October 61683 - The first Mennonites arrived in America aboard the Concord. The German and Dutch families settled in an area that is now a neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA. 1848 - The steamboat SS California left New York Harbor for San Francisco via Cape Horn. The steamboat service arrived on February 28, 1849. The trip took 4 months and 21 days. 1857 - The American Chess Congress held their first national chess tournament in New York City. 1863 - The first Turkish bath was opened in Brooklyn, NY, by Dr. Charles Shepard. 1866 - The Reno Brothers pulled the first train robbery in America near Seymour, IN. The got away with $10,000. 1880 - The National League kicked the Cincinnati Reds out for selling beer. 1884 - The Naval War College was established in Newport, RI. 1889 - In Paris, the Moulin Rouge opened its doors to the public for the first time. 1889 - The Kinescope was exhibited by Thomas Edison. He had patented the moving picture machine in 1887. 1890 - Polygamy was outlawed by the Mormon Church. 1927 - "The Jazz Singer" opened in New York starring Al Jolson. The film was based on the short story "The Day of Atonement" by Sampson Raphaelson. 1928 - War-torn China was reunited under the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek. 1937 - "Hobby Lobby" debuted on CBS radio. 1939 - Adolf Hitler denied any intention to wage war against Britain and France in an address to Reichstag. 1948 - "Summer and Smoke" by Tennessee Williams opened on Broadway. 1949 - U.S. president Harry Truman signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. The act provided $1.3 billion in the form of military aid to NATO countries. 1954 - E.L. Lyon became the first male nurse for the U.S. Army. 1961 - U.S. president John F. Kennedy advised American families to build or buy bomb shelters to protect them in the event of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union. 1962 - Robert Goulet began the role of Sir Lancelot in "Camelot". 1973 - Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in an attempt to win back territory that had been lost in the third Arab-Israel war. Support for Israel led to a devastating oil embargo against many nations including the U.S. and Great Britain on October 17, 1973. The war lasted 2 weeks. 1979 - Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to visit the White House. 1991 - Elizabeth Taylor married Larry Fortensky. The ceremony was held at Michael Jackson's estate near Los Angeles, CA. It was Taylor's 8th marriage and Fortensky's 3rd. 1992 - Ross Perot appeared in his first paid broadcast on CBS-TV after entering the U.S. presidential race. |