50 Biggest Events in History that Happened in October – Since 1900

A list compiled by ChatGPT

Here’s a list of significant historical events that occurred in October, covering politics, technology, social movements, and more:

1. October 1, 1949 – People’s Republic of China Founded: Mao Zedong declared the formation of the PRC, marking the start of communist rule in China.
2. October 2, 1950 – Peanuts Comic Strip Debut: Charles Schulz’s famous comic strip made its first appearance.
3. October 3, 1990 – German Reunification: East and West Germany were officially reunified after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
4. October 4, 1957 – Sputnik Launched: The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into space, starting the Space Race.
5. October 5, 1962 – First James Bond Film Released: Dr. No introduced the world to the famous spy.
6. October 6, 1973 – Yom Kippur War Begins: A surprise attack by Egypt and Syria on Israel sparked a major Middle Eastern conflict.
7. October 7, 2001 – Afghanistan War Begins: The U.S. launched military operations in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
8. October 8, 1871 – Great Chicago Fire: While pre-1900, its anniversary is notable; the fire reshaped urban architecture.
9. October 9, 1967 – Che Guevara Executed: The revolutionary leader was captured and killed in Bolivia.
10. October 10, 1911 – Xinhai Revolution Begins: The Chinese Revolution that ended the Qing Dynasty began.
11. October 11, 1984 – First Spacewalk by a Woman: Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space.
12. October 12, 1960 – Nikita Khrushchev’s Shoe Incident: At the UN, Khrushchev banged his shoe on the table in protest.
13. October 13, 1972 – Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 Crash: The infamous Andes survival incident occurred.
14. October 14, 1947 – Chuck Yeager Breaks Sound Barrier: Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier in flight.
15. October 15, 1966 – Black Panther Party Founded: The civil rights group was established in Oakland, California.
16. October 16, 1964 – China’s First Nuclear Test: China detonated its first nuclear bomb, joining the nuclear club.
17. October 17, 1931 – Al Capone Sentenced to Prison: The notorious gangster was sentenced for tax evasion.
18. October 18, 1968 – Mexico City Olympics Black Power Salute: U.S. athletes gave the Black Power salute during the medals ceremony.
19. October 19, 1987 – Black Monday Stock Market Crash: Global stock markets crashed, marking the largest one-day percentage loss in history.
20. October 20, 1973 – Saturday Night Massacre: During Watergate, U.S. President Nixon fired top officials, sparking public outrage.
21. October 21, 1967 – Anti-Vietnam War Protests in Washington, D.C.: Over 100,000 demonstrators gathered to protest the war.
22. October 22, 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis Begins: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba.
23. October 23, 1956 – Hungarian Revolution: A nationwide revolt against Soviet rule in Hungary began.
24. October 24, 1945 – United Nations Founded: The UN was officially established to promote peace and cooperation.
25. October 25, 1983 – U.S. Invasion of Grenada: U.S. forces invaded the Caribbean island in Operation Urgent Fury.
26. October 26, 1881 – Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (just before 1900 but notable).
27. October 27, 1904 – New York Subway Opens: The first underground subway line in NYC began operations.
28. October 28, 1919 – Volstead Act Passed: Prohibition began in the U.S. with the passage of this act.
29. October 29, 1929 – Stock Market Crash (Black Tuesday): The Wall Street Crash signaled the start of the Great Depression.
30. October 30, 1938 – Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” Broadcast: Caused panic as many listeners believed the alien invasion was real.
31. October 31, 1926 – Harry Houdini Dies: The famous magician died of peritonitis, allegedly caused by a punch to the stomach.
32. October 1, 1960 – Nigeria Gains Independence: Nigeria gained independence from Britain.
33. October 15, 1951 – I Love Lucy Premieres: This classic sitcom revolutionised television.
34. October 24, 1929 – Black Thursday: Another part of the stock market crash leading to the Great Depression.
35. October 10, 1979 – Taiwan becomes a UN member: Taiwan (Republic of China) gets its official seat.
36. October 1, 1964 – Japan’s First Bullet Train Service: The Shinkansen became operational, revolutionising travel in Japan.
37. October 20, 1944 – MacArthur Returns to the Philippines: General MacArthur returned as promised during WWII.
38. October 6, 1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat Assassinated: Sadat was killed during a military parade.
39. October 9, 2006 – North Korea’s First Nuclear Test: North Korea conducted its first nuclear weapons test.
40. October 12, 2000 – USS Cole Bombing: A terrorist attack on the U.S. Navy ship in Yemen.
41. October 18, 1977 – German Lufthansa Hijacking Ends: German commandos successfully ended a terrorist hijacking.
42. October 17, 1989 – San Francisco Earthquake: The Loma Prieta earthquake caused massive damage during the World Series.
43. October 22, 1975 – Sex Pistols Sign with EMI: A pivotal moment in punk rock history.
44. October 9, 1996 – Fox News Launches: The conservative-leaning cable news network was established.
45. October 31, 2008 – Bitcoin White Paper Published: Satoshi Nakamoto released the white paper for what became the world’s first cryptocurrency.
46. October 16, 1978 – Pope John Paul II Elected: He became the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years.
47. October 15, 1959 – Soviet Luna 3 Photographs Far Side of Moon: The first pictures of the moon’s far side were sent back to Earth.
48. October 24, 1940 – Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Promoted: He became the first African American General in the U.S. Army.
49. October 28, 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis Ends: The Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba.
50. October 14, 1933 – Germany Withdraws from League of Nations: A prelude to the rise of Nazi expansionism.