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29 newsworthy historical anniversaries in February 2023

29 newsworthy historical anniversaries in February 2023

Posted on by admin

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/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 29 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in February 2023 (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 2023. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2027 edition will be available from 8th August 2022 and the 2028 edition from April 2023.

1 Feb 1948 – 75 years ago
The Federation of Malaya was established.

2 Feb 1923 – 100 years ago
Ethyl gasoline (leaded petrol) was first sold, in Dayton, Ohio, USA.

3 Feb 1943 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Four Chaplains incident (also known as the Immortal Chaplains). The U.S. Army transport ship SS Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo in the North Atlantic and began to sink. There were not enough life jackets for all on board. Four U.S. Army chaplains removed theirs, handed them to soldiers, and went down with the ship.

4 Feb 1983 – 40 years ago
Death of Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (The Carpenters). (Anorexia, aged 32.)

5 Feb 1953 – 70 years ago
Walt Disney’s animated movie Peter Pan was released in the USA. (UK première: 17th April, released 27th July.)

6 Feb 1958 – 65 years ago
The Munich air disaster, Germany. A plane carrying the Manchester United football team (the ‘Busby Babes’), plus support staff and journalists, crashed while attempting to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich–Riem Airport. 23 people were killed, including 8 players.

7 Feb 1823 – 200 years ago
Death of Ann Radcliffe, British novelist. A pioneer of Gothic fiction. The most popular British writer of her era.

8 Feb 1983 – 40 years ago
The champion racehorse Shergar was kidnapped in Ireland and a £2 million ($2.75 million) ransom demanded. The horse’s fate remains unknown.

9 Feb 1773 – 250 years ago
Birth of William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (for one month in 1841). He died 31 days into his term and remains the shortest-serving U.S. President. He was also the first U.S. President to die in office.

10 Feb 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist. Winner of the first Nobel Prize in Physics (1901) for discovering X-rays.

11 Feb 1963 – 60 years ago
Death of Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist and short story writer who wrote about alienation, death and self-destruction. Wife of the British poet Ted Hughes. (Suicide, aged 30.)

12 Feb 1993 – 30 years ago
Two 10-year-old boys abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping centre in Liverpool, UK. His mutilated body was found on a nearby railway line two days later. They were charged with his abduction and murder on 20th February.

13 Feb 1923 – 100 years ago
Birth of Chuck Yeager, U.S. Air Force test pilot. The first pilot to break the sound barrier. (Died 2020.)

14 Feb 1933 – 90 years ago
The world’s first automated telephone speaking clock service was launched in France.

15 Feb 1898 – 125 years ago
The U.S. battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba during a mission to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban War of Independence. 260 people were killed. Her sinking led to the Spanish–American War, which began on 21st April 1898. The cause of the explosion is unknown. Initially a mine was suspected, but some believe gases in the coal bunker may have spontaneously ignited.

16 Feb 1923 – 100 years ago
British archaeologist Howard Carter opened the sealed doorway to Tutankhamen’s tomb in Thebes, Egypt. The following day he entered the burial chamber and discovered a wealth of treasures.

17 Feb 2003 – 20 years ago
London’s Congestion Charge scheme began.

18 Feb 1848 – 175 years ago
Birth of Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist and designer.

19 Feb 1973 – 50 years ago
The pop song Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando was released. It became a worldwide hit.

20 Feb 1898 – 125 years ago
Birth of Enzo Ferrari, Italian racing driver and businessman. Founder of Ferrari.

21 Feb 1948 – 75 years ago
NASCAR was founded at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.

22 Feb 1848 to 2 Dec – 175 years ago
The French Revolution of 1848, Paris, France. King Louis-Philippe was overthrown and the monarchy was abolished. The French Second Republic was established, but it collapsed in 1851.

23 Feb 1998 – 25 years ago
Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa against all Jews and Crusaders.

24 Feb 2008 – 15 years ago
The President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, resigned. He had ruled Cuba as Prime Minister (1959–76) and President (1976–2008). He was succeeded by his brother Raúl.

25 Feb 1963 – 60 years ago
British rock group the Beatles released their first single in the USA: Please Please Me.

26 Feb 1943 – 80 years ago
Death of Theodor Eicke, German Nazi SS general. One of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Germany.
(Plane shot down during the Third Battle of Kharkov in WWII.)

27 Feb 1933 – 90 years ago
The German Reichstag (parliament building) in Berlin was destroyed by fire. The Nazis blamed the communists and used the opportunity to suspend civil liberties and freedom of expression (under the Reichstag Fire Decree of 28th February 1933).
Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch communist, claimed responsibility, but the fire was almost certainly started by the Nazis themselves.

28 Feb 1953 – 70 years ago
British scientists Francis Crick and James D. Watson announced that they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
(The official announcement was published in Nature magazine on 25th April.)

29 Feb 2008 – 15 years ago
Prince Harry of the United Kingdom was immediately withdrawn from active service in Afghanistan after the media revealed he was secretly serving a tour of duty with British troops there.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2027 edition will be available from 8th August 2022. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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29 newsworthy historical anniversaries in February 2023 (U.S. edition)

29 newsworthy historical anniversaries in February 2023 (U.S. edition)

Posted on by admin

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 29 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in February 2023 (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 2023. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2027 edition will be available from August 8, 2022 and the 2028 edition from April 2023.

