This Day in History – October 28, 2011

1492 Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba 1538 The first university in the New World, the Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino, is established. 1636 A vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony establishes the first college in what would become the United States, today known as Harvard University. 1664 The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot, later to be known as the Royal Marines, is established. 1775 American Revolutionary War: A British proclamation forbids residents from leaving Boston. 1776 American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains British Army forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans. 1790 New York gives up claims to Vermont for $30,000 1793 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin 1864 American Civil War: The Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road (also known as the Second Battle of Fair Oaks) ends Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant withdraw from Fair Oaks, Virginia, after failing to breach the Confederate defenses around Richmond, Virginia. 1886 In New York Harbor, President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty. 1893 Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, receives its première performance in St. Petersburg, only nine days before the composer’s death. 1904 St Louis police try a new investigation method-fingerprints 1914 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, founded at Howard University, incorporates 1918 World War I: Czechoslovakia is granted independence from Austria-Hungary marking the beginning of independent Czechoslovak state, after 300 years. 1919 The U.S. Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, paving the way for Prohibition to begin the following January. 1922 March on Rome: Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini march on Rome and take over the Italian government. 1922 1st coast-to-coast radio broadcast of a football game 1924 White Sox beat NY Giants 8-4 in Dublin, less than 20 fans attend 1929 1st child born in aircraft, Miami, Fl 1929 Black Monday, a day in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which also saw major stock market upheaval. 1934 Brooklyn & Pittsburgh play a penalty free NFL game 1936 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary. 1940 World War II: Greece rejects Italy’s ultimatum. Italy invades Greece through Albania, marking Greece’s entry into World War II. 1942 The Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) is completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska. 1948 Swiss chemist Paul Müller is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT. 1958 Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope, taking the name John XXIII 1959 Buffalo Bills enter the AFL 1961 Ground broken for Municipal (Shea) Stadium for NY Mets 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. 1964 Vietnam War: U.S. officials deny any involvement in bombing North Vietnam. 1965 Nostra Aetate, the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions” of the Second Vatican Council, is promulgated by Pope Paul VI; it absolves the Jews of responsibility for the death of Jesus, reversing Innocent III’s 760 year-old declaration. 1965 Construction on the St. Louis Arch is completed. 1970 US/USSR sign an agreement to discuss joint space efforts 1971 Britain launches its first satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket. 1973 Elmore Smith of the Lakers blocks 17 shots in a game (NBA record) 1978 Donald Ritchie ran the fastest 100 Km ever, doing it in 7.2722 1986 The centenary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty is celebrated in New York Harbor. 1988 Jurors award $147,000 to Tacoma parishioner seduced by her minister 1988 Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen gives $10 million to U Wash library 1989 Oakland A’s sweep SF Giants in earthquake/BART series 1995 289 people are killed and 265 injured in Baku Metro fire, the deadliest subway disaster. 1998 An Air China jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan. 2005 Plame affair: Lewis Libby, Vice-president Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, is indicted in the Valerie Plame case. Libby resigns later that day. 2009 The 28 October 2009 Peshawar bombing kills 117 and wounds 213. 2009 NASA successfully launches the Ares I-X mission, the only rocket launch for its later-cancelled Constellation program.]]]]> ]]>