- International Day of Older Persons 2008

- World Vegetarian Day 2008

- Maria Mitchell, first American female astronomer, became the first woman to discover a comet. (1847)

- John Philip Sousa became leader of the U.S. Marine Corps Band. (1880)

- International Meridian Conference convened in Washington, DC. (1884)

- First modern World Series game was played. (1903)

- Virtuoso pianist Vladimir Horowitz was born in Berdichev, Russia (1904)

- Henry Ford's Model T, a "universal car" designed for the masses, was first produced. (1908)

- President James Carter was born in Plains, Georgia (1924)

- The People's Republic of China was founded. (1949)

- The motto “In God We Trust” appeared on the U.S. one-dollar silver certificate. (1957)

- National Aeronautics and Space Administration officially began operations. (1958)

- Cyprus and Nigeria celebrated independence from British rule. (1960)

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- Custodial Workers Day

- Nat Turner, slave uprising leader, was born. (1800)

- Samuel Adams, considered the “Father of the American Revolution,” died. (1803)

- Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader, was born in India (1869)

- Peanuts comic strip debuted. (1950)

- Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. (1967)

- Redwood National Park in California was established in California. (1968)

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- Anthracite coal strike was mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the first time a President would intervene in a labor dispute. (1902)

- Iraq gained independence from Britain . (1932)

- The Mickey Mouse Club premiered. (1955)

- First commercial atomic clock was unveiled in New York. (1956)

- Frank Robinson was hired by the Cleveland Indians as baseball's first African American major league manager. (1974)

- Space Shuttle Atlantis flew its maiden voyage. (1985)

- After 45 years of Cold War division, East and West Germany were reunited as the Federal Republic of Germany. (1990)

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- World Animal Day 2007

- Sarchoidosis Awareness Day 2008

- St. Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi, Umbria, Italy (1181)

- Rutherford B. Hayes, 19^th U.S. President, was born in Delaware, Ohio. (1822)

- Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands . (1830)

- Frederic Remington, Western artist, was born in Canton, New York. (1861)

- Soviets' launch of Sputnik I, the first satellite, began the Space Age. (1957)

- Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the United States and address the United Nations. (1965)

- The Mallard family sculpture in Boston was dedicated in honor of Robert McCloskey's book Make Way for Ducklings. (1987)

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- Mental Illness Awareness Week October 5 - 11, 2008

- National 4-H Week October 5 - 11, 2008

- National Newspaper Week October 5 - 11, 2008

- World Teachers' Day 2008

- Fire Prevention Week October 5 - 11, 2008

- Chester A. Arthur, 21^st U.S. President, was born in Fairfield, Vermont. (1830)

- Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce said in his surrender speech, "…From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." (1877)

- Robert Goddard, the "Father of the Space Age," was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. (1882)

- Ray Kroc, hamburger mogul, was born. (1902)

- Portugal became a republic following a revolt against King Manuel II. (1910)

- President Harry S. Truman urged Americans to refrain from eating meat on Tuesdays and poultry on Sundays in an attempt to help starving people in other countries. It was the first televised White House address. (1947)

- PBS became a television network. (1970)

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- Drive Safely to Work Week October 6 - 10, 2008

- National Metric Week October 6 - 10, 2008

- Child Health Day 2008

- World Habitat Day 2008

- First train robbery occurred. (1866)

- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Victorian poet (Mariana), died. (1892)

- Thor Heyerdahl, explorer and archaeologist, was born in Larvik, Norway (1914)

- The Jazz Singer (first “talkie”), starring Al Jolson, opened in New York. (1927)

- Chiang Kai-shek became the president of the Republic of China upon the introduction of a new constitution. (1928)

- "Tokyo Rose," Japanese propagandist during World War II, was sentenced to a ten-year imprisonment and fined $10,000 for treason. (1949)

- The Gang of Four, including the widow of Mao Zedong, was arrested in China and charged with plotting a coup. (1976)

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- The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York City in protest to the British Stamp Act. (1765)

- Edgar Allan Poe, American writer (House of Usher), died. (1849)

- Cornell University welcomed its first students. (1868)

- Niels Bohr, Danish physicist, was born in Copenhagen. (1885)

- In “The Game of the Century,” Cumberland University was defeated by Georgia Tech. The final score was 222-0. (1916)

