By Sabrina Mason
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the Bahamas, convinced that he had reached the East Indies. The anniversary of his landing in the New World was first formally celebrated in 1792, by the Columbian Order (Society of St. Tammany) in New York City. Now, it is celebrated nationally on the second Monday in October.
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Sheila Grace Young-Ochowicz (born October 14, 1950) is a retired American speed skater and track cyclist. She won three world titles in each of these sports, twice in the same year (in 1973 and 1976). In 1976, she also became the first American athlete to win three medals at one Winter Olympics.
On the eve of the 1976 Winter Olympics, Young announced her engagement to Jim Ochowicz, a fellow cyclist. Ochowicz competed at the same two Summer Olympics (1972 and 1976) as Young’s brother Roger, but in different cycling events – Ochowicz in the 4 km team pursuit, Roger Young in the sprint.
Jim and Sheila Ochowicz live in Palo Alto, California and have three children; Alex, Elli, and Kate. Their daughter Elli Ochowicz is also a speed skater; she competed at the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Sheila used to be a teacher in physical education at La Entrada Middle School.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. The first Canadian Thanksgiving Day was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of the prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed in the United States on the second Monday in October, recognizes the culture, contributions, and history of Native Americans. Ways to celebrate include attending community events, supporting indigenous businesses and art, and expanding knowledge via museums and other resources. The holiday is celebrated in certain areas in lieu of Columbus Day (a federal holiday) because of the devastation that European exploration brought to indigenous peoples of the Americas. Learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day here.
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- William Penn (Quaker; founder of Pennsylvania, named in honor of his father) –
- Francis Lightfoot Lee (American Revolutionary leader) –
- Sir Edward Sabine (astronomer) –
- Ray Ewry (track and field star) –
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th U.S. president) –
- e. e. cummings (poet) –
- Eugene Fodor (travel writer) –
- Charles Everett Koop (U.S. Surgeon General) –
- Roger Moore (actor) –
- Ralph Lauren (designer) –
- Sheila Young (speed skater, cyclist) –
- Harry Anderson (actor) –
- Usher (singer) –
- Jordan Brower (actor) –
Died
- Bing Crosby (singer) –
- Cleveland Amory (critic and animal rights activist) –
- Lou Albano (American professional wrestler, manager and actor) –
Events
- While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, former president Theodore Roosevelt was shot by William Schrank–
- First contingent of Canadian Expeditionary Force arrived in England, during WWI–
- Poland presented 5.5 million goodwill signatures to the United States for 150th anniversary of American independence–
- A. A. Milne’s classic, Winnie-the-Pooh, was published–
- Girl Crazy by George Gershwin opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York–
- German U-boat sank passenger ferry S.S. Caribou in Cabot Strait–
- Charles Yeager, piloting a Bell X-1 jet, became the first person to break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.06–
- Queen Elizabeth II began Canadian tour–
- Eighteen-month old Jessica McClure (Baby Jessica) fell down an abandoned well in Midland, Texas–
- The Illinois Natural Resources Department confirmed that a 17-inch fish caught in Chicago’s Burnham Harbor in Lake Michigan was an invasive snakehead, a feared Frankenfish known to eat native fish and compete with them for food–
- A Ghanaian-registered Boeing 747 cargo jet crashed and burned on take off from Halifax airport in eastern Canada–
- The United States Air Force Memorial was dedicated, Arlington, Virginia–
- Khagendra Thapa Magar, from Pokhara, Nepal, turned 18 years old and was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s shortest living man, at 26.4 inches tall.–
- Video tweet was posted of a miniature horse seen in the back seat of a neighboring car in Iowa–
Weather
- Hail in southern Oklahoma caused major crop and property damage–
- The first regularly scheduled television weathercast was seen on WNBT (later, WNBC) in New York City.–
- Albany, New York, had a temperature of 21 degrees F–
COURTESY www.almanac.com
