Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theater shows, and more.
Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in October 2022 (so you have time to write about them!)
We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2022. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available in April 2022 and the 2027 edition will be available from July 2022.
Oct 1, 1982 – 40 years ago
The world’s first compact disc (CD) player (the Sony CDP-101) went on sale in Japan. (North America/Europe: March 1983.)
Oct 2, 1872 – 150 years ago
In Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg sets off from London, UK on this day to begin his round-the-world journey. He must return by December 21st to win his £20,000 ($26,000) bet.
Oct 3, 1872 – 150 years ago
The first Bloomingdale’s department store opened in New York City, USA. (It was named Bloomingdale’s Great East Side Bazaar.)
Oct 4, 1822 – 200 years ago
Birth of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States (1877–81).
Oct 5, 1962 – 60 years ago
The UK premiere of the first James Bond movie Dr. No. (Released: October 10th. USA: May 1963.)
Oct 6, 1992 – 30 years ago
Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre was published (under the pen name Currer Bell).
Oct 7, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Marie Lloyd, (the ‘Queen of the Music Hall’) British music hall singer, comedian and actress.
Known for songs including My Old Man (Said Follow the Van), The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery and Oh Mr Porter What Shall I Do.
Oct 8, 1982 – 40 years ago
Solidarity and all other trade unions in Poland were banned.
Oct 9, 1962 – 60 years ago
Uganda gained its independence from the UK.
Oct 10, 1957 – 65 years ago
Windscale nuclear reactor fire, Cumbria, UK.
The Windscale (now Sellafield) reactor caught fire and spread radioactive contamination across the UK and Europe. It was the world’s first major nuclear accident and is thought to have caused at least 240 cancer cases.
Oct 11, 1922 – 100 years ago
Alaska P. Davidson was appointed as the first female FBI special agent in the USA.
Oct 12, 1997 – 25 years ago
Death of John Denver, American singer and songwriter. His hit songs include Leaving on a Jet Plane, Take Me Home, Country Roads, Rocky Mountain High, and more). (Plane crash.)
Oct 13, 1997 – 25 years ago
British Prime Minister Tony Blair met Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was the first Prime Minister to meet Sinn Féin’s leadership since David Lloyd George in the 1920s. Blair controversially shook hands with Adams, outraging Northern Ireland’s Protestants.
Oct 14, 1947 – 75 years ago
The first supersonic flight was made by U.S. Air Force pilot Charles (“Chuck”) Yeagar in a rocket-powered Bell XS-1 plane. The flight took place over what is now Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Oct 15, 1932 – 90 years ago
Tata Airlines (later Air India then Indian Airlines) made its first flight, carrying air mail.
Oct 16, 1922 – 100 years ago
The Simplon II railway tunnel was opened. It passes under the Alps, linking Switzerland and Italy.
Oct 17, 1962 – 60 years ago
The Beatles performed on television for the first time, on Granada TV’s magazine show People and Places. They first appeared on national TV in the UK in January 1963.
Oct 18, 1922 – 100 years ago
The BBC was officially founded as the British Broadcasting Company (now the British Broadcasting Corporation).
Oct 19, 1897 – 125 years ago
Death of George Pullman, American engineer and businessman who invented the railway sleeping car. His Pullman Car Company manufactured and operated sleeping cars on most railways in the USA.
Oct 20 – 28, 1947 – 75 years ago
The U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated suspected communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry. It compiled a blacklist of artists, writers and directors who had (or were suspected of having) communist or fascist beliefs, or refused to testify. One of those who testified was Walt Disney (on October 24th). He named Disney employees that he believed were communists.
Oct 21, 1772 – 250 years ago
Birth of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, British poet. Co-founder (with William Wordsworth) of the Romantic Movement. Best known for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan.
Oct 22, 1947 to 1 Jan 1949 – 75 years ago
Indo–Pakistani War of 1947–1948 (also known as the First Kashmir War).
Following a UN-mandated ceasefire, the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir was dissolved. Pakistan took control of one-third of it while India retained the rest.
Oct 23, 1972 – 50 years ago
Access credit cards were launched in the UK as a rival to Barclaycard (launched in 1966). Access was taken over by MasterCard in 1996.
Oct 24, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of George Cadbury, British businessman and philanthropist. He transformed his father’s chocolate and cocoa business into one of the world’s most successful companies. He also provided low-cost housing and improved working conditions for his employees.
Oct 25, 1997 – 25 years ago
The Million Woman March took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Oct 26, 1972 – 50 years ago
Death of Igor Sikorsky, Russian-born American aircraft designer. Best known for his pioneering work in developing the helicopter.
Oct 27, 1922 – 100 years ago
The first film with synchronized sound, Audion, was presented at Yale University in the USA. It was originally a silent cartoon, but it was given a musical score recorded onto a disk. The projector had to be hand-cranked to keep it (approximately) synchronized with the sound.
Oct 28 – 29, 1922 – 100 years ago
Mussolini’s March on Rome. Italian fascist leader Benito Mussonini and 30,000 fascist troops marched into the city, demanded the prime minister’s resignation, and seized power in a bloodless coup. Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy on 31st October.
Oct 29, 1942 – 80 years ago
Birth of Bob Ross, American artist, teacher and host of the television series The Joy of Painting. (Died 1995.)
Oct 30, 1997 – 25 years ago
British nanny Louise Woodward was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen in Massachusetts, USA in February. On November 10th the verdict was reduced to involuntary manslaughter and her sentence was reduced to time served (279 days) and she was released.
Oct 31, 1982 – 40 years ago
The Thames barrier in London, UK was raised for the first time. It protects the city from floods.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available from April 2022, with the 2027 edition following in July.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.