Feb 1, 1948 – 75 years ago
The Federation of Malaya was established.

Feb 2, 1923 – 100 years ago
Ethyl gasoline (leaded gasoline) was first sold, in Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Feb 3, 1943 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Four Chaplains incident (also known as the Immortal Chaplains). The U.S. Army transport ship SS Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo in the North Atlantic and began to sink. There were not enough life jackets for all on board. Four U.S. Army chaplains removed theirs, handed them to soldiers, and went down with the ship.

Feb 4, 1983 – 40 years ago
Death of Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (The Carpenters). (Anorexia, aged 32.)

Feb 5, 1953 – 70 years ago
Walt Disney’s animated movie Peter Pan was released.

Feb 6, 1958 – 65 years ago
The Munich air disaster, Germany. A plane carrying the Manchester United soccer team (the “Busby Babes”) from the UK, plus support staff and journalists, crashed while attempting to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich–Riem Airport. 23 people were killed, including eight players.

Feb 7, 1823 – 200 years ago
Death of Ann Radcliffe, British novelist. A pioneer of Gothic fiction. The most popular British writer of her era.

Feb 8, 1983 – 40 years ago
The champion racehorse Shergar was kidnapped in Ireland and a $2.75 million ransom demanded. The horse’s fate remains unknown.

Feb 9, 1773 – 250 years ago
Birth of William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (for one month in 1841). He died 31 days into his term and remains the shortest-serving U.S. President. He was also the first U.S. President to die in office.

Feb 10, 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist. Winner of the first Nobel Prize in Physics (1901) for discovering X-rays.

Feb 11, 1963 – 60 years ago
Death of Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist and short story writer who wrote about alienation, death and self-destruction. Wife of the British poet Ted Hughes. (Suicide, aged 30.)

Feb 12, 1993 – 30 years ago
Two ten-year-old boys abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping mall in Liverpool, UK. His mutilated body was found on a nearby railway line two days later. They were charged with his abduction and murder on February 20th.

Feb 13, 1923 – 100 years ago
Birth of Chuck Yeager, U.S. Air Force test pilot. The first pilot to break the sound barrier. (Died 2020.)

Feb 14, 1933 – 90 years ago
The world’s first automated telephone speaking clock service was launched in France.

Feb 15, 1898 – 125 years ago
The U.S. battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba during a mission to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban War of Independence. 260 people were killed. Her sinking led to the Spanish–American War, which began on April 21, 1898. The cause of the explosion is unknown. Initially a mine was suspected, but some believe gases in the coal bunker may have spontaneously ignited.

Feb 16, 1923 – 100 years ago
British archaeologist Howard Carter opened the sealed doorway to Tutankhamen’s tomb in Thebes, Egypt. The following day he entered the burial chamber and discovered a wealth of treasures.

Feb 17, 2003 – 20 years ago
London’s Congestion Charge scheme began in the UK.

Feb 18, 1848 – 175 years ago
Birth of Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist and designer.

Feb 19, 1973 – 50 years ago
The pop song Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando was released. It became a worldwide hit.

Feb 20, 1898 – 125 years ago
Birth of Enzo Ferrari, Italian racing driver and businessman. Founder of Ferrari.

Feb 21, 1948 – 75 years ago
NASCAR was founded at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.

Feb 22 to Dec 2, 1848 – 175 years ago
The French Revolution of 1848, Paris, France. King Louis-Philippe was overthrown and the monarchy was abolished. The French Second Republic was established, but it collapsed in 1851.

Feb 23, 1998 – 25 years ago
The terrorist Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa against all Jews and Crusaders.

Feb 24, 2008 – 15 years ago
The President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, resigned. He had ruled Cuba as Prime Minister (1959–76) and President (1976–2008). He was succeeded by his brother Raúl.

Feb 25, 1963 – 60 years ago
British rock group the Beatles released their first single in the USA: Please Please Me.

Feb 26, 1943 – 80 years ago
Death of Theodor Eicke, German Nazi SS general. One of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Germany.
(Plane shot down during the Third Battle of Kharkov in WWII.)

Feb 27, 1933 – 90 years ago
The German Reichstag (parliament building) in Berlin was destroyed by fire. The Nazis blamed the communists and used the opportunity to suspend civil liberties and freedom of expression (under the Reichstag Fire Decree of February 28, 1933).
Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch communist, claimed responsibility, but the fire was almost certainly started by the Nazis themselves.

Feb 28, 1953 – 70 years ago
British scientists Francis Crick and James D. Watson announced that they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
(The official announcement was published in Nature magazine on April 25th.)

Feb 29, 2008 – 15 years ago
Prince Harry of the United Kingdom was immediately withdrawn from active service in Afghanistan after the media revealed he was secretly serving a tour of duty with British troops there.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2027 edition will be available from August 8, 2022. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in January 2023

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in January 2023

Posted on by admin

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/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in January 2023 (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 2023. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
The 2027 edition will be available from August 2022 and the 2028 edition from April 2023.

1 Jan 1898 – 125 years ago
The modern City of New York was formed when Brooklyn, the County of New York, the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens were consolidated. Staten Island was added on 25th January.

2 Jan 1873 – 150 years ago
Birth of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, French Carmelite nun. Also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, The Little Flower of Jesus, or The Little Flower. One of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic Church.

