Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

October 15

1994
Longest time between the birth of surviving twins: Timothy Keys is born more than 3-months premature. His twin sister, Celeste, wasn't born until 95 days later.

1992
George Bush: The president mutters "I hope a lot of them lose," after a comment about female candidates running for the Senate.

1972
Water Pollution Control Act: Congress passes the act over Pres. Nixon's veto.

1966
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT): The transportation agency is established by Congress.

1956
Civil Rights: A Louisiana statute goes into effect making it illegal for black and white players to compete or practice together in both amateur and professional sports.

1954
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin debuts on ABC.

1951
I Love Lucy: The TV show debuts on CBS.

1933
20th Amendment: It goes into effect. Called the "Lame Duck Amendment," it specified that the President's and Vice-President's terms were to begin on January 20.

1924
Statue of Liberty: The 151-foot high gift from the French people is proclaimed a national monument.

1914
Clayton Antitrust Act: The law - further restricted monopolies and provided labor unions more bargaining power - is passed by Congress.

1900
Boston's Symphony Hall opens.

1892
1.8 million acres of Crow Indian reservation in Montana is opened up for settlement by proclamation of Pres. Harrison. The Indians received 50¢ an acre for their land.

1881
First U.S. fishing journal: The American Angler is published.

1860
Abraham Lincoln: An 11-year-old girl writes the future president, suggesting he should grow a beard.

1783
First manned balloon flight: Jean Pilatre de Rozier makes his historic flight. His balloon was tethered to the ground.

1582
Start of the Gregorian Calendar: As decreed by Pope Gregory XIII. The previous day had been Thursday, October 4. England and its colonies, including America, didn't convert until 1752.

1522
Emperor Charles V makes Cortez Governor and Captain General of New Spain.

1959
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, Britain's Duchess of York.

1955
Tanya Roberts, American actress. TV: Charlie's Angels (Julie).

1953
Tito Jackson (Toriano Adryll Jackson), American singer, one of the Jackson Five.

1946
Richard Carpenter, American singer with the Carpenters. Music: We've Only Just Begun (1970, #2) and Rainy Days and Mondays (1971, #2).

1942
Penny Marshall, American actress. TV: Laverne & Shirley (Laverne).

1937
Linda Lavin, American actress. TV: Alice (title role).

1924
Lee Iacocca, American auto maker, ex-president of Ford Motor Company and chairman of Chrysler Corporation.

1920
Mario Puzo, American author. Writings: The Godfather (1969, he won an Oscar for the 1972 screenplay).

1904     d. 1980
Marty Mann, American social activist, founder of the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (1944).

1858     d. 1918
John L. Sullivan, American boxer, heavyweight champion (1882-92) and the last bare-knuckle champion.

1844     d. 1900
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, German philosopher, author of Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883), in which he developed the idea of "Übermensch" (Superman) who would control society. Quote: "Two great European narcotics are alcohol and Christianity" and "What doesn't kill you makes you strong." (source: Fifth 637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said)

1767     d. 1832
Father Gabriel Richard, first Catholic priest to serve in Congress (1823-25).

1608     d. 1647
Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist, inventor of the barometer (1643).

70 B.C.     d. 19 B.C.
Virgil, Roman epic poet, teacher. He is considered the greatest poet of Rome's Golden Age. Writings: Aeneid.

1964     b. 1891
Cole Porter, American composer, one of the greatest songwriters of the century. Music: I'm In Love Again (1924), Kiss Me Kate, I Love Paris, and Night and Day.

1957     b. 1881
Neal Ball (Cornelius Ball), American baseball shortstop. He made the first major-league unassisted triple play (1909).

1946     b. 1893
Herman Wilhelm Goering, German Field Marshall under Hitler. He was sentenced to death for war crimes, but committed suicide while in prison.

1944     b. 1891
Erwin Rommel, German general, "The Desert Fox," commander of the Afrika Korps during World War II.

1930     b. 1866
Herbert Henry Dow, American chemist, pioneer in the U.S. chemical industry.

1917     b. 1876
Mata Hari (Margaret Gertrude Zelle), Dutch dancer, world's most famous spy. She refused a blind fold and blew a kiss to the firing squad before her execution.

1852     b. 1778
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, German patriot, father of gymnastics. His teaching of gymnastics (1809) to young Berlin boys quickly spread to other cities. His was arrested in 1819 and imprisoned for six years by government leaders fearing his movement was a political plot.

1730     b. 1658
Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, French explorer, founder of Detroit, Michigan (1701) and for whom the Cadillac automobile was named.

1389     b. circa 1318
Urban VI, Italian religious leader, 202nd Pope (1378-89). He executed five cardinals whom he suspected of disloyalty.

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