2026 NFL Season Week 4 Preview

     

Below is my preview of the upcoming games for NFL 2026 week 4:

Indianapolis vs. Washington in London, UK - Both of these teams won last weekend to avoid that disastrous 0-3 start to this season. Now, however, they will face once another. One team will manage a second straight win, but the other will fall to 1-3. It could go either way, because this one is a tough call. For now, I will go with the Commanders, but this really is a tough game to pick. My pick: Washington

Arizona at NY Giants- Not sure how effective the Giants offense will be this week. Despite winning last weekend, they hardly looked like an offensive juggernaut, failing to score a touchdown and producing four field goals. It was enough against Tennessee, but it will not be enough most weekends. The good news is that the Cardinals are also struggling. That said, the G-Men will likely need more on offense than 12 points to earn the win this time. This one feels like a toss up, but I will go with the home team, for now. My pick: NY Giants

New England at Buffalo - This is a big divisional showdown, even though it's only Week 4. Also, the Patriots are struggling so far at 1-2. Remember, they went 14-3 during the entirety of last regular season, but face the possibility of matching the three losses after four games, should they lose this one. Not going to be easy for the Bills, but they are playing well, and I do expect them to come away with the win in this one. My pick: Buffalo

NY Jets at Chicago - The Jets cannot catch a break. They looked good in Week 1, then kind of blew a sure win in Game 2. A tough loss last weekend at Detroit is followed by another tough NFC North road trip. This time at Soldier Field against the Bears. Granted, they are not at full strength, but Gang Green will still struggle. If Da Bears play anywhere near the level they played against the Eagles, they should be able to produce the "W.". My pick: Chicago

Jacksonville at Cincinnati - Both of these teams are 2-1 and locked in for a battle for their respective division titles. you have to figure that Cincy has a tougher road, as all three of the other teams in their division look decent at this point in the season. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have to worry about the Texans, but they are winless right now. Otherwise the Colts may be tough, but they also are struggling. And the Titans are awful. So Jacksonville does not even have to be great in order to make the playoffs or even win their division. All of that translates to a greater sense of urgency for the home team. Look for the Bengals to bounce back from a disappointing loss last weekend and take this win. My pick: Cincy

New England at Buffalo - Two teams figuring to be prominent playoff powers meet up in Foxboro. I liked how both teams played last season. So far this season, the Pats look stronger and better to me. Plus, with home field advantage, it seems like the Pats should be able to win a second in a row in this one. My pick: Buffalo

Dallas at Houston - This is the battle of Texas. both teams have gotten off to disappointing starts. The 'Boys are 1-2 after that loss to the Ravens in Rio last weekend. Still feel it's surprising that they are playing the very next Sunday after that game. But the Texans are far more disappointing, having gotten off to another disastrous 0-3 start. It's October again, and again Houston is looking for their first "W" of their season. Figure that they have to win a game at some point, and this feels like a winnable game for them.  My pick: Houston 

LA Rams at Philadelphia - Quite the intriguing matchup here. The Rams are struggling and already need to play with a sense of urgency, not wanting to fall even farther behind Seattle or especially undefeated San Francisco. Meanwhile, Philly looked great at 2-0, but that loss last weekend to the Bears was humbling. Frankly, the Eagles looked bad all around. This is as a big game with a lot riding on it for both teams. Figure the Rams will find a way. My pick: LA Rams

Tennessee at Baltimore - The Ravens came from behind to earn a huge win in Rio last week against the Cowboys. Had assumed that they would get more rest, that this might be their bye week. Apparently not. Still, I expect them to get past their fatigue enough to beat the Titans in this game.. My pick: Baltimore    

Green Bay at Tampa Bay - Yes, I am thinking that the winless Bucs will pull off the upset in this one. Why? Because both of these teams have serious issues which they need to iron out. But Tampa Bay cannot afford to remain winless. Sooner or later they are going to win, and it feels like this week, against an also compromising Packers team, could be a good opportunity. My pick: Tampa Bay   

Miami at Minnesota- So let me just say right off the bat that I do not think that the Vikings will remain undefeated for too long. That said, it is also very difficult imagining them losing to the Dolphins at this point. The Fins are winless for a reason. Plus, this game will be played at Minnesota, so that would be even more difficult for Miami. Look for the Vikings to win this one convincingly. My pick: Minnesota

Kansas City at Las Vegas - The battle of the unbeatens. Who would have imagined that this would be the game between two undefeated, 3-0 teams. I mean, the Chiefs are hardly a surprise. But the Raiders, on the other hand, are a shock.  However, the Silver & Black also have not played anyone on the caliber of the Chiefs yet. Believe it or not, I expect this to be relatively close, but for the superior experience and poise of KC wo win out in the end. My pick: Kansas City  

