October 28th

Events

• 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman emperor.
• 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine the Great defeats the forces of Maxentius.
• 1492 - Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba.
• 1776 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains - British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.
• 1864 - American Civil War: Second Battle of Fair Oaks ends - Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant withdraw from Fair Oaks, Virginia, after failing to breach the Confederate defenses around Richmond, Virginia.
• 1886 - In New York Harbor, US President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty.
• 1918 - Czechoslovakia gains its independence from Austria-Hungary
• 1919 - Prohibition begins: The United States Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson's veto.
• 1922 - Fascism: Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini march on Rome and take over the Italian government.
• 1936 - US President Franklin Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.
• 1940 - World War II: Italy invades Greece.
• 1942 - The Alaska Highway is completed.
• 1949 - Georges Bidault becomes Prime Minister of France
• 1950 - The Jack Benny Show, starring Jack Benny, premiers (it ran for 15 years).
• 1958 - Angleo Giuseppe Roncalli becomes Pope and takes the name Pope John XXIII.
• 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
• 1965 - In St. Louis, Missouri, the 630-foot-tall parabolic steel Gateway Arch is completed.
• 1970 - land speed record set by Gary Gabelich in a rocket powered automobile called the Blue Flame
• 1986 - The centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is celebrated in New York Harbor.
• 1988 - Abortion: 48 hours after announcing it was abandoning RU-486, French manufacturer Roussel Uclaf states that it would resume distribution of the drug, bowing to pressure from the government of France.
• 1998 - An Air China jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan. After landing the plane safely, Yuan Bin was arrested.

Births

• 1467 - Erasmus, philosopher († 1536)
• 1793 - Eliphalet Remington, firearm manufacturer († 1861)
• 1846 - Georges Auguste Escoffier, chef
• 1875 - Gilbert Grosvenor
• 1879 - E.M. Forster, novelist († 1970)
• 1896 - Howard Hanson, composer
• 1902 - Elsa Lanchester, actress († 1986)
• 1903 - Evelyn Waugh, novelist († 1966)
• 1907 - Edith Head, costumer († 1981)
• 1909 - Francis Bacon, painter
• 1912 - Richard Doll, epidemiologist
• 1914 - Dr. Jonas Salk, scientist, discoverer of polio vaccine († 1995)
• 1915 - Paul Jarrico, screenwriter (†1997)
• 1916 - Jack Soo, actor († 1979)
• 1922 - Simon Muzenda, Zimbabwean politician († 2003)
• 1932 - Suzy Parker, actress
• 1937 - Charlie Daniels, musician
• 1938 - Anne Perry, novelist
• 1939 - Jane Alexander, actress
• 1944 - Dennis Franz, actor
• 1945 - Wayne Fontana, musician
• 1948 - Telma Hopkins, singer
• 1949 - Bruce Jenner, athlete
• 1955 - Bill Gates, software tycoon, co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft Corporation
• 1964 - Paul Wylie, figure skating champion
• 1967 - Julia Roberts, actress
• 1974 - Joaquin Phoenix, actor

Deaths

• 1704 - John Locke, philosopher
• 1794 - John Smeaton, civil engineer
• 2001 - Grigori Tschuchrai, movie director
• 2002 - Margaret Booth, film editor
• 2002 - Erling Persson, entrepreneur (Hennes & Mauritz)

Holidays

• Greece - National Day

See Also: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Referenced By