3 Jan 1983 – 40 years ago
Time magazine put a personal computer on its front cover as ‘Machine of the Year’ instead of its usual ‘Man of the Year’.

4 Jan 1923 – 100 years ago
The first radio network in the USA was created. The ‘WEAF chain’ was created when AT&T linked WEAF (now WFAN) in New York City with WNAC (now WRKO) in Boston, Massachusetts. Only one programme was transmitted from New York to Boston during this trial. A longer three-month trial began on 1st July when WEAF provided programming for WMAF in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Other networks also began operating during that summer.

5 Jan 1948 – 75 years ago
Warner Brothers–Pathé showed the first colour newsreel. It featured the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football game, both filmed in Pasadena, California, USA on 1st January.

6 Jan 1958 – 65 years ago
The Gibson Guitar Company launched its iconic ‘Flying V’ electric guitar.

7 Jan 1943 – 80 years ago
Death of Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American mechanical and electrical engineer and inventor. He made many important discoveries and developments in the field of electrical power.

8 Jan 1823 – 200 years ago
Birth of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist, biologist and explorer. He independently conceived the theory of evolution. His work led Charles Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species.

9 Jan 1873 –150 years ago
Death of Napoleon III, first President of France (1848–52) and last Emperor of France (1852–70). Nephew of Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte).

10 Jan 1923 – 100 years ago
U.S. President Warren G. Harding ended the U.S. occupation of Germany following the end of WWI, and ordered the final U.S. troops stationed there to return home.

11 Jan 1963 – 60 years ago
The first discotheque in the USA opened: the Whisky-a-Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, California.

12 Jan 1773 – 250 years ago
The Charleston Museum was founded in South Carolina. It is regarded as the first museum in America. It opened to the public in 1824.

13 Jan 1898 – 125 years ago
Dreyfus affair: French writer Émile Zola’s letter J’accuse…! was published in the newspaper L’Aurore. It was addressed to the President of France and accused the government of anti-Semitism and the unlawful imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jew who had been falsely convicted of treason. (Zola was later convicted of libel and fled to the UK to avoid imprisonment.)

14 Jan 1963 – 60 years ago
George C. Wallace was sworn in as the Governor of Alabama, USA. During his inauguration speech he declared: ‘segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!’

15 Jan 1943 – 80 years ago
The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, USA was dedicated. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, and was the largest office building in the world at that time.

16 Jan 1963 – 60 years ago
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claimed that the USSR had a 100-megaton nuclear bomb.

17 Jan 1953 – 70 years ago
Chevrolet displayed the first Corvette sports car at the General Motors Motorama show in New York City, USA. It was only a concept car at this stage, but proved so popular that it was put into production in June.

18 Jan 1948 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the talent show The Original Amateur Hour was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network in the USA. It ran for 22 years.

19 Jan 1943 – 80 years ago
Birth of Janis Joplin, American blues/rock singer. (Died 1970.)

20 Jan 1953 – 70 years ago
Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States. It was the first inauguration to be televised live coast to coast.

21 Jan 1948 – 75 years ago
Quebec, Canada officially adopted its flag. The day is now celebrated annually as Quebec Flag Day.

22 Jan 1973 – 50 years ago
Abortion was legalised in the USA. (Supreme Court ruling: Roe v. Wade.)

23 Jan 1983 – 40 years ago
The first episode of the action-adventure television series The A-Team was broadcast on NBC TV in the USA. It ran for five seasons and became a cultural icon.

24 Jan 1848 – 175 years ago
California Gold Rush: the first gold was discovered by construction worker James W. Marshall. He found flakes of gold in the South Fork American River while constructing Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento.

25 Jan 1933 – 90 years ago
The University of Iowa launched the first educational television service in the USA. W9XK was a low-definition station based on a mechanical (spinning disc) TV system.

26 Jan 1823 – 200 years ago
Death of Edward Jenner, British physician and immunologist who created the first vaccine (for smallpox).

27 Jan 1948 – 75 years ago
IBM dedicated the Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC) at its world headquarters in New York City, USA. It was the last large electro-mechanical computer to be built. It operated until 1952. One of its tasks was to calculate tables of Moon positions, which were later used by NASA during its Apollo missions.

28 Jan 1953 – 70 years ago
Death of Derek Bentley, British teenager hanged for murdering a police officer after a controversial trial. (Conviction quashed in 1998.) His case was a key part of the campaign to abolish capital punishment in the UK.

29 Jan 1963 – 60 years ago
Britain was refused entry into the European Economic Community (EEC). Its application was vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle. (Britain eventually joined the EEC on 1st January 1973. The EEC became the European Union (EU), which Britain left in 2020.)

30 Jan 1873 – 150 years ago
Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days was first published in its entirety. (It was serialised between October and December 1872.)

31 Jan 1958 (1st Feb UTC) – 65 years ago
The USA’s first satellite, Explorer I, was launched. It detected the Van Allen radiation belt. It remained in operation until 23rd May when its batteries were depleted, and it burnt up in the Earth’s atmosphere in 1970.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in January 2023 (US Edition)

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in January 2023 (US Edition)

Posted on by admin

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 January 2023 (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 2023. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
The 2027 edition will be available from August 2022 and the 2028 edition from April 2023.

Jan 1, 1898 – 125 years ago
The modern City of New York was formed when Brooklyn, the County of New York, the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens were consolidated. Staten Island was added on January 25th.