- Tibet was invaded by Communist Chinese troops. (1950)

- 38^th parallel was crossed as the United States invaded North Korea . (1950)

- Cellist Yo-Yo Ma was born. (1955)

- The Moon's far, dark side was photographed for the first time. The pictures were relayed to Earth by Russia 's Luna 3 spacecraft. (1959)

- Tevfik Esenc, the last speaker of the language of Ubykh, died. (1992)

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- International Walk to School Day 2008

- Stop America's Violence Everywhere Today 2008

- The Erie Canal was inaugurated at Albany, New York, with the first boat passage, although the entire canal was not complete. (1823)

- James Frank Duryea, inventor of the first American automobile with his brother Charles Duryea, was born. (1869)

- The Great Fire of Chicago broke out. According to legend, it started when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern in the barn. (1871)

- Queen Min of Joseon, the last empress of Korea , was assassinated. (1895)

- Heroism was shown by Tennessean Alvin C. York during World War I. (1918)

- R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series, was born. (1943)

- Office of Homeland Security establishment announced by U.S. President George W. Bush. (2001)

- Impeachment inquiry resolution of President William Jefferson Clinton was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. (1998)

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- Leif Ericson Day

- Yale University was founded in New Haven, Connecticut. (1701)

- Spanish missionaries settled in present-day San Francisco. (1776)

- Mary Shadd Cary, African American journalist and anti-slavery advocate, was born in Delaware. (1823)

- Carnival of Animals composer Camille Saint-Saens was born. (1835)

- Caffeine chemist Hermann Emil Fischer was born. (1852)

- The Washington Monument was completed and its first visitors admitted. (1888)

- Uganda achieved independence after nearly 70 years of British rule. (1962)

- Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Argentinean-born guerrilla leader and revolutionary, was killed in Bolivia while leading a guerrilla force. (1967)

- Work began on the Trans-Amazon Highway. (1970)

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- According to tradition, October 10 (10/10) was the day chosen as the birthdate of the metric system, signifying the base-10 method. (1796)

- Giuseppi Verdi, Italian opera composer, was born in Le Roncole, Italy (1813)

- The United States Naval School opened. (1845)

- Ho Chi Minh entered Hanoi, Vietnam, after the withdrawal of French troops in accordance with armistice terms ending the seven-year struggle between the Communist Vietnamese and the French. (1954)

- Olympic Games opened in Tokyo, Japan . (1964)

- Fiji gained independence from the United Kingdom (1970)

- Spiro T. Agnew resigned the office of Vice President of the United States (1973)

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- King Henry VIII of England was titled "Defender of the Faith" by Pope Leo X following the publication of the King's book against Martin Luther. (1521)

- Peter the Great became tsar of Russia (1689)

- Thomas Edison patented his first invention, an electric voice machine. (1868)

- Eleanor Roosevelt, "First Lady of the World,” was born in New York City. (1884)

- The Boer War began in South Africa between the British Empire and the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State. (1899)

- Albert Einstein warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt that his theories could lead to Nazi Germany's development of an atomic bomb. (1939)

- The Second Vatican Council was opened in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by Pope John XXIII. (1962)

- Kathryn D. Sullivan, space shuttle Challenger astronaut, became the first American woman to walk in space. (1984)

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- Bone and Joint Decade National Action Week October 12 – 20 , 2008

- Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) recognizes Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas .

- Spain's National Holiday: “Día de la Hispanidad.”

- Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World. (1492)

- Paraguay declared its independence from Spain and Argentina . (1811)

- Brazil became independent of Portugal . (1822)

- Charles Macintosh of Scotland began selling raincoats. (1823)

- Robert E. Lee died in Lexington, Virginia, at age 63. (1870)

- The American Pledge of Allegiance was first recited in public schools. (1892)

- Doris "Dorie" Miller, Naval hero, was born. (1919)

- Charles Gordone, first African American playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize, was born. (1925)

- Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet leader, pounded his desk repeatedly with his shoe during a debate over colonialism in the United Nations. (1960)

- Guinea gained independence from Spain (1968)

- Cellular phone service began in the U.S. (1983)

- Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve a “more peaceful world.” (2001)

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- National School Lunch Week October 13 - 17, 2008

