Today in History October 26 1774The first Continental Congress, which protested British measures and called for civil disobedience, concludes in Philadelphia. 1795When General Paul Barras resigns his commission as head of Frances Army of the Interior to become head of the Directory, his second-in-command becomes the armys commander—Napoleon Bonaparte. 1825The first boat on the Erie Canal leaves Buffalo, N.Y. 1881Three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday have a shootout with the Clantons and McLaurys at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. 1905Norway signs a treaty of separation with Sweden. Norway chooses Prince Charles of Denmark as the new king; he becomes King Haakon VII. 1918Germanys supreme commander, General Erich Ludendorff, resigns, protesting the terms to which the German Government has agreed in negotiating the armistice. This sets the stage for his later support for Hitler and the Nazis, who claim that Germany did not lose the war on the battlefield but were stabbed in the back by politicians. 1942Japanese attack Guadalcanal, sinking two U.S. carriers. 1942U.S. Navy aircraft carrierHornetis sunk in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island, in the South Pacific. 1950A reconnaissance platoon for a South Korean division reaches the Yalu River. They are the only elements of the U.N. force to reach the river before the Chinese offensive pushes the whole army down into South Korea. 1955The Village Voiceis first published, backed in part by Norman Mailer. 1955 Ngo Dinh Diemdeclares himself Premier of South Vietnam. 1957The Russian government announces that Marshal Georgi Zhukov, the nations most prominent military hero, has been relieved of his duties as Minister of Defense. Khrushchev accused Zhukov as promoting his own cult of personality and saw him as a threat to his own popularity. 1958The first New York – Paris transatlantic jet passenger service is inaugurated by Pan Am, while the first New York – London transatlantic jet passenger service is inaugurated by BOAC. 1967Mohammad Reza Pahlavi crowns himself Emperor of Iran and his wife Farah as empress. 1970Gary Trudeaus comic stripDoonesburyfirst appears. 1979The President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee, asssinated by Kim Jae-kyu, head of the countrys Central intelligence Agency; Choi Kyu-ha is named acting president. 1994Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty. 2001The USA PATRIOT Act signed into law by Pres. George W. Bush, greatly expanding intelligence and legal agencies ability to utilize wiretaps, records searches and surveillance. 2002Russian Spetsnaz storm the Moscow Theatre, where Chechen terrorists had taken the audience and performers hostage three days earlier; 50 terrorists and 150 hostages die in the assault. Born on October 26 1800Count Helmuth Karl Von Moltke, a Prussian Field Marshal, whose reorganization of the Prussian Army lead to military victories which allowed the unification of Germany. 1854Charles William Post, food manufacturer, creator of Grape Nuts and Post Toasties. 1879Leon Trotsky, a leader of the Bolshevik Revolution. 1901Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer. 1902Beryl Markham, aviator and writer. 1916French leader Francois Mitterrand. 1919Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, the Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979 and died in Egypt 1944Pat Conroy, novelist (The Prince of Tides). 1947Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States (1993–2001), Senator from New York (2001–2009) and US Secretary of State (2009–2013). 1953Keith Strickland, songwriter, musician; guitarist with The B-52s. 1967Keith Urban, singer, songwriter, musician; Golden Road (2002) named biggest country hit of the decade 2000–2010 by Billboard magazine.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 01:08:03 +0000
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