Jan 2, 1873 – 150 years ago
Birth of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, French Carmelite nun. Also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, The Little Flower of Jesus, or The Little Flower. One of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic Church.

Jan 3, 1983 – 40 years ago
Time magazine put a personal computer on its front cover as ‘Machine of the Year’ instead of its usual ‘Man of the Year’.

Jan 4, 1923 – 100 years ago
The first radio network in the USA was created. The ‘WEAF chain’ was created when AT&T linked WEAF (now WFAN) in New York City with WNAC (now WRKO) in Boston, Massachusetts. Only one program was transmitted from New York to Boston during this trial. A longer three-month trial began on July 1st when WEAF provided programming for WMAF in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Other networks also began operating during that summer.

Jan 5, 1948 – 75 years ago
Warner Brothers–Pathé showed the first colour newsreel. It featured the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football game, both filmed in Pasadena, California, USA on January 1st.

Jan 6, 1958 – 65 years ago
The Gibson Guitar Company launched its iconic ‘Flying V’ electric guitar.

Jan 7, 1943 – 80 years ago
Death of Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American mechanical and electrical engineer and inventor. He made many important discoveries and developments in the field of electrical power.

Jan 8, 1823 – 200 years ago
Birth of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist, biologist and explorer. He independently conceived the theory of evolution. His work led Charles Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species.

Jan 9, 1873 –150 years ago
Death of Napoleon III, first President of France (1848–52) and last Emperor of France (1852–70). Nephew of Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte).

Jan 10, 1923 – 100 years ago
U.S. President Warren G. Harding ended the U.S. occupation of Germany following the end of WWI, and ordered the final U.S. troops stationed there to return home.

Jan 11, 1963 – 60 years ago
The first discotheque in the USA opened: the Whisky-a-Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, California.

Jan 12, 1773 – 250 years ago
The Charleston Museum was founded in South Carolina. It is regarded as the first museum in America. It opened to the public in 1824.

Jan 13, 1898 – 125 years ago
Dreyfus affair: French writer Émile Zola’s letter J’accuse…! was published in the newspaper L’Aurore. It was addressed to the President of France and accused the government of anti-Semitism and the unlawful imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jew who had been falsely convicted of treason. (Zola was later convicted of libel and fled to the UK to avoid imprisonment.)

Jan 14, 1963 – 60 years ago
George C. Wallace was sworn in as the Governor of Alabama, USA. During his inauguration speech he declared: “segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!”

Jan 15, 1943 – 80 years ago
The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, USA was dedicated. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, and was the largest office building in the world at that time.

Jan 16, 1963 – 60 years ago
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claimed that the USSR had a 100-megaton nuclear bomb.

Jan 17, 1953 – 70 years ago
Chevrolet displayed the first Corvette sports car at the General Motors Motorama show in New York City, USA. It was only a concept car at this stage, but proved so popular that it was put into production in June.

Jan 18, 1948 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the talent show The Original Amateur Hour was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network in the USA. It ran for 22 years.

Jan 19, 1943 – 80 years ago
Birth of Janis Joplin, American blues/rock singer. (Died 1970.)

Jan 20, 1953 – 70 years ago
Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States. It was the first inauguration to be televised live coast to coast.

Jan 21, 1948 – 75 years ago
Quebec, Canada officially adopted its flag. The day is now celebrated annually as Quebec Flag Day.

Jan 22, 1973 – 50 years ago
Abortion was legalized in the USA. (Supreme Court ruling: Roe v. Wade.)

Jan 23, 1983 – 40 years ago
The first episode of the action-adventure television series The A-Team was broadcast on NBC TV in the USA. It ran for five seasons and became a cultural icon.

Jan 24, 1848 – 175 years ago
California Gold Rush: the first gold was discovered by construction worker James W. Marshall. He found flakes of gold in the South Fork American River while constructing Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento.

Jan 5, 1933 – 90 years ago
The University of Iowa launched the first educational television service in the USA. W9XK was a low-definition station based on a mechanical (spinning disc) TV system.

Jan 26, 1823 – 200 years ago
Death of Edward Jenner, British physician and immunologist who created the first vaccine (for smallpox).

Jan 27, 1948 – 75 years ago
IBM dedicated the Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC) at its world headquarters in New York City, USA. It was the last large electro-mechanical computer to be built. It operated until 1952. One of its tasks was to calculate tables of Moon positions, which were later used by NASA during its Apollo missions.

Jan 28, 1953 – 70 years ago
Death of Derek Bentley, British teenager hanged for murdering a police officer after a controversial trial. (Conviction quashed in 1998.) His case was a key part of the campaign to abolish capital punishment in the UK.

Jan 29, 1963 – 60 years ago
Britain was refused entry into the European Economic Community (EEC). Its application was vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle. (Britain eventually joined the EEC on January 1, 1973. The EEC became the European Union (EU), which Britain left in 2020.)

Jan 30, 1873 – 150 years ago
Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days was first published in its entirety. (It was serialized between October and December 1872.)

Jan 31, 1958 (Feb 1 UTC) – 65 years ago
The USA’s first satellite, Explorer I, was launched. It detected the Van Allen radiation belt. It remained in operation until May 23rd when its batteries were depleted, and it burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere in 1970.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2022

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2022

Posted on by admin

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/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in December 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, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.

1 Dec 1942 – 80 years ago
The British Government published the Beveridge Report, which formed the basis of the welfare state.

