October 29th
Month:
Day:
- 1811 The first steamboat on the Ohio River departs from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, marking a significant advancement in river transportation.
- 1833 The first U.S. college fraternity to have its own house is founded, initiating the tradition of fraternity housing in American colleges.
- 1929 The Wall Street stock market crashes on "Black Tuesday," triggering the onset of the Great Depression.
- 1963 Edgar Kaufmann Jr. donates Fallingwater, the iconic house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
- 1972 Don Cockroft of the Cleveland Browns kicks a remarkable 57-yard field goal, showcasing his exceptional skill as a kicker.
- 1998 Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Honduras, becoming one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in history.
- 1998 Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-95 with 77-year-old John Glenn aboard, making him the oldest person to travel into space.
- 2008 Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, forming the world's largest airline and reducing U.S. legacy carriers to five.
- 2012 Hurricane Sandy makes landfall in New Jersey, causing 110 deaths, $50 billion in damage, and forcing the New York Stock Exchange to close.
- 2012 Publishing giants Penguin and Random House merge to form the world's largest publishing company.
- 2015 China announces the end of its 35-year-old one-child policy, allowing families to have two children.
- 2018 Lion Air Flight JT 610 crashes into the sea shortly after takeoff near Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.
- 2019 1.5 million Californians lose power as utilities shut off electricity to prevent wildfires amid high winds and dry conditions.
- 2022 A deadly crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea, results in 155 deaths.
- 1945 The first commercially made ballpoint pens go on sale at Gimbels in New York for $12.50 each, revolutionizing writing instruments.
- 1960 Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, wins his first professional boxing match, beginning his legendary career.
- 2003 LeBron James makes his NBA debut, starting a career that would establish him as one of basketball's greatest players.
- 1998 The Archimedes' Palimpsest, containing lost works by the ancient mathematician, sells at auction for $2 million, preserving a significant piece of intellectual history.
