Oct. 10
Today in history
Today is Oct. 10. On this date in:
1780: The Great Hurricane of 1780, the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, struck the Caribbean islands. Over a period of six days, it caused more than 20,000 deaths, including some 9,000 sailors and soldiers on warring English and French fleets sunk during maneuvers in the area.
1845: The U.S. Naval Academy opened in Annapolis, Maryland. It was the second service academy created in the United States.
1846: Neptune’s moon Triton was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell – just 17 days after the discovery of Neptune, the solar system’s eighth planet.
1886: The first tuxedo jacket was worn by Griswold Lorillard at a ball in Tuxedo Park, New York, starting a fashion trend.
1899:
Isaac R. Johnson, a Black inventor from New York, patented an innovative design for a folding bicycle frame convenient for travel and storage that could be easily disassembled.
1911: The Wuchang Uprising began, leading to the founding of the Republic of China. The day is celebrated as a national holiday in China, known as Double Tenth.
1934: The first book in the Mary Poppins series by P.L. Travers was published, introducing readers around the world to the magical nanny.
1953: Arthur Miller’s classic play “The Crucible” opened on Broadway, depicting the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and serving as an allegory for McCarthyism.
1960: The song “Shop Around” by The Miracles became Motown’s first-ever No. 1 hit, establishing the Motown sound as a driving force in the music industry.
1973: Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned amid charges of income tax evasion on illegal payments allegedly received while he was governor of Maryland as well as after he became vice president. He was given a $10,000 fine and sentenced to serve three years of probation. His VP successor, Gerald Ford, went on to become president after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
1975: Film icons Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton secretly remarried in Botswana, Africa, only 16 months after getting divorced. Their second marriage was followed by their second divorce one year later.
2014: The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, at 17, the youngest Nobel laureate in history. She was recognized for her advocacy of education for girls in Pakistan after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban.
– USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in history, October 10
