October 30 in Pop Culture History

October 30th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

October 30th History Highlights

  • 1831 – Nat Turner was arrested for leading the bloodiest slave rebellion in United States history.
  • 1925 – John Logie Baird created Britain’s first television transmitter.
  • 1938 – Orson Wells premiered his radio drama War of the Worlds.
  • 1945Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signed a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the major league baseball color line.
  • If you were born on October 30th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… February 6th (same year)

War of the Worlds

On October 30, 1938, actor Orson Welles announced that Martians were invading New Jersey, leading horrified listeners to believe that Earth had been attacked by hostile aliens. Instead of a simple dramatization, the program was presented as a real-time news report. Reporters express their horror as they witness the rapidly escalating death and destruction inflicted on helpless Earthlings by the Martians. According to a transcript of the program, the dramatic show, which was created for CBS in collaboration with Mercury Theatre on Air, was the first of its kind in the history of broadcast television. His infamous appearance was part of a series of dramatic broadcasts for the New York Times and other major newspapers.

Instead of a simple dramatization, the program was presented as a real-time news report. Reporters express their horror as they witness the rapidly escalating death and destruction inflicted on helpless Earthlings by the Martians. Although the radio station announced it was a theatrical rendition of the novel, some thought the broadcast was genuine, causing mild panic and a lot of confusion across the country.

October 30th is…

Buy a Doughnut Day
Candy Corn Day
Checklist Day
Mischief Night
Radio Drama Day

October 30th Birthday Quotes

“There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.”
– John Adams

“Through literacy, you can begin to see the universe. Through music, you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable.”
– Grace Slick

“Try something new each day. After all, we’re given life to find it out. It doesn’t last forever.”
– Ruth Gordon

“How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are.”
– Henry Winkler

October 30th Birthdays

1735 – John Adams, American lawyer politician, 2nd President of the United States (died in 1826)
1893 – Charles Atlas, Italian-American bodybuilder (died in 1972)
1896 – Ruth Gordon, American actress (died in 1985)
1908 – Patsy Montana, American singer-songwriter and actress (died in 1996)
1939 – Grace Slick, American singer-songwriter
1945 – Henry Winkler, American actor
1969 – Snow, Canadian rapper and reggae singer-songwriter
1970 – Nia Long, American actress
1981 – Ivanka Trump, American model, and businesswoman
1988 – Janel Parrish, American actress

October 30th History

1876 – Great Backeganj Cyclone, India (now Bangladesh)

1945 – Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signed a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the baseball color barrier.

October 30, 1938 (fiction) an alien spacecraft landed in Grover’s Mill, New Jersey, War of the Worlds, Radio Broadcast

1947 – The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), later becoming the World Trade Organisation (WTO), was founded.

October 30, 1950 Birthday (fictional) Molly Weasley, Harry Potter

1974 – The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and champion George Foreman took place in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali won by knockout, knocking Foreman down just before the end of the eighth round.

1982 – #1 Hit October 30, 1982 – November 5, 1982: Men at WorkWho Can It Be Now

1987 – NEC released the first 16-bit (fourth generation) video game console, the PC Engine, in Japan. It was later sold around the world under the name TurboGrafx-16.

2002 – Warren Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour, performing several songs and spoke about being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

2003 – Broadway Show – Wicked (Musical) October 30, 2003

2004 – #1 Hit October 30, 2004 – December 10, 2004: Usher and Alicia KeysMy Boo

2010 – #1 Hit October 30, 2010 – November 12, 2010: Far East Movement featuring The Cataracs and Dev – Like a G6

#1 Hit October 30, 2021 – November 26, 2021: Easy on MeAdele

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

Marvel Comics and DC comics jointly own a trademark on the word “superhero.”

The Scary Statistic: Natural Forces death odds: 1-in-3,357
What to do: Avoid places affected by the weather.

Film composer John Williams is the second most Academy Award-nominated person in history with 49 nominations, right after Walt Disney.

The Capital of Guinea is Conakry

“Did you think I’d be too stupid to know what a eugoogly is?” – Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) #moviequotes

Queen Victoria was never confirmed to have said “we are not amused”, a phrase commonly attributed to her.

There is an episode of kitchen nightmares that actually shows Gordon enjoying the food. “Season 2 Episode 3 Momma Cherri’s Soul Food Shack”

The last major movie to be released on VHS was “Eragon” – in 2007.

Instagram just announced they would allow celebrities a way to block specific internet trolls. I would like to be able to block mention of specific celebrities.

A group of People who work to achieve a given goal are a Team.

The term “shotgun seat” in a car is derived from the Old West, when stagecoaches employed a man armed with a shotgun to sit next to the driver and fend off bandits.

The Capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City

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