1581 – Commissioned by Catherine De Medici, the 1st ballet “Ballet Comique de la Reine” is staged in Paris
1582 – Gregorian calendar introduced in Spain, Portugal and pontifical states, after skipping 10 days after Oct 4 to sync the calendar
1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte arrives on island of St Helena to begin his exile
1959 – A final conference on the Antarctic Treaty convened in Washington, D.C., and, after six weeks of negotiations, the treaty was signed by 12 countries, preserving the continent for free scientific study.
1952 – “Charlotte’s Web” by E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams is published by Harper & Brothers
1969 – Vietnam Moratorium Day; millions nationwide protest the war
1993 – Nelson Mandela and South African President F. W. de Klerk awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
2003 – China became the third country to launch a crewed spaceflight; Shenzhou 5, which was piloted by Yang Liwei, orbited Earth 14 times during the 21-hour flight.
2011 – Global protests break out in 951 cities in 82 countries
Births & Deaths:
2018 – American investor and philanthropist Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft, died at age 65.
Film & TV:
1940 – The comedy classic The Great Dictator premiered in New York City; Charlie Chaplin’s biggest box-office success, it satirized Adolf Hitler and Nazism and condemned anti-Semitism.
2017 – Actress Alyssa Milano’s tweet “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’” prompts flood of replies across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Music:
1977 – Debbie Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” goes #1 & stays #1 for 10 weeks
Sport:
1989 – Wayne Gretzky passes Gordie Howe as NHL’s all time top scorer