Denver at San Francisco - The Niners look like quite possibly the best team in the league to this point. They are running on all cylinders and, at least right now, own sole possession of first in the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Broncos are looking good at 2-1, but already behind not one but two teams in the AFC West. So there will be some urgency with them this weekend. Still, San Francisco just seems like the better overall team in this one. My pick: San Francisco

LA Chargers at Seattle - Seattle finally proved that they are human last week in the loss at Washington. However, they return home to host the still winless, 0-3 Chargers. The Bolts certainly should be better than they have been to this point in the season. But it looks like a disastrous start will compromise their chances for recovery. Sooner or later, they will earn some wins this season. But it does not seem likely to happen on the road in Seattle, a notoriously difficult place for road teams to play. My pick: Seattle

Sunday Night Football: Detroit at Carolina - While I believe that the Lions are the better overall team in this one, it is not an easy game. Home field advantage should help to provide the Panthers with a real chance at earning the "W." Yet, as already mentioned, it seems to me that the Lions are the better overall team and, thus, should escape with a narrow win. My pick: Detroit

Monday Night Football: Atlanta at New Orleans - The Falcons earned a big, convincing win over the Packers last weekend. Plus, they should be well rested. That is enough to give them a shot here in this game. However, the Saints feel better than their 1-2 record suggests. This is the game where they begin to prove that, and start maybe taking over the NFC West. My pick: New Orleans

October 4th: This Day in History

  

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history 

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in history in 1209, Pope Innocent II crowned German King Otto of Wittelsbach. 

• The assassination of Caliph al-Adil fell on this day in 1227. 

• This day in 1363 marked the end of the Battle of Lake Poyang, when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeated that of his rival, Chen Youliang, in one of the largest naval battles in history. 

• On this day in 1535, the first complete English-language Bible (known as the Matthew Bible) was printed in Zurich, Switzerland, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.  

• Synod of Emden was on this day and lasting until October 13th back in 1571. 

• This day in 1582 marked the last Julian calendar day in Spain/Portugal/pontifical states. 

• The Battle at Wittstock was fought on this day in 1636 in Brandenburg, with Sweden ultimately beating Ferdinand III. 

• On this day in 1636 in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, the first law was drafted. 

• Peter Stuyvesant established America's first volunteer fire department in New Amsterdam (present day New York City) on this day in 1648. 

• Christian Huygens patented the pocket watch on this day in 1675. 

• The Battle of Marsaglia was fought on this day in 1693, when Piedmontese troops were defeated by the French.

• 1712 - Utrecht banishes poor Jews

• 1725 - Foundation of Rosario in Argentina.

Equestrian statue of George Washington near his headquarters at Morristown, New Jersey.

• The Battle of Germantown was fought on this day in 1777, as General George Washington led his troops in the attack. However, they were ultimately defeated by the British in the battle.

• 1779 - The Fort Wilson Riot takes place.

Flag of Mexico

• On this day in 1824, Mexico became a republic. The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States was enacted, thus establishing Mexico as a representative federal republic following the end of the Mexican Empire. 

1830 - Provisional government declares secession of Belgium from Netherlands

1834 - Franz Grillparzer's "Der Traum ein Leben," premieres in Vienna

Lincoln Memorial Sculpture by Daniel French i Washington, D.C.

• In 1854 on this day, future American president Abraham Lincoln made his first political speech at the Illinois State Fair.

1862 - Battle of Corinth ends

1864 - National black convention meets (Syracuse NY)

• 1864 - New Orleans Tribune, 1st black daily newspaper, forms

1873 - Toronto Argonaut Football Club forms

• 1880 - University of California founded in Los Angeles

1881 - Edward Leveaux patents automatic player piano

• 1883 - Orient Express' 1st run, linking Turkey to Europe by rail

1883 - First meeting of the Boys' Brigade in Glasgow, Scotland.

1895 - Horace Rawlins wins 1st US Open golf tournament (Newport RI)

1897 - George Bernard Shaw's "Devil's Disciple," premieres in NYC

1900 - Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Problem of Thor Bridge" (BG)

1901 - Columbia (US) beats Shamrock II (England) in 12th America's Cup

1904 - 1st day of NYC subway, 350,000 people ride 9.1 mile tracks

1906 - Chicago Cubs win their 116th game (116-36 .763) of year

1910 - Portugal becomes a republic, King Manuel II flees to England

Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 

1910 - Adoption of the Flag of Bermuda.

