THE HISTORY OF OCTOBER 31

THE HISTORY OF OCTOBER 31

WORLD EVENTS

Today is National Candy Apple Day

1803  Congress ratified the Louisiana Purchase – eventually added 13 new states to the country

1864  Nevada became the 36^th state

1868  Postmaster General Randall approved a standard uniform for postal workers

1873  The International Peace Bridge across the Niagara River between Buffalo and Ft. Erie, Canada was completed

1912  Actress/cowgirl Dale Evans was born

1926  Magician Harry Houdini died from a ruptured appendix

1931  News anchor Dan Rather was born

1937  Actor Michael Landon was born – “Bonanza”

1941  Mt. Rushmore was dedicated – construction had taken 14 years of work resulting in 60 foot busts of Washington. Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt

1941  US Navy destroyer, Reuben James, was torpedoed by a German sub – the US had not yet entered the war

1950  News woman Jane Pauley was born

1956  The first American to land a plane on the South pole – Rear Admiral G.J. Dufek

1956  The British and French began to bomb Egypt to reopen the Suez Canal

1959  Lee Harvey Oswald announced in Moscow that he would never return to the United States

1967  Rapper Vanilla Ice was born

1968  President Johnson announced a halt to all bombing in Vietnam

1984  Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated near her residence in India by two of her Sikh bodyguards

1993  Actor River Phoenix died at age 23 after collapsing outside the Viper Room in Hollywood

1998  Iraq announced that it was halting all dealings with the United Nations arms inspectors

1999  Egyptian flight 990 crashed off the coast of Nantucket, Ma. killing all 217 aboard

2005  Samuel Alito was nominated as the replacement for the retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

SPORTS HISTORY ON OCTOBER 31

2005  Red Sox GM Theo Epstein resigns – will return

2001  NYY beat Arizona on Derek Jeter’s bottom of the 10^th

1989  Lenny Wilkens gets his 1^st NBA coaching win

1987  1^st jockey to win 9 races in a day – Chris Antley – 4 at Aqueduct and 5 at Monmouth

1983  Football pioneer George Halas died at age 88

1979  Mike Flanagan of Baltimore wins AL Cy Young – 23-9, 3.08 ERA – never won more than 16 in his next 15 seasons

1973  Tom Seaver wins the NL Cy Young – 1^st pitcher to win it that did not have at least 20 wins – 19-10, 2.08 ERA, 18 complete games, 251 strikeouts

1972  Gaylord Perry wins AL Cy Young – 24-16, 1.92 ERA, 29 complete games

1967  Mike McCormick of Giants wins NL Cy Young – 20-10, 2.85 ERA, 14 complete games – never won more than 15 in his next 16 year career

1943  Washington Redskins Sammy Baugh passes for 6 TDs in a game

# 1 SONGS ON OCTOBER 31

1961  Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean

1963  Sugar Shack – Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs

1964  Baby Love – The Supremes

1965  Get Off of My Cloud – The Rolling Stones

1966  Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkees

1967  To Sir, With Love - Lulu

1968  Hey Jude –The Beatles

1969  Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley

1970  I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5

1971  Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves - Cher

1972  I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash

1973  Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips

1975  Island Girl – Elton John

1977  You Light Up My Life – Debby Boone

1980  Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand

1982  Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes

1983  Islands in the Stream – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

1984  Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) – Billy Ocean

1985  Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston

1986  True Colors – Cyndi Lauper

1987  Bad – Michael Jackson

1988  Kokomo – The Beach Boys

1990  Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice

1992  End of the Road – Boyz II Men

1993  I’d Do Anything for Love – Meat Loaf

1994  I’ll Make Love to You – Boyz II Men

1995  Fantasy – Mariah Carey

1996  Macarena – Los Del Rio       

1997  Candle in the Wind (1997) – Elton John

1999  Smooth – Santana with Rob Thomas