October 16 in History

October 16 in History

October 16th is…
Boss’s Day
Department Store Day
Global Cat Day (aka Feral Cat Day)
National Dictionary Day
National Liqueur Day
National Sports Day
On October 16, 1958 Patricia Bay Haroski (an employee of State Farm Insurance Company) registered Boss’s Day with US Chamber of Commerce. Haroski chose the date because it was the date of her boss’s birthday, who was also her father. It is annually observed in the United States on October 16, or the nearest working day.

1793 – Marie Antoinette, the widow of Louis XVI, was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. The phrase “Let them eat cake” is often attributed to Marie, but there is no evidence she ever said it.

1814 – The Great Beer Flood. More than 323,000 gallons of beer burst out of the Meux and Company Brewery and poured into the streets of St. Giles, London, England.

1846 – Massachusetts General was the first hospital in the world to use anesthetics. “Ether Day,” the anniversary of that event is still celebrated today by its doctors and staff annually on October 16th.

1847 – The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë was published.

1869 – The Cardiff Giant was “discovered” in Cardiff, New York.

1875 – Brigham Young University was founded in Provo, Utah.

1916 – In Brooklyn, New York, Margaret Sanger opened the first family planning clinic in the United States.

1920 – A bomb exploded on Wall Street outside the NYSE building, killing 33 people and injuring more than 400. The perpetrators were never found.

1921 – Frank Coughlin, the head coach of the Rock Island Independents, was fired in the middle of a game against the Chicago Cardinals. The Independents were leading the game 14-7 at the time. Coughlin is the only coach in NFL history to be fired in the middle of a game.

1923 – The Walt Disney Company was founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy Disney.

1944 – Wally Walrus debuted in The Beach Nut, a Walter Lantz cartoon.

1950 – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was published, beginning The Chronicles of Narnia series.

1968 – Tommie Smith and John Carlos were kicked off the US team for participating in the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute.

#1 Hit October 16, 1976 – October 22, 1976: Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots – Disco Duck (part 1)

1978 – Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pontiff since 1523.

1984 – Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1995 – The Million Man March took place in Washington, DC. Between 400,000 and 850,000 people marched.

1997 – (fictional)  The Robinson family departed from Earth aboard the Jupiter II spacecraft and becomes Lost In Space. (TV show)

#1 Hit October 16, 2021 – October 22, 2021: StayThe Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber
 

 

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