This Day in History

Oct 24

1901 Barrel of idiots

Annie Taylor becomes first person to drop Niagara in a barrel. Desperate and broke, Ms. Taylor was looking for fast road to fortune and fame. She survived, but her legend did not. Yet 14 have followed, with 10 surviving.

Oct 25

1854 Light (headed) Brigade

Anniversary of Lord Cardigan's charge of the Light Brigade. No-threat British cavalry decimated as they waltz into heavy Russian artillery attack on confused (and ultimately wrong) orders. Cardigan hailed as hero, given a sweater.

Oct 26

1881 I'm OK; you're not OK

Earp brothers square off against the Clanton-McLaury gang at the OK Corral. Earps represented Johnny law, the Clanton-McLaurys, the dark forces of evil and cattle rustling. A hail of bullets ensued, and a legend was born.

Oct 27

1962 Cold War gets hot

And in this corner... Khrushchev had nukes on U.S. front porch, in Cuba. Kennedy calls BS on that (even though we had them in Turkey), set's up navel blockade. On this day, Soviet ships turn back and avert mutually assured imbecility.

Oct 28

1965 Arch nemesis

Gateway Arch in St. Louis completed. Built to commemorate Louisiana Purchase where U.S. president, we-the-people Thomas Jefferson bought 530 million acres of Native American land from the French.

Oct 29

1858 Store whores

The mid-19th century was touch and go for Denver. Slave to the whims of a fickle metals market, this town almost didn't happen. But in 1858, the very first general store opened. Both shopping mania and Denver proper ensued.

Oct 30

1938 Illegal aliens

Orson Wells changes the nature of mass media, airing his War of the Worlds program. The fictional broadcast of storm-trooping Martians invading earth sent a million Americans and the FCC into a panic, though no charges were filed.