This Day In History

On October 29, 1998, John Glenn returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. At the age of 77, he was the oldest person to go into space.

On October 28, 1956, Elvis Presley received a widely publicized polio vaccination before appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. The event put a familiar face behind a public health message: teenagers, too, needed protection from polio.

On October 27, 1964, Ronald Reagan took a campaign speech for Barry Goldwater to a national television audience. His address introduced many Americans to Reagan as a political speaker and helped bring him wider attention.

On October 26, 1881, the Earp brothers took on the Clanton-McLaury Gang at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. The shootout became one of the most famous events in the Old West.

On September 16, 1893, some 100,000 people raced to claim 6 million acres of land in former Indian Territory in Oklahoma. It was the largest land run into Oklahoma and resulted in the establishment of 40,000 homesteads. 

On August 10, 1861, Union and Southern forces fought the Battle of Wilson’s Creek near Springfield, Missouri, the first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. The six-hour struggle ended in a Southern victory, but it did not settle the larger contest for control of the divided border state.

On July 26, 1788, New York ratified the US Constitution, becoming America’s 11th state. It has grown to be America’s fourth most populous state, with more than 20 million residents.

On June 14, 1846, California settlers staged the Bear Flag Revolt in rebellion against the Mexican government. Their handmade flag, painted with a grizzly bear and a single star, gave the short-lived California Republic its symbol and later inspired the state flag still used today.

On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali faced off against heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman in one of the most famous matches in sports history — the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles created a panic with his War of the Worlds broadcast, which some listeners believed was a real news story.

John Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, on October 30, 1735. Adams was America’s first vice president and second president.

In parts of the US, Canada, and Great Britain, October 30 is celebrated as Mischief Night. It’s a night for older children, teens, and adults to engage in a little mischief, and has a history dating back to the 1700s!