On This Day October 30th

 OTD

October 30th is the 303rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 62 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

1340 – Reconquista: Portuguese and Castilian forces halt a Muslim invasion at the Battle of Río Salado.

1657 – Anglo-Spanish War: Spanish forces failed to retake Jamaica at the Battle of Ocho Rios.

1831 – Nat Turner is arrested for leading the bloodiest slave rebellion in United States history.

1888 – The Rudd Concession is granted by Matabeleland to agents of Cecil Rhodes.

1905 – Czar Nicholas II issues the October Manifesto, nominally giving the Russian people fundamental civil liberties and the right to form a duma.

1938 – Orson Welles broadcasts a radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a massive panic in some of the audience in the United States.

1941 – President Roosevelt approved $1 billion in Lend-Lease aid to the Allied nations.

1945 – Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signs a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the baseball color line.

1961 – The Soviet Union detonates the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful explosive device ever detonated.

1980 – El Salvador and Honduras agree to put the border dispute fought over in 1969's Football War before the International Court of Justice.

 

Birthdays

1632 – Christopher Wren, English physicist, mathematician, and architect, designed St Paul's Cathedral (d. 1723)

1735 – John Adams, American lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the United States (d. 1826)

1857 – Georges Gilles de la Tourette, French-Swiss physician and neurologist (d. 1904)

1892 – Charles Atlas, Italian-American bodybuilder (d. 1972)

1911 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (d. 2005)

1933 – Col Campbell, New Zealand gardener and television host (d. 2012)

1936 – Dick Vermeil, American football player and coach.

1945 – Henry Winkler, American actor, comedian, director, and producer

1963 – Rebecca Heineman, American video game designer and programmer.

1987 – Danielle Fong, Canadian entrepreneur, co-founder and chief scientist of LightSail Energy

Holiday Spotlight

Mischief Night

  Mischief Night, an informal holiday, is celebrated by kids and teenagers in many parts of the United States, Canada, and the U.K. The night before Halloween, children prank on neighbors or family members to spread joy. Steeped up in folk tradition, the origins of the holiday are unclear. A legend has it that it started in England in the 1700s when kids used to play pranks on people the night before May Day. The earliest known reference to ‘Mischief Night’ was recorded in 1790 when a school play, which concluded with an ode to fun, mentioned Mischief Night in glowing terms.

 An amusing thing about the holiday is the many names it is known by in various parts of the world. In Vermont and New Hampshire, it is traditionally called ‘Cabbage Night’ as, on this night, people would throw cabbages at each other’s homes as a prank. In Detroit and its adjoining areas, it’s infamously known as Devil’s Night. Some communities call it ‘Devil’s Eve’ or ‘Goosey Night.’ However, it is known as ‘Mischief Night’ in most locations in the United States.

 The holiday started as a fun activity for kids and teenagers engaging in pranks and harmless practical jokes. Still, it came to be associated with severe vandalism and even arson in some places. This brought the holiday into disrepute, and soon, grown-ups started dreading the day as society started downplaying or even disowning it. Despite the mixed feelings about Mischief Night, it allows adults to bond with their young ones.

 

Others Include

Buy a Donut Day

Checklist Day

Create a Great Funeral Day

Devil's Night

Haunted Refrigerator Night

National Candy Corn Day

National Publicist Day

National Text Your Ex Day

Pumpkin Bread Day

Speak Up For Service Day

Sugar Addiction Awareness Day

World Audio Drama Day

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