October 31st History, Trivia, and Fun Facts |
October 31st History Highlights |
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October 31st is… |
Books for Treats Day Caramel Apple Day Halloween/All Hallows’ Eve Knock Knock Jokes Day Magic Day UNICEF Day World Savings Day World Cities Day |
October 31st Birthday Quotes |
“To stay youthful, stay useful.” Q: What were you thinking when your colleagues were out there making cosmic history? “It’s the way you ride the trail that counts.” “We live in the present, we dream of the future and we learn eternal truths from the past.” “There are a lot of things in this world that are more important than being popular. Being true to yourself is one of them.” |
October 31st Birthdays |
1632 – Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter (died in 1675) |
October 31st History |
83 – During the Second Islamic Civil War and the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba caught fire and burned down. October 31, 1492 (fiction) Sir Nicholas Mimsy-Porpington was beheaded, Harry Potter 1517 – Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. October 31, 1693 (fiction) The Sanderon Sisters, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, were found guilty of witchcraft and hanged, Hocus Pocus, Film 1913 – Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. It was the first automobile highway going across the United States. 1926 – Magician Harry Houdini died of gangrene and peritonitis that developed after his appendix ruptured (after an unexpected punch to the stomach a few days earlier). 1941 – Mount Rushmore was completed, featuring the sculpted head of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. 1964 – #1 Hit October 31, 1964 – November 27, 1964: The Supremes – Baby Love 1968 – “October Surprise” – Just before the US elections, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he had ordered a complete cessation of “all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam” effective November 1. 1969 – Wal-mart incorporated in Arkansas. October 31, 1981 (fiction) RIP Lily and James Potter, killed by Voldemort, Harry Potter 1987 – Based on Boston, Popular radio program Car Talk premiered on National Public Radio 1991 – Are You Afraid of The Dark premiered on Nickelodeon Joshua Tree National Park: Established on October 31, 1994, in California, this park covers 1,235 square miles. Known for its unique Joshua trees, desert landscapes, and rock formations. Death Valley National Park: Established on October 31, 1994, in California and Nevada, this park covers 5,269 square miles. Known for its extreme heat, salt flats, and the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin. 1998 – WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin became one of the first high-definition broadcasts in digital television. 2011 – Today is the date that 7 billion people were living on Earth. |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
“We hope or despair because of the way we’ve been programmed. Genes and randomness, that’s all there is and none of it matters.” – Mark Wiener in Palindromes #moviequotes April 1st and October 31st must be the worst two days of the year to have a serious workplace accident. Teller (of the magic act Penn & Teller) has legally changed his full name to just “Teller” and has a passport in that name. “Attica! Attica!” – Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) The 2nd richest man in history was Augustus Caesar, with an estimated net worth of about $4.6 Trillion (today’s dollars, after inflation), about 25% of the world’s economic output then. “You had me at ‘hello.'” – Dorothy Boyd (RenĂ©e Zellweger) #moviequotes “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” – Howard Beale (Peter Finch) in Network, 1976 There should be an ER style medical drama about Umpa-Lumpas always saving the children Willy Wonka has ‘accidentally’ mutilated. Blond hair in humans developed only 11,000 years ago as an evolutionary response to the lack of sunlight in Northern Europe to enable more Vitamin D synthesis. A group of people who perform in a variety of shows or plays is called a Company. The blinking light atop the Capitol Records Building spells out the word “Hollywood” in Morse code, and has done so since the building’s opening in 1956. Useless Pronunciation: G as in gee |
More Pop Culture History Resources |