Today in History...Oct 8th

[Prerunner1982]

A lot of birthdays today.

Events:
1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. (Couple of times now I have seen this... they missed quite a few days.)
1829 – Rail transport: Stephenson's The Rocket wins The Rainhill Trials.
1860 – Telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opens.
1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Perryville – Union forces under General Don Carlos Buell halt the Confederate invasion of Kentucky by defeating troops led by General Braxton Bragg at Perryville, Kentucky.
1871 – Four major fires break out on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Holland, Michigan, and Manistee, Michigan including the Great Chicago Fire, and the much deadlier Peshtigo Fire.
1918 – World War I: In the Argonne Forest in France, United States Corporal Alvin C. York leads an attack that kills 25 German soldiers and captures 132.
1932 – The Indian Air Force is established.
1939 – World War II: Germany annexes Western Poland.
1941 – World War II: In their invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany reaches the Sea of Azov with the capture of Mariupol.
1944 – World War II: The Battle of Crucifix Hill occurs on Crucifix Hill just outside Aachen. Capt. Bobbie Brown receives a Medal of Honor for his heroics in this battle.
1952 – The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash kills 112 people.
1956 – New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series; one of only 18 perfect games in MLB history.
1968 – Vietnam War: Operation Sealords – United States and South Vietnamese forces launch a new operation in the Mekong Delta.
1969 – The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago, Illinois.
1970 – Vietnam War: In Paris, a Communist delegation rejects US President Richard Nixon's October 7 peace proposal as "a maneuver to deceive world opinion".
1974 – Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it is the largest bank failure in the history of the United States. (Where was their Government Bail out?)
1978 – Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.60mph at Blowering Dam, Australia.
2001 – A twin engine Cessna and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) jetliner collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Milan, Italy killing 118.
2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.
2004 – Martha Stewart begins her prison sentence after being convicted of securities fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy in the ImClone stock trading case.
2005 – The Kashmir earthquake hits parts of northern South Asia at 03:50 UTC.

Birthdays:
1889 – C. E. Woolman, American airline founder (d. 1966)
1910 – Gus Hall, American union organizer and head of the U.S. Communist Party (d. 2000)
1917 – Billy Conn, American boxer (d. 1993)
1917 – Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player (d. 1976)
1939 – Harvey Pekar, American author
1940 – Fred Cash, American singer (The Impressions)
1943 – Chevy Chase, American comedian and actor
1943 – R. L. Stine, American author
1944 – Susan Raye, American singer
1948 – Sarah Purcell, American television host
1948 – Johnny Ramone, American musician (The Ramones) (d. 2004)
1949 – Sigourney Weaver, American actress
1950 – Robert Kool Bell, American musician (Kool & the Gang)
1951 – Jack O'Connell, American politician
1954 – Michael Dudikoff, American actor
1955 – Bill Elliott, American racecar driver
1955 – Lonnie Pitchford, American blues musician (d. 1998)
1955 – Darrell Hammond, American comedian (SNL)
1956 – Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress
1956 – Jeff Lahti, American baseball player
1957 – Joe Castiglione, American college athletic director
1958 – Steve Coll, American journalist
1959 – Nick Bakay, American actor
1959 – Mike Morgan, American baseball player
1960 – Reed Hastings, American businessman and entrepreneur
1961 – Ted Kooshian, American jazz pianis
1964 – CeCe Winans, American singer
1965 – C-Jay Ramone, American musician (The Ramones)
1965 – Peter Greene, American actor
1966 – Art Barr, American wrestler (d. 1994)
1966 – Karyn Parsons, American actress
1968 – Emily Procter, American actress
1969 – Julia Ann, American pornographic actress
1969 – Jeremy Davies, American actor
1970 – Matt Damon, American actor
1974 – DJ Q-Ball, American musician (Bloodhound Gang)
1979 – Kristanna Loken, American actress
1979 – Gregori Chad Petree, American musician (Shiny Toy Guns)
1980 – Mike Mizanin, American wrestler
1980 – Nick Cannon, American actor
1983 – Steve Cronin, American soccer player
1983 – Travis Pastrana, American motor sports competitor


Deaths:
1936 – Red Ames, American baseball player (b. 1882)
1952 – Joe Adams, American baseball player (b. 1877)
1983 – Joan Hackett, American actress (b. 1934)
1999 – John McLendon, American basketball coach (b. 1915)
2008 – Eileen Herlie, American actress (b. 1918)