- Canada's Thanksgiving Day (Second Monday in October) 2008

- Columbus Day observed ( U.S. ) 2008

- Roman Emperor Claudius died after eating mushrooms poisoned by his wife, the Empress Agrippina. (54 AD)

- The U.S. Navy was born after the Second Continental Congress authorized the acquisition of a fleet of ships. (1775)

- White House cornerstone was laid by George Washington. (1792)

- Molly Pitcher, Revolutionary War hero, was born near Trenton, New Jersey, as Mary Ludwig. (1754)

- Occupational therapy pioneer Eleanor Clarke Slagle was born. (1871)

- Melody for "Happy Birthday To You" (originally published as "Good Morning To All" in Mildred J. and Patty S. Hill's Song Stories for the Kindergarten) trademark is registered. (1893)

- Arna Bontemps, African American writer (Story of the Negro), was born. (1902)

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- The Norman Conquest began with the Battle of Hastings. (1066)

- Henry Blair, first African American inventor to receive a patent, received one for a corn planter. (1834)

- William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was born in London. (1644)

- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34^th U.S. President, was born in Denison, Texas. (1890)

- Sarah Winnemucca, first Native American woman known to secure a copyright and publish in the English language, died. (1891)

- William Allison Davis, African American anthropologist and educator, was born. (1902)

- Theodore Roosevelt was shot while campaigning in Milwaukee for the Presidency, yet continued giving his speech. (1912)

- Chuck Yeager, U.S. Air Force captain, became the first human to break the sound barrier, flying in a rocket-powered research aircraft. (1947)

- Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader, became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He donated the $54,000 in prize money to the civil rights movement. (1964)

- Polka musician Frank Yankovic (a.k.a. the Polka King) died. (1998)

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- White Cane Day

- Virgil, poet (Aeneid), was born. (70 BC)

- Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the island of St. Helena, beginning a British-imposed exile following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. (1815)

- Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was born. (1844)

- CSS Hunley was sunk for a second time. (1863)

- Fort Pulaski became part of the National Park System. (1924)

- A hurricane hit Savannah, Georgia (1947)

- Cuban Missile Crisis began. (1962)

- Leonid Brezhnev replaced Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, the first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. (1964)

- Millions marched in the U.S. Vietnam Moratorium. (1969)

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- Lights On After School 2008

- World Food Day

- Noah Webster, whose name became synonymous with the word dictionary after he compiled the first American dictionaries of the English language, was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. (1758)

- The Crimean War began. It became the first war observed up close by newspaper reporters and photographers. One of the battles was immortalized in Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. English nurse Florence Nightingale pioneered modern-style sanitation methods in this war, saving many lives. (1853)

- John Brown, abolitionist, seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry with about 20 followers. (1859)

- Eugene O'Neill, American playwright (The Iceman Cometh), was born. (1888)

- Henry Lewis, first African American conductor and music director of a major American orchestra, was born. (1932)

- The black power salute was given by Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the Olympics. (1968)

- John Paul II, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland , was elected Pope. He was the first non-Italian Pope chosen in 456 years. (1978)

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- Black Poetry Day

- President James Monroe wrote a letter to his Virginia neighbor Thomas Jefferson, seeking advice on foreign policy in what eventually became the Monroe Doctrine. (1823)

- Frederic Chopin, composer and pianist, died in Paris. (1849)

- Albert Einstein arrived in the United States (1933)

- Juan Perón became the dictator of Argentina (1945)

- Premiere of the musical Hair took place on Broadway in New York. (1967)

- Henry Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, died. (1967)

- Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (1979)

- The Department of Education Organization Act is signed into law creating the US Department of Education and US Department of Health and Human Services. Both replace the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. (1979)

- Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hit the San Francisco Bay Area. (1989)

- United States population reaches 300 million. (2006)

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- Robert Livingston Stevens, U.S. engineer and ship designer, was born. (1787)

- Christian Friedrich Schönbein, German-Swiss chemist who discovered and named ozone, was born. (1799)

- Alaska was formally transferred from Russia to the United States (1867)

- The first electric energy company, Edison Electric Light Company, formed. (1878)

- American troops fighting the Spanish-American War raised the U.S. flag in Puerto Rico, formalizing control of the Spanish colony. (1898)

- The BBC was established. (1922)

- The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial began with indictments against 24 former Nazi leaders. (1945)

- Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments was enacted. (1972)

