiers and captured 132 others in the Argonne Forest in France.

In 1932, the radio adventure series “Chandu the Magician” premiered nationally over the Mutual Broadcasting System.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was indicted by a grand jury in New Jersey for murder in the death of the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

In 1943, actor/writer/comedian/Not Ready for Prime Time Player Chevy Chase was born in New York City.

Also in 1943, author/producer R.L. Stine was born in Columbus, OH. He’s best-known for his work on several series of horror novel for children and young adults, including the “Goosebumps” and “Fear Street” series.

In 1944, the sit-com "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" made its debut on CBS radio, on the Nelsons' ninth wedding anniversary.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman told a press conference in Tiptonville, TN, that the secret scientific knowledge behind the atomic bomb would be shared only with Britain and Canada.

In 1949, actress/producer Sigourney Weaver was born in Manhattan, New York City, NY. Her encounters with a certain xenomorph would come later.

In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series to date as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0.

In 1957, the Brooklyn Baseball Club announced it was accepting an offer to move the Dodgers from New York to Los Angeles. The borough still mourns.

In 1966, the very first regeneration sequence on “Doctor Who” was shot for the fourth part of the serial “The Tenth Planet”, featuring outgoing Doctor William Hartnell and incoming Doctor Patrick Troughton.

Also in 1966, part one of “The Tenth Planet” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of the Cybermen.

In 1970, Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn was named winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

In 1976, the thriller “Marathon Man”, starring Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, was generally released in the U.S.

In 1977, on “Doctor Who”, part two of “The Invisible Enemy” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of K-9, voiced by John Leeson.

In 1982, all labor organizations in Poland, including Solidarity, were banned.

Also in 1982, the musical “Cats” opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. (It would go on to run until September 10, 2000.)

In 1998, the House triggered an open-ended impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton in a 258-176 vote.

In 2001, President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake flattened villages on the Pakistan-India border, killing an estimated 86,000 people.

* My information is that the Peshtigo fire started October 8th, rather than the 7th. But I could be wrong.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 9th:

In 1514, Mary Tudor, the 18-year-old sister of Henry VIII, became Queen consort of France upon her marriage to 52-year-old King Louis XII, who died less than three months later.

In 1635, Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a religious dissident after he spoke out against punishments for religious offenses and giving away Native American land. (He’d later found the colony of Rhode Island.)

In 1776, a group of Spanish missionaries settled in present-day San Francisco.

In 1812, during the War of 1812, in a naval engagement on Lake Erie, American forces captured two British ships: the HMS Detroit and HMS Caledonia.

In 1888, the public was first admitted to the Washington Monument.

In 1900, actor Alistair Sim, CBE was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Your humble correspondent watches Sim’s performance as Ebenezer Scrooge every Christmas Eve.

In 1903, businessman Walter O’Malley was born in the Bronx. And there are some in Brooklyn who are still mad at him for moving the Dodgers.

In 1914, the Belgian city of Antwerp fell to German forces during World War I.

In 1919, actor Jason Wingreen was born. His acting credits includes providing the original voice of Boba Fett in “Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back”.

Also in 1919, the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series. The victory would later be tainted by the “Black Sox” Scandal.

In 1934, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was assassinated at age 45 in Marseille, France, by a Macedonian gunman.

In 1937, actor BRIAN BLESSED was born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England. And it is said that, whenever he speaks, the stock price of microphone companies drops.

In 1940, actor/singer/songwriter/musician/Beatle John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England.

Also in 1940, during the Battle of Britain, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London was hit by a German bomb during a night-time air raid.

In 1954, actor Scott Bakula was born in St. Louis, MO. Following his involvement with time travel experiments and Star Fleet, he’s currently moved into law enforcement.

In 1958, Pope Pius XII died at Castel Gondolfo in Italy at age 82, ending a 19-year papacy. (He was succeeded by Pope John XXIII.).

In 1964, producer/director/writer Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

In 1965, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Mission to the Unknown” was broadcast on BBC1. Acting as a set-up for the upcoming serial “The Dalek Masterplan”, it is the only episode (to date) not to feature the Doctor or any of his Companions.

In 1967, Latin American guerrilla leader Che Guevara was killed by the Bolivian army a day after he was captured; he was age 39.

Also in 1967, Doc Severinsen replaced Skitch Henderson as musical director for “The Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson”.

In 1969, In Chicago, the National Guard was called in for crowd control as demonstrations continue in connection with the trial of the “Chicago Eight” that began on September 24th.

