On This Day - October 22
Image source: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's look back at some of the most significant events in history that happened on this day, starting with...
1797: First Parachute Jump Made Over Paris
French aeronaut André-Jacques Garnerin completed the world’s first successful parachute descent, leaping from a hydrogen balloon high above Paris and landing safely.
1836: Sam Houston Inaugurated as First President of the Republic of Texas
After leading Texas to independence from Mexico, Sam Houston took office as the fledgling republic’s first elected president.
1883: Metropolitan Opera House Opened in New York
New York’s original Metropolitan Opera House celebrated its grand opening with a performance of Charles Gounod’s Faust, marking a new era for American opera.
1932: Red Dust Premiered in the US
Victor Fleming’s steamy drama Red Dust, starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Mary Astor, debuted to critical acclaim and box-office success.
1934: Outlaw “Pretty Boy” Floyd Killed by FBI Agents
Infamous gangster Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was fatally shot in an Ohio field after a nationwide manhunt led by the FBI.
1942: Now, Voyager Premiered in New York
The romantic drama starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains debuted to acclaim, later winning three Academy Awards.
1962: JFK Addressed the Nation on the Cuban Missile Crisis
President John F. Kennedy informed Americans of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba and announced a naval “quarantine,” bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
1964: Jean-Paul Sartre Declined the Nobel Prize in Literature
French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre was named the Nobel laureate in Literature but famously refused the honor, rejecting all official awards.
1965: Highway Beautification Act Signed into Law
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark act to limit billboards and improve roadside landscapes, part of his “Great Society” vision.
1978: Pope John Paul II Formally Inaugurated
Karol Józef Wojtyła of Poland was inaugurated as Pope John Paul II, becoming the first non-Italian pontiff in more than 400 years.
2008: India Launched Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Probe
India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, lifted off successfully—and later made the groundbreaking discovery of water molecules on the Moon.
2010: WikiLeaks Released Classified US War Documents
The whistleblower site WikiLeaks published nearly 400,000 files detailing US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, sparking global controversy.
Do you remember any of these events? Or do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