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- America's Safe Schools Week October 19 - 25, 2008

- National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week October 19 - 25, 2008

- Respiratory Care Week October 19 - 25, 2008

- Gulliver's Travels author Jonathan Swift died. (1745)

- Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson was born. (1748)

-General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia. (1781)

- Water system in Philadelphia began operation. It was the first such utility in a major American city. (1802)

- Elizabeth Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical College. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States (1849)

- The U.S. embargo of Cuba began as the State Department prohibited shipment of all goods except medicine and food. (1960)

- Mauritania gained independence from France (1960)

- "Black Monday": Wall Street stocks plunged a record 508 points, or 22.6%. The loss topped the one-day declines of October 28-29, 1929, which heralded the Great Depression. (1987)

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- National Health Education Week October 20 - 24, 2008

- National School Bus Safety Week October 20 - 24, 2008

- Birth of the Bab (Baha'i holiday) 2008

- Louisiana Purchase Treaty was ratified by the Senate. (1803)

- Aaron Burr, Vice President of the U.S. (1801-1804), was found not guilty of treason, but found guilty of contemplating an invasion of Spanish territory. (1807)

- John Dewey, philosopher, educational theorist, and writer, was born. (1859)

- Baseball great Mickey Mantle, a New York Yankee, was born. (1931)

- General Douglas MacArthur set foot on Philippine soil for the first time since his escape in 1942, fulfilling his promise, "I shall return." (1944)

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- Reptile Awareness Day

- Katsushika Hokusai, a Japanese artist, was born. (1760)

- USS Constitution was launched. (1797)

- Battle of Trafalgar took place between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of France and Spain (1805)

- Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish industrialist and inventor, was born. (1833)

- An electric incandescent lamp was successfully tested by Thomas Edison with a carbonized filament at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. (1879)

- The first transatlantic radio voice message was made by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company from Virginia to Paris. (1915)

- Jazz great Dizzy Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. (1917)

- The typing speed record, 170 words per minute, was set by Margaret Owen. (1918)

- The first planetarium opened at the Deutsche Museum in Munich, Germany (1923)

- Women voted for the first time in France (1945)

- Guggenheim Museum opened in New York. (1959)

- Fourth and final debate took place between Vice President Richard M. Nixon, the Republican Presidential candidate, and Senator John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate. (1960)

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- The Chinese observed a total solar eclipse and were the first to record such a sight. (2137 BC)

- Revocation of the Edict of Nantes made Protestantism illegal in France (1685)

- The first parachute jump was made by André-Jacques Garnerin. (1797)

- Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer, was born in Raiding, Hungary (1811)

- Abigail Scott Duniway, pioneer, reformer, writer, and suffragist, was born. (1834)

- Sam Houston was inaugurated as first president of the Republic of Texas. (1836)

- Stephen Moulton Babcock, agricultural research chemist, often called the “Father of Scientific Dairying,” was born. (1843)

- The Metropolitan Opera House, located in New York City, opened. (1883)

- Universal time, from which standard times throughout the world are calculated, was established in Greenwich. (1884)

- Vitamin C discoverer Charles Glen King was born. (1896)

- Elise Deroche, the world's first qualified woman pilot, became the first woman to fly solo. (1909)

- Queen Geraldine of Albania died. (2002)

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- Mole Day

- War of Jenkins' Ear was declared. (1739)

- A coup d'état, based on a rumor that Napoleon had died in Russia , was attempted by General Claude Francois de Malet of France (1812)

- Gertrude Ederle, first woman to swim the English Channel, was born. (1906)

- Western author Zane Grey died. (1939)

- Lend-Lease Act was passed by the Senate, bringing the U.S. one step closer to direct involvement in World War II. (1941)

- Dolphins were first used by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf War to help detect mines. (1987)

- Hungary declared itself a republic 33 years after Soviet troops crushed a popular revolt against Communist rule. (1989)

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- United Nations Day

- Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (microbiologist) born. (1632)

- In Washington, President Abraham Lincoln received the first transcontinental telegram in America from the chief justice of California in San Francisco. (1861)

- The Irish Parliament voted to adopt a constitution for an Irish Free State. (1922)

- "Black Thursday" occurred when the New York Stock Exchange experienced the panic selling of 13 million shares. Five days later, on "Black Tuesday," 16 million shares were sold. (1929)

