Stuff That Happened in History! October Fifth.
(Read in the style of an olde time 20’s radio announcer…)
“Greetings Ladies and Gentleman! Dateline, October Five Two Thousand and Ten! Flash! Flash! Strange happenings are afoot today throughout the world! But -you might be saying- there’s nothing special happening today! Well, sir’s and madam’s, you may be right about nothing occurring today specifically, but what about all of those other October fifths that have happened throughout history? Well, now you have something! Let’s jump aboard the TARDIS and explore all of those other dates over the past decades!”
In 1582, this day actually never happened! Seriously, thanks to the adoption and use of the Gregorian calendar, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain just outright decided that October 5th was just not a day. So, I guess everyone just kind of stood around and stared at their shoes.
In 1789 during the Les Mis-enacted French Revolution, Women of Paris march to Versailles in the March on Versailles (a tad repetitive, dontcha think?) to confront Louis XVI about his refusal to promulgate the decrees on the abolition of feudalism, demand bread, and have the King and his court moved to Paris. Sounds like a big day. I bet they all smelled bad.
In 1857, Anaheim, California was founded. This was a huge day for the grandparents of the grandparents of the grandparents of the dudes who would eventually either work at Disney Land, Play for the Angels, or possibly the Ducks. Red letter day, that.
In 1864, the weather turned out to be a real bitch. In fact, the city of Calcutta in India was systematically decimated by a cyclone that ended the lives of over 60,000 people. Oddly, at the time this was most of the population. In today’s numbers, this many people often live in one dwelling.
In 1905, famed ‘Other Wright’, Wilbur, stays aboard and aloft the Wright Flyer III for a total of 24 miles (39 minutes) before probably not crashing to the ground in a mass of crumpled wood and torn cloth. Oh, this record would be broken by the brothers a mere four years later.
In 1921, Radio -for the first time- broadcast the World Series of Baseball. The New York Giants faced the New York Yankees, beating them three games to two. This also began the regular occurrence of the Yankees in the Series and the downfall of sports as we know it. In your face, Yankees fans!
In 1947, in what would become one of the most prolific and non-stop snowball effects of all time, President Harry S. Truman becomes the first president to host a White House Press Conference on Live TV. Before then, very few people knew what their President looked like, unless his picture was in the paper or he made that year’s new piece of paper money.
In 1962, one of Hollywood’s greatest go-to spy heroes and would-be massive sequel generators, James Bond first appeared on the screen in Dr. No. This title outdid such candidates as Dr. Perhaps, Dr. Wait-Till-Your-Father-Gets-Home, and Dr. Not-Tonight-Honey-I-Have-A-Headache.
In 1969, something completely different happened: The first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was aired on BBC. And so began an era of dry, dry British wit that American women almost never get.
And don’t forget that October Fifth is officially World Teachers Day celebrated all over the planet! Also, if you happen to be part of the Coptic Church, today is the celebration of Hor and Susia. So… get on that.
