On This Day: October 09
Today's History Show Notes - Episode 6
It’s Columbus Day & Indigenous People’s Day
The second Monday of October each year is both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day. Columbus Day recognizes the journey of Christopher Columbus from Spain to the Americas while Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates the legacy and contributions of those who lived in this land before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
1760: Seven Years' War: Russian and Austrian Forces Occupy Berlin
As the world heads into another front in WWIII, October 9 is a big day for war milestones throughout history. In 1779, during the Siege of Savannah, General Casimir Pulaski was wounded by grapeshot, a type of cluster munition, and died two days later. Three years later in 1781 on this day, George Washington and the French began their bombardment of Yorktown in the American Revolution’s final battle. From American Battlefield Trust:
“The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation—the United States of America… Outnumbered and outfought during a three-week siege in which they sustained great losses, British troops surrendered to the Continental Army and their French allies. This last major land battle of the American Revolution led to negotiations for peace with the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.”
Also in War on October 9:
1806 Prussia declares war on France
1837 U.S. Naval Institute Established
1941 Roosevelt Approves Manhattan Project Predecessor
1944 Churchill Arrives in Russia for Talks with Stalin
1958 Israeli Navy inaugurates First Submarine
1665: Great Plague of London Keeps Parliament Away from Westminster
Imagine having the world under siege from Covid for centuries! That was Europe in the 1600s and, like Covid, the poor were hit the hardest. From Royal Museums Greenwich:
“Bubonic plague terrorised Europe for centuries. In 1665 a devastating epidemic struck this country killing thousands of people. Officially the ‘Great Plague’ killed 68,595 people in London that year. The true figure is probably nearer 100,000 or one-fifth of the city’s population. Bubonic plague did not arrive in London suddenly in 1665. For over a year, reports of cases had been talked about endlessly. The wealthy increasingly avoided the city and might very well survive an outbreak.
For the poor escaping London was more difficult and the cramped and filthy conditions in which many lived encouraged the spread of the disease. Any house where plague was identified was supposed to be shut up for 40 days with the family inside, marked with a cross and guarded by watchmen. Fear of being locked in with the dying meant that many early cases of plague were kept quiet.”
Also in D&D on October 9:
1837 100 Die when Steamboat "Home" sinks off North Carolina
1900 8.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Cape Yakataga, Alaska
1963 2,000 Die in the Vajont Dam Disaster in Northern Italy
1984: Astronaut Kathy Sullivan Becomes First US Woman To Walk In Space
Last week we celebrated Kathy Sullivan’s birthday on October 3 (1951), and today is the milestone of her becoming the first US woman to complete a space walk! It was a big day for inventions and first throughout history.
Photo Credit: NASA
Also in Inventions & Firsts on October 9:
1855 American Inventor Isaac Singer Patents Sewing Machine Motor
1874 World Postal Union Forms In Bern Switzerland
1876 First 2-Way Telephone Conversation Over Outdoor Wires
1877 American Humane Association Organizes (Cleveland)
1888 Washington Monument Opens For Public Admittance
1926 NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) Forms
1930 Laura Ingalls Completed First Transcontinental Flight By A Woman
1936 Hoover Dam Begins Transmitting Electricity To Los Angeles
1946 First Electric Blanket Manufactured; Sold For $39.50
1947 First Telephone Conversation Between A Moving Car And An Airplane
1915: Woodrow Wilson becomes first US President to attend a World Series game
While Woodrow Wilson had a highly embarrassing end, he was the first US President to attend a World Series game on this day in 1915. A few years later in 1921, Babe Ruth hit his first Home Run, and three years after that in 1924, Soldier Field was officially dedicated in Chicago, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium.
Entertainment Milestones
1965: Beatles' "Yesterday" Single Goes #1
1969: The Supremes Release "Someday We'll Be Together", Diana Ross' Last Recording
1979: Howard Stern Begins Broadcasting
1986: Stage Musical "Phantom Of The Opera" Premieres In London
1986: "The Late Show With Joan Rivers" Premieres On Fox
1989: Penthouse Magazine's Hebrew Edition Hits Newsstands
Births
1852: Emil Fischer (German Chemist)
1920: Vivienne Della Chiesa (American Soprano)
1937: Pat Burke (Saxophonist)
1940: John Lennon, (Musician)
Obituary
1960: Howard Glenn (NY Titan)
1967: Che Guevara (Marxist Revolutionary)
1974: Oskar Schindler (Austrian Businessman)
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Happy Leif Erickson Day!
Don't forget Leif Erickson Day, which occurs on a fixed date (9 October). Columbus Day is a Monday holiday. Therefore, about every 5 years, Columbus Day is celebrated on Leif Erickson Day. This is one of those years.