Born on October 24, 1911, Saunders Terrell became Sonny Terry, a blues harmonica player known for making his instrument sound like trains, hounds, and other voices. After childhood accidents left him blind, he built a career that took him from local churches and dance halls to Carnegie Hall and concert stages around the world.
On October 23, 1941, Dumbo premiered in New York, bringing a flying circus elephant to the screen. The film began as an unpublished story by Syracuse writer Helen Aberson and became a compact production that gave Disney a welcome profit after two costly releases.
On October 22, 1996, the USPS issued its first Hanukkah stamp. The joint issue with Israel also launched the Holiday Celebrations Series, which broadened the Postal Service’s holiday stamp program beyond Christmas.
On October 21, 1892, Chicago dedicated the grounds and buildings of the World’s Columbian Exposition. The fair would not open to visitors until the following May, but its three-day dedication celebration drew huge crowds and put the unfinished exposition on the national stage.
On October 20, 1964, Herbert Hoover, America’s 31st president, died at age 90. Before the Great Depression defined his presidency, he had built a career as a mining engineer and organized relief efforts for people in several countries.
Poet and reformer Julia Ward Howe died in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on October 17, 1910. Best known for “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” she also spent decades organizing for women’s rights and peace.
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.
George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershwine on September 26, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York. A successful composer and pianist, he created beloved orchestral compositions, popular jazz standards, as well as Broadway and Hollywood hits.
Otis Ray Redding Jr. was born on September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia. Despite his brief career, it’s been said that his marriage of traditional R&B with folk music in the 1960s took soul to a new level.
Playwright and director Moss Hart was born on October 24, 1904, in New York City, New York. From humble beginnings in the Bronx, he rose to become one of Broadway’s most celebrated writers and directors, shaping American theater with his wit, warmth, and imagination.
On October 24, 1861, Western Union joined the eastern and western lines in Salt Lake City, Utah, completing the Transcontinental Telegraph. Soon, intricately engraved stamps were produced for the different telegraph companies to show that messages had been paid for.
On October 24, 1951, the United Nations issued its first postage stamps. The UN is the only organization that’s neither a country or territory to issue its own postage stamps.
On October 24, 1861, the people of West Virginia voted to secede from the Confederate state of Virginia. They would achieve statehood less than tow years later.
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