2 Dec 1942 – 80 years ago
The first man-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved at the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA by Enrico Fermi and his team. They used Chicago Pile-1, the world’s first nuclear reactor.

3 Dec 1947 – 75 years ago
Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway.

4 Dec 1872 – 150 years ago
The U.S. cargo ship Mary Celeste was spotted sailing erratically near the Azores. It was found to be dishevelled but seaworthy, had ample supplies, and the crews’ personal belongings were untouched. The lifeboat was missing, and the crew had apparently abandoned the ship nine days earlier, for an unknown reason. They were never heard from again.

5 – 8 Dec 1952 – 70 years ago
The Great Smog of London. Dense, cold, smoke-filled fog brought the city to a standstill for four days. More than 4,000 people died.

6 Dec 1922 – 100 years ago
The Irish Free State was established. It became the Republic of Ireland in 1937.

7 Dec 1982 – 40 years ago
American murderer Charles Brooks Jr. became the first person in the USA to be executed by lethal injection, at the Texas State Penitentiary, Huntsville.

8 Dec 1952 – 70 years ago
Death of Charles Lightoller, British naval commander. Second officer on the Titanic. The most senior officer to survive, and last survivor to be rescued.

9 Dec 1962 – 60 years ago
Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona, USA.

10 Dec 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the first test flight of Germany’s V-1 flying bomb (also known as the doodlebug or buzz bomb). Thousands of V-1s were launched into England between June and October 1944, and then into Belgium between October 1944 and March 1945.

11 Dec 1922 – 100 years ago
Gabriel Narutowicz became the first President of the Republic of Poland. He was assassinated five days later.

12 Dec 1982 – 40 years ago
30,000 women joined hands around the Greenham Common RAF base in Berkshire, UK to protest against the siting of U.S. Cruise missiles there.

13 Dec 1962 – 60 years ago
NASA launched Relay 1, the first communications satellite to transmit TV broadcasts across the Pacific. It also transmitted fax, telephone and teleprinter signals. It continued operating until February 1965.

14 Dec 1947 – 75 years ago
NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) was founded at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. The first race was held on 15th February 1948.

15 Dec 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Guadalcanal campaign – the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse (also known as the Battle of the Gifu). Allied victory.

16 Dec 1947 – 75 years ago
American physicists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain invented the transistor at Bell Telephone Laboratories, New Jersey.
They, along with William Shockley who further refined the invention, were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics.

17 Dec 1997 – 25 years ago
Handguns were banned in the UK.

18 – 29 Dec 1972 – 50 years ago
Vietnam War – Operation Linebacker II. The USA’s heaviest bombing of North Vietnam during the war.
This extension to Operation Linebacker (May – October 1972) used heavy bomber aircraft rather than small tactical aircraft.

19 Dec 1932 – 90 years ago
The BBC World Service was launched (as the BBC Empire Service).

20 Dec 1957 – 65 years ago
American singer Elvis Presley received his draft papers at the height of his fame. He was granted a deferment to complete work on the film musical King Creole, and was inducted into the U.S. Army for two years’ service on 24th March 1958.

21 Dec 1872 to 1876 – 150 years ago
The Challenger expedition. A British expedition to explore the world, led by Captain George Nares on HMS Challenger. The expedition made many advances and discoveries, catalogued more than 4,000 new species, and laid the foundations for the field of oceanography.

22 Dec 1962 to 5 Mar 1963 – 60 years ago
The Big Freeze in Britain – one of the coldest winters on record. On 29th – 30th December the south-west of England and Wales were hit by a blizzard, with snow drifts more than 20 feet deep.

23 Dec 1972 – 50 years ago
Death of Andrei Tupolev, Russian aircraft designer

24 Dec 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Ava Gardner, American film actress (Mogambo, The Barefoot Contessa, The Night of the Iguana, and many more). (Died 1990.)

25 Dec 1932 – 90 years ago
The first Royal Christmas Message was broadcast on the radio in the UK. King George V addressed the nation live from Sandringham.

26 Dec 1982 – 40 years ago
Time magazine’s Man of the Year award was given to a machine: the computer.

27 Dec 1822 – 200 years ago
Birth of Louis Pasteur, French biologist, microbiologist and chemist. One of the fathers of germ theory. Best known for his discoveries relating to the prevention of diseases, including the pasteurisation process which is named in his honour.

28 Dec 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Stan Lee, American comic book writer, editor and publisher (Marvel Comics). He co-created numerous superhero characters including SpiderMan, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man, and more. (Died 2018.)

29 Dec 1952 – 70 years ago
The first commercial product to use a transistor went on sale in the USA: the Sonotone 1010 hearing aid. It was a hybrid device because it also included two miniature vacuum tubes. All-transistor models were introduced a few years later when the technology had improved and transistors produced less electrical noise.

30 Dec 1922 – 100 years ago
The Soviet Union was founded. (Officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR.) It was dissolved in 1991.

31 Dec 1997 – 25 years ago
Quaker Oats and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) agreed to pay $1.85 million to the former residents of a state school in Massachusetts, USA. They were used in radioactivity and nutrition experiments in the 1940s and 1950s. As students they were fed radiation-laced breakfast cereal without their knowledge or consent.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2022 (US Edition)

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2022 (US Edition)

Posted on by admin

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 December 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, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.

