October 15 in History

October 15 in History

October 15th is…
National Aesthetician Day
National Cheese Curd Day
I Love Lucy Day
National Grouch Day
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
Pug Day
National Shawarma Day
White Cane Safety Day
National Whole Hog Barbecue Day

National Grouch Day is celebrated annually on October 15 and is a day for celebrating and letting loose the inner grouch that can live within us all! According to the dictionary, a grouch is a habitually irritable or complaining person. Most grouchy people are happiest when others around them can share in their misery and general unhappiness. 

We all have something going on in our lives that can make us a bit on the grouchy side, so today is a day to celebrate that grouchy spirit and not worry so much about keeping others content. Let your inner grouch flag fly! If you are not a grouchy person by nature, then take a few minutes to look at some images of Grumpy Cat, as she is always the perfect way to honor the spirit of a grouch! 

It is rumored that Sesame Street Magazine created National Grouch Day to pay tribute to the famous Sesame Street character Oscar The Grouch. According to Sesame Street legend, creator Jim Henson and a friend went to a Manhattan restaurant recounted as either ‘Oscar’s Salt of the Sea’ or ‘Oscar’s Tavern’, where they were waited on by a server so grumpy it was actually comical. Henson and his companion were so amused by the man’s behavior that they made trips to Oscar’s, a regular form of “masochistic entertainment. Eventually, their waiter forever became immortalized as the world’s most famous grouch. It is also worth noting that during the very first season of Sesame Street, Oscar The Grouch was actually orange in color rather than green. The color change was explained in season two as being the result of Oscar’s visit to Swamp Mushy Muddy. 

National Grouch Day is the day to be pessimistic, cranky, and irritable, and then make sure that you are extra nice the next day to make it for it! 

On October 15, 1964 Congress resolved that October 15 would be proclaimed White Cane Safety Day. President Lyndon Johnson immediately proclaimed this as an official day to recognize the advancements and achievements of blind individuals. It is called White Cane Safety Day because the white cane is a recognizable symbol a blind person’s independence.

1582 – Pope Gregory XIII implemented the Gregorian calendar. In several countries, October 4 of that year was followed directly by October 15.

1878 – The Edison Electric Light Company began operations.

1888 – The “From Hell” letter sent by Jack the Ripper was received by the London authorities (Whitechapel Vigilance Committee).

1939 – The New York Municipal Airport (now named LaGuardia Airport) was dedicated.

1940 – The Great Dictator, the satiric social commentary film by and starring Charlie Chaplin, was released.

1951 – I Love Lucy premiered on CBS. It was filmed with three cameras, a TV first.

1953 – The Teahouse of the August Moon (Broadway Play) Opened on October 15, 1953 and closed on March 24, 1956

1955 – #1 Hit October 15, 1955 – October 28, 1955: The Four Aces – Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

1966 – #1 Hit October 15, 1966 – October 28, 1966: Four Tops – Reach Out, I’ll Be There

1966 – The Black Panther Party was created by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.

1977 – #1 Hit October 15, 1977 – December 23, 1977: Debby Boone – You Light Up My Life

1987 – Bob Barker, host of The Price Is Right, stopped dying his hair. The audience gave him a standing ovation when he came onstage, white-haired.

1988 – #1 Hit October 15, 1988 – October 21, 1988: UB40 – Red Red Wine

2000 – Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered on HBO

2001 – Smallville premiered on The WB

 

Today in History
Scroll to Top