October 25th
Today in 1812,the United States frigate United States captured the British vessel Macedonian during the War of 1812.
Today in 1870,the first United States trademark was issued. The recipient? The Averill Chemical Paint Company of New York City.
Today in 1875,the first performance of the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was given in Boston, Massachusetts with Hans von Bülow as soloist.
Today in 1881,the founder of "Cubism," Pablo Picasso,was born in Malaga, Spain.
Today in 1929,Albert B. Fall, President Harding's Secretary of the Interior, was found guilty of taking a bribe in what became known as the Teapot Dome Scandal He was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100-thousand.
Today in 1938,the Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman,denounced Swing musicas "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people,"- and he warned that it led down a "primrose path to hell."
Today in 1954,a United States cabinet meeting was televised for the first time.
Today in 1955,the microwave oven was introduced for home use by the Tappan Company.
Today in 1958,United States Marines withdrew from Beirut, Lebanon. They had been sent in on July 25, 1958, to protect the nation's pro-Western government.
Today in 1960,the Accutron watch by the Bulova Watch Company was introduced in New York City. The first electronic watch with transistor, it was accurate to a minute per month.
Today in 1962,United States Ambassador Adlai Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba to the United Nations Security Council.
Today in 1962,American author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
Today in 1971,the UN General Assembly voted to expel Taiwan and admit mainland China.
Today in 1971,Roy Disney dedicated Walt Disney World.
Today in 1983,United States troops and soldiers from six Caribbean nations invaded Grenada to restore order and provide protection to American citizens after a recent coup within Grenada's Communist (pro-Cuban) government.
Today in 1990, it was announced by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney that the Pentagon was planning to send 100,000 more troops to Saudi Arabia.
Today in 1994,Susan Smith claimed her two kids were carjacked by a black man in a case that changed everything in the emotional pulse of the country – and the world when it came to mothers and children. For nine days, she made dramatic pleas on national television for the rescue and return of her children. However, following an intensive investigation and a nationwide search, on November 3, 1994, she confessed to letting her car roll into nearby John D. Long Lake, drowning them inside. Apparently, her boyfriend didn’t care for them. Smith was convicted the following July of murdering her two sons, 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith. According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Smith will be eligible for parole on November 4th, 2024, after serving a minimum of thirty years.
Today in 1995,singer Cliff Richard received his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II – becoming the first rock star to be knighted.
Today in 2001,it was announced that scientists had unearthed the remains of an ancient crocodile, which lived 110-million years ago. The animal, found in Gadoufaoua, Niger, grew as long as 40-feet and weighed as much as eight metric tons.
Today in 2001,Windows XP first became available.
Today in 2004,Cuban President Fidel Castro announced that transactions using the American Dollar would be banned by November 8th.
Today in 2009,car bombingshit government buildings in Baghdad, killing 155 and wounding at least 721.
Today in 2009,MLB American League Championship: New York Yankees beat Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 4 games to 2.
Today in 2012,Superstorm Sandy made landfall in Cuba and Haiti. It was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the second-costliest hurricane in United States history. Before she was done, at least 286 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries. Damage in the United States alone amounted to $65-billion. In the United States, Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Today in 2016,Paul Beatty became the first American to win the Man Booker Prize for his novel, "The Sellout."
Today in 2017,Chinese Premier Xi Jinping unveiled his new ruling council in the Great Hall of the People, none of the five are young enough to succeed him.
Today in 2018,Google fired 48 people for sexual harassment after a “New York Times” report revealed Android creator Andy Rubin got $90M package – and praise – when let go for sexual harassment.