Dec 1, 1942 – 80 years ago
The British Government published the Beveridge Report, which formed the basis of the welfare state.

Dec 2, 1942 – 80 years ago
The first man-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved at the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA by Enrico Fermi and his team.
They used Chicago Pile-1, the world’s first nuclear reactor.

Dec 3, 1947 – 75 years ago
Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway.

Dec 4, 1872 – 150 years ago
The U.S. cargo ship Mary Celeste was spotted sailing erratically near the Azores. It was found to be disheveled but seaworthy, had ample supplies, and the crews’ personal belongings were untouched. The lifeboat was missing, and the crew had apparently abandoned the ship nine days earlier, for an unknown reason. They were never heard from again.

Dec 5 – 8, 1952 – 70 years ago
The Great Smog of London. Dense, cold, smoke-filled fog brought the city to a standstill for four days. More than 4,000 people died.

Dec 6, 1922 – 100 years ago
The Irish Free State was established. It became the Republic of Ireland in 1937.

Dec 7, 1982 – 40 years ago
American murderer Charles Brooks Jr. became the first person in the USA to be executed by lethal injection, at the Texas State Penitentiary, Huntsville.

Dec 8, 1952 – 70 years ago
Death of Charles Lightoller, British naval commander. Second officer on the Titanic. The most senior officer to survive, and last survivor to be rescued.

Dec 9, 1962 – 60 years ago
Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona, USA.

Dec 10, 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the first test flight of Germany’s V-1 flying bomb (also known as the doodlebug or buzz bomb).
Thousands of V-1s were launched into England between June and October 1944, and then into Belgium between October 1944 and March 1945.

Dec 11, 1922 – 100 years ago
Gabriel Narutowicz became the first President of the Republic of Poland. He was assassinated five days later.

Dec 12, 1982 – 40 years ago
30,000 women joined hands around the Greenham Common RAF base in Berkshire, UK to protest against the siting of U.S. Cruise missiles there.

Dec 13, 1962 – 60 years ago
NASA launched Relay 1, the first communications satellite to transmit TV broadcasts across the Pacific.
It also transmitted fax, telephone and teleprinter signals. It continued operating until February 1965.

Dec 14, 1947 – 75 years ago
NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) was founded at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.
The first race was held on February 15, 1948.

Dec 15, 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Guadalcanal campaign – the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse (also known as the Battle of the Gifu). Allied victory.

Dec 16, 1947 – 75 years ago
American physicists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain invented the transistor at Bell Telephone Laboratories, New Jersey.
They, along with William Shockley who further refined the invention, were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Dec 17, 1997 – 25 years ago
Handguns were banned in the UK.

Dec 18 – 29, 1972 – 50 years ago
Vietnam War – Operation Linebacker II. The USA’s heaviest bombing of North Vietnam during the war.
This extension to Operation Linebacker (May – October 1972) used heavy bomber aircraft rather than small tactical aircraft.

Dec 19, 1932 – 90 years ago
The BBC World Service was launched (as the BBC Empire Service).

Dec 20, 1957 – 65 years ago
American singer Elvis Presley received his draft papers at the height of his fame.
He was granted a deferment to complete work on the film musical King Creole, and was inducted into the U.S. Army for two years’ service on March 24, 1958.

Dec 21, 1872 to 1876 – 150 years ago
The Challenger expedition. A British expedition to explore the world, led by Captain George Nares on HMS Challenger. The expedition made many advances and discoveries, catalogued more than 4,000 new species, and laid the foundations for the field of oceanography.

Dec 22, 1962 to Mar 5, 1963 – 60 years ago
The Big Freeze in Britain – one of the coldest winters on record. On December 29th – 30th the southwest of England and Wales were hit by a blizzard, with snow drifts more than 20 feet deep.

Dec 23, 1972 – 50 years ago
Death of Andrei Tupolev, Russian aircraft designer

Dec 24, 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Ava Gardner, American movie actress (Mogambo, The Barefoot Contessa, The Night of the Iguana, and many more). (Died 1990.)

Dec 25, 1932 – 90 years ago
The first Royal Christmas Message was broadcast on the radio in the UK. King George V addressed the nation live from Sandringham.

Dec 26, 1982 – 40 years ago
Time magazine’s Man of the Year award was given to a machine: the computer.

Dec 27, 1822 – 200 years ago
Birth of Louis Pasteur, French biologist, microbiologist and chemist. One of the fathers of germ theory.
Best known for his discoveries relating to the prevention of diseases, including the pasteurization process which is named in his honor.

Dec 28, 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Stan Lee, American comic book writer, editor and publisher (Marvel Comics). He co-created numerous superhero characters including SpiderMan, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man, and more. (Died 2018.)

Dec 29, 1952 – 70 years ago
The first commercial product to use a transistor went on sale in the USA: the Sonotone 1010 hearing aid.
It was a hybrid device because it also included two miniature vacuum tubes. All-transistor models were introduced a few years later when the technology had improved and transistors produced less electrical noise.

Dec 30, 1922 – 100 years ago
The Soviet Union was founded. (Officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR.) It was dissolved in 1991.

Dec 31, 1997 – 25 years ago
Quaker Oats and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) agreed to pay $1.85 million to the former residents of a state school in Massachusetts, USA. They were used in radioactivity and nutrition experiments in the 1940s and 1950s. As students they were fed radiation-laced breakfast cereal without their knowledge or consent.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2022

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2022

Posted on by admin

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/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in November 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, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.