- Al Capone, Chicago gangster, was sentenced to 11 years in jail for federal income tax evasion. (1931)

- Zambia, renamed from Northern Rhodesia, became independent. (1964)

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- Make a Difference Day 2008

- Henry V of England defeated the French at Agincourt in the Hundred Years' War. (1415)

- England 's George III was crowned. (1760)

- Bradshaw's Railway Guide, the world's first, was published. (1839)

- Pablo Picasso, artist, was born in Malaga, Spain (1881)

- Richard E. Byrd, naval officer, pioneer aviator, and polar explorer, was born. (1888)

- Teapot Dome Scandal began in the U.S. Senate. (1923)

- Austria resumed its sovereignty when the last Allied forces departed. (1955)

- Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations to make way for the admission of the People's Republic of China (1971)

- Midori, violinist, was born. (1971)

- Grenada, one of the Caribbean islands, was invaded by the United States (1983)

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- The Erie Canal opened as the first major man-made waterway in America (1825)

- Leon Trotsky, Communist leader who organized the October Revolution with Lenin, was born. (1879)

- The 30-second shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, occurred. (1881)

- Sweden and Norway ended their union and Oscar II, the Norwegian king, abdicated from the Swedish throne. (1905)

- Mahalia Jackson, African American gospel singer, was born. (1911)

- The Chinese Republic was proclaimed. (1911)

- Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Senator and First Lady, was born. (1947)

- Mother Teresa established the Mission of Charity, Calcutta. (1950)

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- International School Library Day 2008 (Fourth Monday)

- James Cook, English navigator from Yorkshire, England , who explored New Zealand , Australia , and the Hawaiian Islands, was born. (1728)

- Nicolo Paganini, virtuoso violinist and composer, was born in Genoa, Italy (1782)

- The first of 85 "Federalist Papers" appeared in a New York City newspaper. The essays argued for the adoption of the new U.S. Constitution. (1787)

- Theodore Roosevelt, 26^th U.S. President best remembered for saying "Speak softly and carry a big stick,” was born in New York City. (1858)

- The New York City subway, the world's first underground and underwater rail system, began operating, running from City Hall to West 145^th Street. (1904)

- Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night author Dylan Thomas was born. (1914)

- Poet Sylvia Plath was born. (1932)

- First commercially sponsored television program aired. (1946)

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- Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in America , was founded in Cambridge, Mass. (1636)

- The Donner Party arrived in what is now Donner Lake. (1846)

- The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. (1886)

- Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine, was born in New York City. (1914)

- Volstead Act was passed by Congress, providing for enforcement of the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution. (1919)

- Helen Anderson became the first female U.S. ambassador. She was appointed by President Harry Truman to be ambassador to Denmark (1949)

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- Famous comet observer and astronomer Edmund Halley was born. (1656)

- The Pulitzer Prize was established. (1917)

- The first ball point pen went on sale at Gimbel's Department Stores for $12.50. (1945)

- The U.S. Supreme Court ordered immediate desegregation, superseding the previous "with all deliberate speed" ruling. (1969)

- The stock market crashed when more than 16 million shares were dumped amid tumbling prices. (1929)

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- John Adams, 2^nd U.S. President, was born. (1735)

- Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility, was published. (1830)

- The War of the Worlds radio broadcast panicked millions of Americans. (1938)

- Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins author Eric A. Kimmel born. (1946)

- A new rail tunnel under the English Channel connected Britain with the European continent for the first time since the Ice Age. (1990)

- Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA) passed. (1990)

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- UNICEF Day

- Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, is celebrated, combining the ancient Christian festival of All Saints with pagan autumn festivals.

- Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg's Palace Church, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. (1517)

- Pneumatic bicycle tires were patented by Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop. (1888)

- The Battle of Britain concluded. Since July 10, German bombers and fighters had attacked coastal targets, airfields, London, and other cities. (1940)

- Mount Rushmore National Memorial was completed after 14 years of work. (1941)

- The first hydrogen bomb was detonated by the United States at the Elugelab Atoll in the Eniwetok proving grounds in the Pacific Marshall Islands. (1952)

- The Vatican admitted erring for over 359 years by formally condemning Galileo Galilei for entertaining scientific truths such as the earth revolving around the sun. (1992)

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