Oct. 13, 1792: White House Cornerstone Laid
The White House cornerstone was laid. Among those who constructed the building were African Americans, both free and enslaved.
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This Day in People's History
Welcome to the This Day in People's History (#tdih) series. Search people’s history events by date, theme, state, or keyword.
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Oct. 12, 1925: U.S. Fights Panama Renters’ Strike
Protesting rising rents and unsanitary conditions, tenants in Panama City, Panama were met with swift force and violence by U.S. soldiers, with six killed during the weekend.
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Oct. 11, 1972: D.C. Jail Uprising
An uprising took place at a Washington, D.C. jail to protest conditions.
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Oct. 10, 1942: Petition from Aleut Women
Aleut women from the Pribilof Islands Program wrote a petition about the dangerous incarceration camp conditions during World War II.
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Oct. 10, 1871: Octavius Catto Killed on Election Day in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Black educator, baseball player, and civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto was murdered by a white supremacist on election day.
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Oct. 9, 1967: Che Guevara Executed
Che Guevara was killed by U.S. military backed-Bolivian forces, working with the CIA.
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Oct. 8, 2004: Wangari Maathai Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the environment and founded the Greenbelt Movement.
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Oct. 8, 1965: Enforcement of Civil Rights Act Curtailed in Chicago Schools
Federal funds were quickly restored to Chicago public schools after they were withheld for continued segregation in schools, effectively curtailing enforcement of the Civil Rights Act in Chicago.
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Oct. 7, 2001: United States and U.K. Began War in Afghanistan
The United States and United Kingdom began the war in Afghanistan.
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Oct. 7, 1998: Matthew Shepard Beaten and Left to Die
Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, robbed, and left to die.
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Oct. 7, 1974: 17-year-old Gary Tyler Becomes Youngest on U.S. Death Row
At 17 years old, Gary Tyler entered Louisiana State Prison — commonly known as Angola — as the state’s youngest Death Row prisoner and remained there for 41 years before gaining his freedom.
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Oct. 7, 1873: Henry E. Hayne Accepted at USC Medical School
Henry E. Hayne was the first Black student to be accepted to the University of South Carolina’s medical school, a bold act which encouraged other Black students to apply. By 1875, Black men comprised the majority of the student body.
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Oct. 6, 1917: Fannie Lou Hamer Born
Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist, was born in Montgomery County, Mississippi.
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Oct. 6, 1841: Maine’s First Colored Convention
The first Colored Convention in Maine was an opportunity for northern Black abolitionists to organize and strategize for racial justice and the freedom of those still enslaved throughout the South.
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Oct. 6, 1787: Abolitionist Denounces New U.S. Constitution
Connecticut abolitionist Samuel Hopkins wrote an essay denouncing the new U.S. Constitution for its hypocrisy in not renouncing slavery.
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Oct. 5, 1986: Eugene Hasenfus Captured During Iran-Contra Scandal
The cover-up of the Iran-Contra scandal began to unravel when Eugene Hasenfus was captured by Nicaraguan troops.
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Oct. 4, 1961: Burglund High School Walkout
Burglund students walked out in response to the expulsions of their classmates and the murder of Herbert Lee.
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Oct. 4, 1864: New Orleans Tribune Launched
The New Orleans Tribune was launched and published daily in French and English by Louis Charles Roudanez.
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Oct. 4, 1774: Declaration of Independence from Britain
Residents of Worcester, Massachusetts demanded a new government be elected by the people, divorced from the British Crown and Parliament, setting the stage for nearly 100 more declarations that would sweep through the Thirteen Colonies before the summer of 1776.
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Oct. 3, 1935: Ethiopia Invaded by Italy
Ethiopia was invaded by Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini.
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