This Day in History – October 26, 2011

1774 The first Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1775 King George III goes before Parliament to declare the American colonies in rebellion, and authorized a military response to quell the American Revolution. 1776 Benjamin Franklin departs from America for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution. 1795 The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, is created. 1811 The Argentine government declare the freedom of expression for the press by decree. 1825 The Erie Canal opens passage from Albany, New York to Lake Erie. 1861 The Pony Express officially ceases operations. 1863 Worldwide Red Cross organized in Geneva 1863 Football Association forms in England, standardizing soccer 1869 1st American steeplechase horserace (Westchester, NY) 1881 The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place at Tombstone, Arizona. 1916 Margaret Sanger arrested for obscenity (advocating birth control) 1917 World War I: Battle of Caporetto; Italy suffers a catastrophic defeat at the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany. The young unknown Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel captures Mount Matajur with only 100 Germans against a force of over 7000 Italians. 1936 The first electric generator at Hoover Dam goes into full operation. 1941 US savings bonds go on sale 1942 World War II: In the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands during the Guadalcanal Campaign, one U.S. aircraft carrier, Hornet, is sunk and another aircraft carrier, Enterprise, is heavily damaged. 1944 World War II: The Battle of Leyte Gulf ends with an overwhelming American victory. 1949 Pres Truman increases minimum wage from .40 to .75 1951 Rocky Marciano defeats Joe Louis at Madison Square Garden 1956 UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency statute approved 1957 Vatican Radio begins broadcasting 1958 Pan American Airways makes the first commercial flight of the Boeing 707 from New York City to Paris, France. 1959 First photographs taken of the far side of the Moon, by Luna 3. 1960 AL announces Minneapolis & LA to get teams in 1961 1960 AL’s Washington Senators move to become Minnesota Twins 1964 Eric Edgar Cooke becomes last person in Western Australia to be executed. 1970 “Doonesbury” comic strip debuts in 28 newspapers 1971 UN votes to replace Taiwan with China 1972 Guided tours of Alcatraz (by Park Service) begin 1972 Henry Kissinger declares “Peace is at hand” in Vietnam 1977 5th & final test of space shuttle Enterprise 1977 The last natural case of smallpox is discovered in Merca district, Somalia. The WHO and the CDC consider this date the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most spectacular success of vaccination. 1980 St Louis Cards sack Balt Colt QBs an NFL record tying 12 times 1982 Steve Carlton became 1st pitcher to win 4 Cy Young awards 1984 “Baby Fae” receives a heart transplant from a baboon. 1985 On a poor call in 6th game, umpire Don Deckinger starts a string of events costing Cardinals the 82nd World Series 1988 Donald Trump bills Mike Tyson $2,000,000 for 4 month advisory service 1988 US-Soviet effort free 2 grey whales from frozen Arctic, Barrow, AK 1992 The London Ambulance Service is thrown into chaos after the implementation of a new CAD, or Computer Aided Dispatch, system which failed. 1994 Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty 1999 Britain’s House of Lords votes to end the right of hereditary peers to vote in Britain’s upper chamber of Parliament. 2001 The United States passes the USA PATRIOT Act into law. 2002 Moscow Theatre Siege: Approximately 50 Chechen terrorists and 150 hostages die when Russian Spetsnaz storm a theater building in Moscow, which had been occupied by the terrorists during a musical performance three days before. 2003 The Cedar Fire, the second-largest fire in California history, kills 15 people, consumes 250,000 acres (1,000 km2), and destroys 2,200 homes around San Diego.]]]]> ]]>