1 Nov 1952 – 70 years ago
The USA carried out the first successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb, in a test on the Pacific island of Elugelab, Marshall Islands. The island was completely destroyed and no longer exists.

2 Nov 1772 – 250 years ago
The Morning Post newspaper was first published in the UK. It ran until 1937 when it merged with The Daily Telegraph.

3 Nov 1957 – 65 years ago
The Soviet Union launched its Sputnik 2 spacecraft. It was the second spacecraft launched into orbit, and the first to carry a living animal – a dog named Laika, who died from overheating after a few hours. The spacecraft re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burnt up in April 1958.

4 Nov 1922 – 100 years ago
British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. On 26th November he reached a second sealed doorway and discovered the famous treasures.

5 Nov 1872 – 150 years ago
Women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony voted in the U.S. presidential election (in which the incumbent Ulysses S. Grant was re-elected). She was arrested (on 18th November) and fined $100, generating national controversy. This was a key moment in the women’s suffrage movement.

6 Nov 1947 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the news/current affairs television show Meet the Press was broadcast on NBC in the USA. It is still running and is the world’s longest-running TV programme.

7 Nov 1932 – 90 years ago
The first episode of the science fiction series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was broadcast on CBS radio in the USA.

8 Nov 1622 – 400 years ago
Birth of Charles X Gustav, King of Sweden (1654–60).

9 Nov 1872 – 150 years ago
The Great Boston Fire, Massachusetts, USA. Most of the downtown and financial districts were destroyed and 13 people were killed. It caused $1.4 billion worth of damage (in today’s money).

10 Nov 1982 – 40 years ago
Death of Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union (1964–82). Succeeded by Yuri Andropov.

11 Nov 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Kurt Vonnegut, American novelist, playwright and short story writer. (Died 2007.)

12 Nov 1992 – 30 years ago
The first episode of the TV comedy series Absolutely Fabulous was broadcast in the UK.

13 Nov 1982 – 40 years ago
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA was dedicated.

14 Nov 1922 – 100 years ago
The BBC launched its daily radio service on the radio station 2LO.

15 Nov 2002 – 20 years ago
Death of Myra Hindley, British serial killer. One of the notorious ‘Moors Murderers’, along with Ian Brady.

16 Nov 1272 – 750 years ago
Death of Henry III, King of England (1216–72). Succeeded by his son Edward I.

17 Nov 1962 – 60 years ago
Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., USA was dedicated.

18 Nov 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Marcel Proust, French novelist. Best known for his 7-volume novel In Search of Lost Time (or Remembrance of Things Past).

19 Nov 2007 – 15 years ago
Amazon released its first Kindle e-book reader.

20 Nov 1947 – 75 years ago
The marriage of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London.

21 Nov 1897 – 125 years ago
Birth of Vito Genovese, Italian-born American mobster. He played a leading role in the rise of the Mafia and organised crime in the USA, and was a Mafia enforcer.

22 Nov 1997 – 25 years ago
Death of Michael Hutchence, Australian rock singer and songwriter (INXS). (Found hanged, aged 37.)

23 Nov 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS) was established.

24 Nov 1947 – 75 years ago
The ‘Hollywood Ten’ were blacklisted by film studios for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. A wider ‘Hollywood Blacklist’ came into effect on 25th November.

25 Nov 1947 – 75 years ago
New Zealand became a fully independent sovereign state when the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act received Royal Assent.

26 Nov 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist. Creator of the Peanuts comic strip, which ran for almost 50 years. (Died 2000.)

27 Nov 1942 – 80 years ago
Birth of Jimi Hendrix, American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. (Died 1970.)

28 Nov 1942 – 80 years ago
Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The nightclub was destroyed and 492 people were killed.

29 Nov 1972 – 50 years ago
Pong, the first commercially successful video game, was released by Atari as a coin-operated arcade game. The first machine was installed without any fanfare in a bar in Sunnyvale, California, USA.

30 Nov 1982 – 40 years ago
Michael Jackson’s album Thriller was released.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2022 (US Edition)

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2022 (US Edition)

Posted on by admin

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 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in November 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, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.

Nov 1, 1952 – 70 years ago
The USA carried out the first successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb, in a test on the Pacific island of Elugelab, Marshall Islands. The island was completely destroyed and no longer exists.

Nov 2, 1772 – 250 years ago
The Morning Post newspaper was first published in the UK. It ran until 1937 when it merged with The Daily Telegraph.

Nov 3, 1957 – 65 years ago
The Soviet Union launched its Sputnik 2 spacecraft. It was the second spacecraft launched into orbit, and the first to carry a living animal – a dog named Laika, who died from overheating after a few hours. The spacecraft re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up in April 1958.

Nov 4, 1922 – 100 years ago
British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. On November 26th he reached a second sealed doorway and discovered the famous treasures.

Nov 5, 1872 – 150 years ago
Women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony voted in the U.S. presidential election (in which the incumbent Ulysses S. Grant was re-elected). She was arrested (on November 18th) and fined $100, generating national controversy. This was a key moment in the women’s suffrage movement.

Nov 6, 1947 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the news/current affairs television show Meet the Press was broadcast on NBC in the USA. It is still running and is the world’s longest-running TV program.