In 1970, The Khmer Republic was proclaimed in Cambodia.

In 1975, Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1985, the hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise liner surrendered two days after seizing the vessel in the Mediterranean. (Passenger Leon Klinghoffer was killed by the hijackers during the standoff.)

In 1993, the horror/fantasy movie “Army of Darkness”, starring Bruce Campbell, premiered at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain.

In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of "Phantom of the Opera" opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

In 1995, a sabotaged section of track caused an Amtrak train, the Sunset Limited, to derail in Arizona; one person was killed and about 80 were injured (the case remains unsolved).

In 2009, actor/director/writer/producer Barry Letts died in England at age 84. He’s best-known for his work on “Doctor Who”, particularly during the Jon Pertwee era.

In 2012, members of the Pakistani Taliban made a failed attempt to assassinate an outspoken schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai. (She’d later recover from a gunshot wound to her head, become a human rights activist and be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.)

In 2016, series creator Joel Hodgson announced that production had wrapped for the first season (11th season overall) of the revived “Mystery Science Theater 3000”.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 10th:

In 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy was established in Annapolis, MD.

In 1897, German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovered an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

In 1913, the Panama Canal was effectively completed as President Woodrow Wilson sent a signal from the White House by telegraph, setting off explosives that destroyed a section of the Gamboa dike.

In 1924, actor/director/screenwriter Ed Wood was born in Poughkeepsie, NY. His later career would be somewhat notorious.

In 1935, the George Gershwin opera "Porgy and Bess," featuring an all-black cast, opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theater, where it ran for 124 performances.

In 1938, Nazi Germany completed its annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.

In 1943, Chiang Kai-shek took the oath of office as president of China.

In 1955, the film version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" premiered before an invitation-only audience at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City.

In 1956, the drama film “Giant” premiered in New York City. It starred Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and, in his last movie role, James Dean.

In 1957, The Windscale fire in Cumbria, U.K., the world's first major nuclear accident, occurred.

In 1963, the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love”, starring Sean Connery as 007, premiered in London.

In 1964, the first Summer Olympics to be held in Asia were opened in Tokyo by Japanese Emperor Hirohito. The opening ceremonies are broadcast live via satellite by NBC-TV, the first live color broadcast to the U.S. via satellite.

Also in 1964, entertainer Eddie Cantor died in Beverly Hills at age 72.

In 1966, the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations" was released by Capitol Records.

In 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, prohibiting the placing of weapons of mass destruction on the moon or elsewhere in space, entered into force.

In 1968, the sci-fi spoof "Barbarella," starring Jane Fonda, was released in the U.S.

In 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, accused of accepting bribes, pleaded no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion, and resigned his office.

In 1984, the film “1984”, adapted from George Orwell’s novel, was released in the U.K. It starred John Hurt and, in his final film, Richard Burton.

In 1985, U.S. fighter jets forced an Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro to land in Italy, where the terrorists were taken into custody.

Also in 1985, actor/filmmaker Orson Welles died in Los Angeles at age 70.

In addition in 1985, actor/director/photographer Yul Brynner died in New York City at age 65.

In 1986, at a press conference, Paramount announced plans for the new TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”.

In 2004, actor/author/activist/producer/director Christopher Reeve died at Mount Kisco, NY at age 52.

In 2013, aviator/engineer/astronaut/aquanaut M. Scott Carpenter died in Denver, CO at age 88. For NASA, he was pilot of Aurora 7, and for the U.S. Navy, he was part of the SEALAB II crew.

In 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 hurricane. (It would cause 57 deaths in the U.S., and an estimated $25.1 billion in damage.)

And in an undisclosed year, musician/art director/puppeteer/voice artist Patrick Brantseg was born in Sisseton, SD. He’s best-known for his work on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, including playing Gypsy in the 9th and 10th seasons.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 11th:

In 1779, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski, fighting for American independence, died two days after being wounded during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, GA.

In 1809, explorer/soldier/politician Meriweather Lewis died in Hohenwald, TN at age 35.

In 1852, The University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university, is inaugurated in Sydney.

In 1890, the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington, D.C.

In 1905, the Juilliard School was founded as the Institute of Musical Art in New York.

In 1925, The New York Giants played their first NFL game. The Giants lost 14-0 to Providence.

In 1932, the first American political telecast took place as the Democratic National Committee sponsored a program from a CBS television studio in New York.

In 1943, actor John Nettles was born in St. Austell, Cornwall, England. He’d later star in the mystery series “Midsomer Murders”, episodes of which are a popular item in the collection of South Plainfield Public Library.

