On October 11, 1865, hundreds of Black men and women gathered in the coastal town of Morant Bay, Jamaica, to protest against the deep injustices that had come to define post-emancipation colonial life. Their march—disciplined, defiant, and desperate—would ignite one of the most consequential…
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On October 11, 1962, the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) opened, marking the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years. This historic event was initiated by Pope John XXIII, who sought to bring the Church into greater engagement with the…
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On October 11, 1975, Americans began laughing on Saturday nights. Saturday Night Live (SNL) made its television debut on NBC. Created by Lorne Michaels, the concept of the show was to provide a platform for the best comedic talent of the time to showcase…
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On October 10, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson pressed a telegraph key in Washington, D.C., sending an electrical signal across more than 2,000 miles that detonated dynamite charges deep in the jungles of Panama. The explosion tore through the Gamboa Dike, the last barrier separating…
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On October 10, 2002, the U.S. Congress approved the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, often referred to as the Iraq War Resolution. The move marked a major step toward war, giving President George W. Bush the power to use military action…
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On October 10, 1845, the United States Naval School opened in Annapolis, Maryland, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. The curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. “When the founders of the United States Naval Academy…
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On the evening of October 9, 1604, a new and dazzling light appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus. To observers across Europe and Asia, it was as if a new star had been born overnight—a radiant point that outshone every other object in the night…
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On October 9, 1986, The Phantom of the Opera premiered at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey that would see it become one of the most beloved and successful musicals in history. Composed by Andrew Lloyd…
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On October 9, 1635, the leaders of Massachusetts Bay Colony had finally had enough of one rabble-rouser, Roger Williams, and threw him out of their colony. His crime? He believed that people should have the freedom to worship however they pleased and strongly supported…
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On the evening of October 8, 1969, Chicago’s Grant Park became the staging ground for one of the most explosive and controversial protests of the Vietnam era—the opening rally of the “Days of Rage.” Organized by the Weather Underground, a radical splinter faction of…
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