Nov 7, 1932 – 90 years ago
The first episode of the science fiction series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was broadcast on CBS radio in the USA.

Nov 8, 1622 – 400 years ago
Birth of Charles X Gustav, King of Sweden (1654–60).

Nov 9, 1872 – 150 years ago
The Great Boston Fire, Massachusetts, USA. Most of the downtown and financial districts were destroyed and 13 people were killed. It caused $1.4 billion worth of damage (in today’s money).

Nov 10, 1982 – 40 years ago
Death of Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union (1964–82). Succeeded by Yuri Andropov.

Nov 11, 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Kurt Vonnegut, American novelist, playwright and short story writer. (Died 2007.)

Nov 12, 1992 – 30 years ago
The first episode of the TV comedy series Absolutely Fabulous was broadcast in the UK.

Nov 13, 1982 – 40 years ago
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA was dedicated.

Nov 14, 1922 – 100 years ago
The BBC launched its daily radio service on the radio station 2LO.

Nov 15, 2002 – 20 years ago
Death of Myra Hindley, British serial killer. One of the notorious “Moors Murderers,” along with Ian Brady.

Nov 16, 1272 – 750 years ago
Death of Henry III, King of England (1216–72). Succeeded by his son Edward I.

Nov 17, 1962 – 60 years ago
Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., USA was dedicated.

Nov 18, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Marcel Proust, French novelist. Best known for his 7-volume novel In Search of Lost Time (or Remembrance of Things Past).

Nov 19, 2007 – 15 years ago
Amazon released its first Kindle e-book reader.

Nov 20, 1947 – 75 years ago
The marriage of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London.

Nov 21, 1897 – 125 years ago
Birth of Vito Genovese, Italian-born American mobster. He played a leading role in the rise of the Mafia and organized crime in the USA, and was a Mafia enforcer.

Nov 22, 1997 – 25 years ago
Death of Michael Hutchence, Australian rock singer and songwriter (INXS). (Found hanged, aged 37.)

Nov 23, 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS) was established.

Nov 24, 1947 – 75 years ago
The “Hollywood Ten” were blacklisted by film studios for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. A wider “Hollywood Blacklist” came into effect on November 25th.

Nov 25, 1947 – 75 years ago
New Zealand became a fully independent sovereign state when the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act received Royal Assent.

Nov 26, 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist. Creator of the Peanuts comic strip, which ran for almost 50 years. (Died 2000.)

Nov 27, 1942 – 80 years ago
Birth of Jimi Hendrix, American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. (Died 1970.)

Nov 28, 1942 – 80 years ago
The Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The nightclub was destroyed and 492 people were killed.

Nov 29, 1972 – 50 years ago
Pong, the first commercially successful video game, was released by Atari as a coin-operated arcade game. The first machine was installed without any fanfare in a bar in Sunnyvale, California, USA.

Nov 30, 1982 – 40 years ago
Michael Jackson’s album Thriller was released.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2022

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2022

Posted on by admin

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/theatre 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.

1 Oct 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.)

2 Oct 1872 – 150 years ago
In Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg sets off from London on this day to begin his round-the-world journey. He must return by 21st December to win his £20,000 bet.

3 Oct 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.)

4 Oct 1822 – 200 years ago
Birth of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States (1877–81).

5 Oct 1962 – 60 years ago
The UK première of the first James Bond film Dr. No. (Released 10th October. USA: May 1963.)

6 Oct 1992 – 30 years ago
Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre was published (under the pen name Currer Bell).

7 Oct 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.

8 Oct 1982 – 40 years ago
Solidarity and all other trade unions in Poland were banned.

9 Oct 1962 – 60 years ago
Uganda gained its independence from the UK.

10 Oct 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.

11 Oct 1922 – 100 years ago
Alaska P. Davidson was appointed as the first female FBI special agent in the USA.

12 Oct 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.)

13 Oct 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.

14 Oct 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.

15 Oct 1932 – 90 years ago
Tata Airlines (later Air India then Indian Airlines) made its first flight, carrying air mail.

16 Oct 1922 – 100 years ago
The Simplon II railway tunnel was opened. It passes under the Alps, linking Switzerland and Italy.

17 Oct 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.

18 Oct 1922 – 100 years ago
The BBC was officially founded as the British Broadcasting Company (now the British Broadcasting Corporation).

19 Oct 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.

20 – 28 Oct 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 24th October). He named Disney employees that he believed were communists.

21 Oct 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.

22 Oct 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.

23 Oct 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.

24 Oct 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.

25 Oct 1997 – 25 years ago
The Million Woman March took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

26 Oct 1972 – 50 years ago
Death of Igor Sikorsky, Russian-born American aircraft designer. Best known for his pioneering work in developing the helicopter.

27 Oct 1922 – 100 years ago
The first film with synchronised 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) synchronised with the sound.

28 – 29 Oct 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.

29 Oct 1942 – 80 years ago
Birth of Bob Ross, American artist, teacher and host of the television series The Joy of Painting. (Died 1995.)

30 Oct 1997 – 25 years ago
British au pair Louise Woodward was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen in Massachusetts, USA in February. On 10th November the verdict was reduced to involuntary manslaughter and her sentence was reduced to time served (279 days) and she was released.

31 Oct 1982 – 40 years ago
The Thames barrier in London 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.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2022 (US edition)

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2022 (US edition)

Posted on by admin

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.

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