Today is Friday, October 18, the 292nd day of 2024. There are 74 days left in the year.
Today in History:
On October 18, 1968, American Bob Beamon broke the previous long jump world record by nearly two feet, leaping 29 feet, 2 1/4 inches (8.90 meters) at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
Also this date:
In 1867, the United States formally took possession of Alaska from Russia.
In 1898, the American flag was first raised in Puerto Rico, shortly before Spain formally handed over control of the island to the United States
In 1931, inventor Thomas Alva Edison died at his home in West Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 84.
In 1954, Texas Instruments introduced the Regency TR-1, the first commercially produced transistor radio.
In 1962, James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for determining the double helix molecular structure of DNA.
In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, overriding President Richard Nixon’s veto.
In 1977, Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in Game 6 of the World Series to lead the New York Yankees to an 8-4 victory and a 4-2 series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers; his success in the Fall Classic earned him the nickname “Mr. October.” Also in 1977, West German commandos stormed a hijacked Lufthansa jetliner on the ground in Mogadishu, Somalia, freeing all 87 hostages and four crew members, and killing three of the four hijackers.
In 2018, President Donald Trump threatened to close the US border with Mexico if authorities could not stop a caravan of migrants on their way from Central America.
Today’s birthdays:
- Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is 85 years old.
- Composer Howard Shore is 78 years old.
- Actor Joe Morton is 77 years old.
- Author Terry McMillan is 73.
- Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova is 68 years old.
- Boxing Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns is 66 years old.
- Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 64 years old.
- Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is 63 years old.
- Musician Ne-Yo is 45.
- Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn is 40.
- Jazz singer-musician Esperanza Spalding is 40 years old.
- The actress Freida Pinto is 40 years old.
- Actor Zac Efron is 37 years old.
- WNBA center Brittney Griner is 34.
- Actor Tyler Posey is 33.
- Actor Barry Keoghan is 32.