In 1944, the film noir classics "To Have and Have Not," starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and "Laura," starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, opened in New York City.

In 1956, on “Playhouse 90”, the teleplay “Requiem for a Heavyweight” was broadcast on CBS. Written by Rod Serling, it starred Jack Palance, Keenan Wynn, Ed Wynn and Kim Hunter.

In 1958, the lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far out as planned, fell back to Earth, and burned up in the atmosphere.

In 1960, Nicola Bryant was born in Guildford, Surrey, England. She’s well-known to Whovians as (pseudo)American Companion Peri Brown.

In 1961, actor/comedian/musician Chico Marx died in Hollywood, CA at age 74.

In 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council (popularly known as Vatican II), the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.

Also in 1962, the horror/wrestling movie “Santo vs. las mujeres vampiro” was released in Mexico. Under the title “Samson vs. the Vampire Women”, it would be featured on Frank Conniff’s last regular episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”.

In addition in 1962, the sit-com “McHale’s Navy” premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1964, actor/comedian/writer/musician Michael J. Nelson was born in St. Charles, IL. He’d earn the title “Destroyer of Worlds” later on.

In 1965, actor Sean Patrick Flanery was born in Lake Charles, LA. He’d later play a certain archaeologist during his younger days.

In 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn F. Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard.

Also in 1968, the government of Panama was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1971, Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, USMC died in Hampton, VA at age 73.

In 1975, "NBC’s Saturday Night" (later known as "Saturday Night Live") made its debut with guest host George Carlin.

In 1976, George Washington’s appointment, posthumously, to the grade of General of the Armies by congressional joint resolution Public Law 94-479 was approved by President Gerald Ford.

In 1984, Challenger astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space as she and fellow Mission Specialist David C. Leestma spent 3 1/2 hours outside the shuttle.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland, in an effort to continue discussions about scaling back their intermediate missile arsenals in Europe.

In 1988, filming began on “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”.

In 1991, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas re-appeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a "high-tech lynching."

In 1997, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the “movie” “Invasion of the Neptune Men” was featured. The cast would consider it one of the worst and most offensive movies they’d ever shown on the series.

In 2001, The Polaroid Corporation filed for federal bankruptcy protection.

In 2019, cosmonaut/author/artist Alexei Leonov died in Moscow age 85. During the Voskhod 2 flight, he was the first man to walk in space. He later served as Commander of Soyuz 19, the Russian half of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

In 2021, filming began on the 13th season of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 12th:

In 1492 (according to the Old Style calendar), Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas.

In 1870, General Robert E. Lee died in Lexington, VA, at age 63.

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt officially renamed the "Executive Mansion" the “White House”.

In 1904, author/journalist Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage, was born in La Plata, MO.

In 1915, English nurse Edith Cavell was executed by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium during World War I. (The night before the sentence was carried out, Cavell met with chaplain H. Stirling Gahan, who later quoted her as saying: "I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards any one.")

Also in 1915, former President Theodore Roosevelt, speaking to the Knights of Columbus in New York, criticized native-born Americans (as opposed to naturalized citizens) who identified themselves by dual nationalities, saying that "a hyphenated American is not an American at all."

In 1917, during World War I, the First Battle of Passchendaele took place, resulting in the largest single day loss of life in New Zealand history.

In 1921, animator Art Clokey, creator of Gumby and Davey & Goliath, was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1933, bank robber John Dillinger escaped from a jail in Allen County, OH, with the help of his gang, who killed the sheriff, Jess Sarber.

In 1942, during World War II, American naval forces defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Cape Esperance.

Also in 1942, Attorney General Francis Biddle announced during a Columbus Day celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York that Italian nationals in the United States would no longer be considered enemy aliens.

In 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounded his shoe on a desk at a United Nations General Assembly meeting to protest a Philippine assertion of Soviet Union colonial policy being conducted in Eastern Europe.

In 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1 with a three-man crew on the first mission involving more than one crew member (the flight lasted just over 24 hours). The crew consisted of Command Pilot Vladimir Komorov, Engineer Konstantin Feoktistov and physician Dr. Boris Yegorov.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated House minority leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan to succeed Spiro T. Agnew as vice president.

In 1974, on “Star Trek: The Animated Series”, the series finale, “The Counter-Clock Incident”, was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured the first appearance of NCC-1701’s first C.O., Commodore Robert April (voiced by James Doohan) and first Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sarah April (voiced by Nichelle Nichols).

