October

12 October
New World sighted

The New World was “discovered” this day in 1492 when land (most likely San Salvador) was sighted in the Caribbean from the Pinta, one of the three ships that participated in Christopher Columbus's historic voyage.

11 October
The South African (Boer) War began between Great Britain and the two Boer (Afrikaner) republics—the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State.

10 October
English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, the largest satellite of the planet Neptune.

9 October
1.Built between 1848 and 1884 and dedicated in 1885, the Washington Monument—a marble-faced granite obelisk that honours the first U.S. president, George Washington—opened to the public in Washington, D.C.
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2.
1874 General Postal Union Created
The precursor the Universal Postal Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was formed after 22 countries signed the Treaty of Bern. The treaty regulated international mail and postage. 4 years later, in 1878, the union changed its name to the Universal Postal Union to reflect the growing international membership of the group.

8 October

1871 Great Chicago fire begins

The fire that destroyed most of Chicago’s business district began in a barn on the evening of October 8, 1871. A very dry summer and an early autumn fanned the fire, which raged for 2 days. It killed over 300 people and destroyed property worth millions of dollars

7 October
German Democratic Republic proclaimed
On this day in 1949, a constitution went into effect in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany that formed the country of East Germany, which existed alongside West Germany until 1990, when the two Germanys reunited.

6 October
World Cerebral Palsy Day is a global healthcare event observed annually on 6th October to raise awareness of Cerebral Palsy and bring attention to the specific needs of those with this complex physical condition.

5 October

Battle of the Thames

On this day in 1813, during the War of 1812, a British army with some 1,000 Indian allies under the famed leader Tecumseh was defeated by U.S. troops in the Battle of the Thames in what is now Ontario, Canada.

4 October

October 4 is the 277th day of the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced on this day by Pope Gregory XIII; the Orient Express had its inaugural run. WikiLeaks was launched. Famous birthdays include Alicia Silverstone, Russell Simmons and Susan Sarandon. Today is National Poetry Day..

4 October

1582 Last day of the Julian Calendar in Catholic countries
The next day, the Gregorian calendar took effect in Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain by the order of Pope Gregory XIII. The calendar was put in place to realign events like equinoxes and solstices with the calendar, ensuring that Easter is always celebrated around the Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox. Because of the new calendar, several days were skipped, and October 4 was followed by October 15. Today, the Gregorian calendar is the most used calendar around the world..

3 October

1932 Iraq gains independence from the United Kingdom
The West Asian country came under British control in 1920, after the end of the First World War. After taking control of the country, the British installed the deposed Syrian King Faisal I as the King of Iraq...

2 October

The International Day of
Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.