31 October, 1918

The Spanish Flu kills 21,000 people in the U.S. in a single week.

 

27 October, 312

Constantine converts to Christianity, beginning the Holy Roman Empire. He has his Vision of the Cross.

26 October, 1881

The gunfight at the OK Corral.

From the movie Tombstone:

25 October, 2001

Windows XP is released.

 

24 October, 1929

Black Thursday. The stock market crash of 1929. The beginning of the Great Depression.

 

23 October, 1991

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sworn in as 108th SCOTUS Justice

 

22 October, 1962

The “Cuban Missile Crisis” goes on live TV. President John F. Kennedy announces to the U.S. that the Soviet Union has placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just off the Florida coast.

21 October, 1797

Old Ironsides is launched.

20 October, 1944

General MacArthur returns to the Philippines.

"I came through and I shall return," those were the famous words announced by General Douglas MacArthur on March 20, 1942, as he arrived in Australia, following an audacious escape from Japanese-occupied Philippines. Their island in the Philippines - which had been an American territory until the Japanese occupation - had been surrounded by the Japanese. MacArthur's defense and escape captured the imagination of Americans back home and he became a symbol of resistance.
His escape from near certain capture was welcomed by most, though Joseph Goebbels named him the "fleeing general" and Benito Mussolini called him a coward. Nevertheless MacArthur promised to return, and after being awarded the Medal of Honor was put in charge of all American activities in the South West Pacific.
Over the next two years, bitter fighting would allow MacArthur's promise to come true. On October 20, 1944 MacArthur waded ashore in Leyte after his troops had invaded and secured a beachhead. He then declared triumphantly: "People of the Philippines: I have returned."

19 October, 1781

Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown

18 October, 1867

Seward’s Folly!

The purchase of Alaska.

 

17 October, 1968

Bullitt is released.

October 16, 1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis.

President John F. Kennedy is shown pictures confirming Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

This marks the beginning of thirteen days of fear in both countries, forever known as “The Cuban Missile Crisis”.

October 15, 1997

50 years and 1 day after Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his Bell XS-1, Andy Green duplicates the feat in his Thrust SSC on the ground.

October 14, 1947

A “sonic boom” is heard for the first time as then Captain Chuck Yeager, aboard the Bell XS-1, becomes the first human to achieve supersonic flight, reaching Mach 1.015

October 13, 1775

Happy birthday to the U.S. Navy!

October 12, 1492

Columbus discovers the New World!

October 11, 1975

Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!

 

October 10, 1973

US Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns after pleading no contest to allegations of tax fraud

The Nixon Presidency was a disaster. I understand why people like my mom don’t trust Republicans

October 9, 1919

The Black Sox.

Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago White Sox, 10-5 at Comiskey Park for a 5-3 World Series victory.