In 1979, Han Solo’s Revenge by Brian Daley was published by Del Rey.

Also in 1979, the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams and based on his radio series, was published,

In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escaped an attempt on her life when an Irish Republican Army bomb exploded at a hotel in Brighton, England, killing five people.

In 1994, the Magellan space probe ended its four-year mapping mission of Venus, apparently plunging into the planet's atmosphere.

In 2000, 17 sailors were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen.

In 2002, bombs blamed on al-Qaida-linked militants destroyed a nightclub on the Indonesian island of Bali, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and seven Americans.

In 2005, China’s second manned space flight, Shenzhou 6 was launched carrying Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, during which the two astronauts orbited Earth for five days.

In 2010, The Making of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ by J.W. Rinzler was published by Del Rey.

In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya became the first person to run a maraton in less than two hours with a time of 1:59:40 in Vienna.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 13th:

In A.D. 54, Roman Emperor Claudius I died, poisoned apparently at the behest of his wife, Agrippina.

In 1775, the United States Navy had its origins as the Continental Congress ordered the construction of a naval fleet.

In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

In 1843, the Jewish organization B'nai B'rith was founded in New York City.

In 1884, The International Meridian Conference voted on a resolution to establish the meridian passing through the Observatory of Greenwich, in London, as the initial meridian for longitude.

In 1914, during the World Series, the Boston Braves defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, at Fenway Park in Boston, completing the first World Series sweep in history.

In 1925, comedian/satirist Lenny Bruce was born in Mineola, NY.

In 1930, producer/director/screenwriter Bruce Geller was born in New York City. He’s best-known for creating “Mission: Impossible”, and developing “Mannix” for TV.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.

In 1935, actor/DJ Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow was born in Brooklyn, NY.

In 1943, during World War II, the new government of Italy sided with the Allies and declared war on Germany.

In 1944, during World War II, American troops entered Aachen, Germany.

In 1950, the movie version of the play “Harvey”, starring James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd and Harvey as himself, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, CBS-TV broadcast "The Edsel Show," a one-hour live special starring Bing Crosby designed to promote the new, ill-fated Ford automobile. (It was the first special to use videotape technology to delay the broadcast to the West Coast.)

In 1958, A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, the first appearance of Paddington Bear, was published by William Collins & Sons.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon held the third televised debate of their presidential campaign (Nixon was in Los Angeles, Kennedy in New York).

In 1965, The Who recorded “My Generation” at IBC Studios in London.

In 1967, the first game of the original American Basketball Association was played. The Oakland Oaks beat the Anaheim Amigos 134-129.

In 1972, a Uruguayan chartered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes; survivors resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead in order to stay alive until they were rescued more than two months later.

In 1981, voters in Egypt participated in a referendum to elect Vice President Hosni Mubarak the new president, one week after the assassination of Anwar Sadat.

In 2002, actor Keene Curtis died in Bountiful, UT at age 79. Among his many roles, he played Grand Moff Tarkin in the NPR adaptation of “Star Wars”.

In 2010, The Copiapo mining accident in Copiapo, Chile came to an end as all 33 miners arrived at the surface after surviving a record 69 days underground awaiting rescue.

In 2021, Blue Origin launched the second manned flight of its New Shepard integrated launch vehicle & spacecraft. The crew of the sub-orbital flight included company vice-president Audrey Powers, NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen, tourist Glen de Vries, and some actor called Shatner.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 14th:

In 1066, Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. So far as is known, William did not thank the Doctor for helping ensure his victory.

In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial in England, accused of committing treason against Queen Elizabeth I. (Mary was beheaded in February 1587.)

In 1890, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the U.S., was born in Denison, TX.

In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt, campaigning for the White House as the Progressive ("Bull Moose") candidate, went ahead with a speech in Milwaukee after being shot in the chest by New York saloonkeeper John Schrank, declaring, "It takes more than one bullet to kill a bull moose."

In 1913, the Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, the United Kingdom's worst coal mining accident, occurred, and claiming the lives of 439 miners.

In 1926, the children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard, was published by Methuen & Co., Ltd.

In 1927, actor/director/author Roger Moore was born in Stockwell, London, England. He’d be granted sainthood, then 00 status, later on.

In 1939, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the HMS Royal Oak, a British battleship anchored at Scapa Flow in Scotland's Orkney Islands; 833 of the more than 1,200 men aboard were killed.

