This Day In History

On October 12, 1901, the Executive Mansion, the president’s official residence and workplace, was renamed the White House.

Supreme Court Justice Harlan Fiske Stone was born on October 11, 1872, in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. He served on the court for over 20 years, including over four years as chief justice.

Stage and screen actress Helen Hayes was born on October 10, 1900, in Washington, DC. Dubbed “The First Lady of the American Theater,” she’s one of just 23 people to win competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards (often referred to as EGOTs).

On October 9, 1940, John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, as the city endured the German air raids of World War II. Within a little more than two decades, he would help form the Beatles and become one of the best-known songwriters and performers of the rock era.

On October 7, 1891, coin collectors gathered in Chicago to found the American Numismatic Association. Their goal was practical: to connect people who loved coins but lived too far from major cities to easily find new specimens, reliable information, or fellow collectors.

The American Business Women’s Association was founded on September 22, 1949, to bring together business women from all occupations to help each other. Since 1983, this date has been celebrated as American Business Women’s Day.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded on September 20, 1848, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It grew to become the world’s largest general scientific society with more than 120,000 members.

On August 27, 1894, the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act became law and established the nation’s first federal income-tax exemption for charitable, religious, and educational organizations. Although much of the law proved short-lived, its basic distinction between commercial profits and nonprofit work became a lasting part of the federal tax system.

On October 13, 1987, the US Navy sent five bottlenose dolphins to the Persian Gulf to help with two important tasks: detecting underwater mines and guarding against enemy divers who might try to sabotage ships or naval installations. These dolphins were part of the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), which had been developing for decades. The deployment marked one of the first times dolphins were used in a combat—or near-combat—environment in the Gulf, during the Iran-Iraq War.

On October 13, 1754, one of the women that inspired the nickname, “Molly Pitcher,” was born near Trenton, New Jersey. She took over her husband’s artillery when he was injured and was later made a noncommissioned officer.

On October 13, 1792, the cornerstone of the White House was laid, though its exact location remains a mystery today. It would be eight years before the White House was occupied by America’s second president.

On October 13, 1775, the Second Continental Congress authorized the creation of a Navy. The Continental Navy contributed to the American victory in the Revolutionary War, but was disbanded after the conflict ended.