In 1943, The Radio Corporation of America finalized the sale of the NBC Blue radio network. Edward J. Noble paid $8 million for the network that was renamed American Broadcasting Company.

Also in 1943, prisoners at the Nazi Sobibor extermination camp in Poland revolted against the Germans, killing eleven SS guards, and wounding many more. About 300 of the Sobibor Camp's 600 prisoners escaped, and about 50 of those survived the end of the war.

In 1944, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel committed suicide rather than face trial and certain execution for allegedly conspiring against Adolf Hitler.

In 1946, actress/director Katy Manning was born in Guildford, Surrey, England. She’s well-known to Whovians for playing Jo Grant during the Pertwee Era.

In 1947, Air Force test pilot Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager broke the sound barrier as he flew the experimental Bell XS-1 (later X-1) rocket plane over Muroc Dry Lake in California.

Also in 1954, the Holiday-themed musical comedy “White Christmas” was released in the U.S. It starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, and featured songs by Irving Berlin.

In 1958, the kaiju movie “Daikaiju Baran” was released in Japan. A heavily-reedited version of the movie, re-titled “Varan the Unbelievable”, would reach the U.S. in 1962.

In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy suggested the idea of a Peace Corps while addressing an audience of students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

In 1962, a U.S. Air Force U-2 reconnaissance plane and its pilot, Maj. Richard Heyser, flew over the island of Cuba and took photographs of Soviet missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads being installed and erected in Cuba.

In 1964, civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Also in 1964, Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev was toppled from power; he was succeeded by Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary and by Alexei Kosygin as Premier.

In 1968, the first live telecast to come from a manned U.S. spacecraft was transmitted from Apollo 7. There were six broadcasts during the 11-day mission.

Also in 1968, Jim Hines of the U.S. became the first man ever to break the so-called "ten-second barrier" in the 100-meter sprint in the Summer Olympic Games held in Mexico City with a time of 9.95 seconds.

In 1977, singer Bing Crosby died outside Madrid, Spain, at age 74.

In 1981, Vice President Hosni Mubarak was elected as the President of Egypt one week after the assassination of his predecessor, Anwar Sadat.

In 1987, a 58-hour drama began in Midland, TX, as 18-month-old Jessica McClure slid 22 feet down an abandoned well at a private day care center; she was rescued on October 16.

In 1990, composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein died in New York City at age 72.

In 2005, EON Productions, Sony Pictures and MGM announced that Daniel Craig would star in the next James Bond film, "Casino Royale."

In 2017, a massive truck bombing in Somalia killed 358 people and injured more than 400 others.

 

If I may...

ON OCTOBER 15th:

In 1783, the first manned balloon flight took place in Paris as Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier ascended in a basket attached to a tethered Montgolfier hot-air balloon, rising to about 75 feet.

In 1793, Queen Marie Antoinette of France was tried and convicted in a swift, pre-determined trial in the Palais de Justice, Paris, and condemned to death the following day.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, the deposed Emperor of the French, arrived on the British-ruled South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he spent the last 5 1/2 years of his life in exile.

In 1881, author/humorist P.G. Wodehouse, creator of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, was born in Guildford, Surrey, England.

In 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act, which expanded on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1917, Dutch dancer Mata Hari, convicted of spying for the Germans, was executed by a French firing squad outside Paris.

In 1924, actor Mark Lenard was born in Chicago. He’d later be the first actor to portray a Romulan, a Vulcan and a Klingon for some sci-fi franchise.

In 1928, the airship Graf Zeppelin completed its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst, NJ.

In 1940, the Charlie Chaplin movie “The Great Dictator” premiered in New York City. It was the second movie to openly mock the Third Reich. (The Three Stooges short “You Nazty Spy”, released in January of 1940, was the first.)

In 1946, Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering fatally poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed.

In 1951, the situation comedy "I Love Lucy," starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1959, the crime drama "The Untouchables" made its debut on ABC-TV.

In 1965, the drama “The Cincinnati Kid”, starring Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson, was released in the U.S.

In 1994, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” the Western “Last of the Wild Horses” was broadcast on Comedy Central. The episode includes (as part of a spoof of the “Star Trek” episode “Mirror, Mirror”) the only time Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV’s Frank appeared in the theater to riff on a movie.

In 2003, China launched Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.

In 2008, The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 733.08 points, or 7.87%, the second worst percentage drop in the Dow's history.

In 2021, British MP Sir David Amess died after being stabbed multiple times while attending a series of political meetings in Leigh-on-Sea.