• 1911 - 1st public elevator (London's Earl's Court Metro Station)

1913 - Bkln Dodger Jake Daubert earns a new Chalmers auto as NL MVP

1913 - Freddy Wilson of Regina Roughriders kicks 10 singles in a game

• 1914 - Dardanellen (French & English) fleet bombs Ottoman forts

• 1915 - Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado & Utah is established

1916 - Market Street's "Path of Gold" lit for 1st time

1917 - British assault on Broodseinde, France

1918 - Musical "Sometime" with Mae West premieres in NYC

• 1921 - League of Nations refuses to assist starving Russians

• 1921 - Riccardo Zanella becomes first elected president of Free State of Fiume.

1922 - For 1st time, entire World Series broadcast over radio (WJZ & WGY)

• 1922 - Protocol of Genevia signed: Austria gains independence

1923 - Young Stribling held light-heavyweight boxing championship for shortest amount of time (3 hrs). Referee overturns decision

1924 - NY Giants become 1st team to appear in 4 consecutive World Series

Actress Mae WestActress Mae West 1925 - Harry Heilmann's 6 hits edges Ty Cobb .393 to .389 as batting champ

1926 - Dahlia is officially designated as SF city flower

1927 - Gutzon Borglum begins sculpting Mt. Rushmore.

1928 - 25th World Series begins, NY Yankees vs St Louis Cardinals

1928 - KPD begins petition against Germany building a battle fleet

1930 - A's Jack Quinn, 46, pitches 2 inn, is oldest to play in World Series

1931 - Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould debuts

1931 - Juan Esteban Montero becomes president of Chile

• 1932 - Anti-semite Julius Gombos forms new government in Hungary

1932 - Clark Griffith announces Walter Johnson will be manager of Senators

1933 - Esquire magazine is 1st published

• 1936 - Italian lire devalued

1936 - Record 66,669 at Yankee Stadium for 4th game of World Series

• 1939 - Last Polish troops surrender

1940 - 12 German aircrafts shot down above England

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 

• Adolf Hitler & Benito Mussolini conferred at the Brenner Pass in the Alps on this day in 1940 during World War II. 

• In 1940 on this day during the Occupation, the Vichy France regime of Henri-Philippe Pétain proclaimed an end of the "Statut of the Juifs" with La loi du 4 octobre 1940 (The Law of 3 October 1940). This law provided a racial definition of Jews, allowing the Vichy government to persecute Jews by focusing on the status of what it described as "foreign Jews," effectively providing local authorities a carte blanche to arrest and detain "foreign Jews" at will. It was promulgated simultaneously with the Jewish status laws which were then going into effect without any prompting by the occupying Nazi German forces.

1940 - Wrestling returns to Madison Sq Garden after 12 year lay off

1942 - German assault on Tractor factory in Stalingrad

1943 - Corsica freed by Free French

1943 - German occupiers forbid flying of kites (6 month jail sentence)

1944 - British troops land on Greek continent

1944 - 1st All St Louis World Series, all games played at Sportsman's Park

1944 - St Louis Browns win 1st World Series game in their only appearance

1947 - Negro League World Series, NY Cubans beat Cleveland Buckeyes, 6-5

1948 - Indians beat Red Sox, 8-0, in 1st AL playoff game

1948 - World Council of Churches forms under W Fisherman It Hooft)

1949 - American Contract Bridge League votes 58½% to keep blacks out

1949 - United Nations' permanent NYC headquarters is dedicated

• French troops vacate Cla Afraid Vietnam On this day in 1950 during the First Indochina War, French forces suffered a defeat at the Battle of Route Coloniale 4. The French Lepage column regrouped at the Coc Xa Basin after being repelled, while French column led by Charton had been diverted to a damaged route. The Battle of Route Coloniale 4 proved to be a decisive defeat for the French against the Việt Minh and led to an escalation of the Cold War, with increased international attention and support for both sides.  

1951 - In opening World Series game, Giant Monte Irvin steals home in 1st inn

1952 - "Top Banana" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 356 perfs

1953 - Jim Peters runs world record marathon (2:17:39.4)

1953 - Mickey Mantle hits a grand slam in World Series

1955 - Brooklyn Dodgers only World Series victory, beating Yankees in 7

1955 - Rev Sun Young Moon leaves prison in Seoul

1956 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Maralinga Australia

1957 - "Leave It to Beaver," debuts on CBS

1957 - USSR launches Sputnik I, 1st artificial Earth satellite

1957 - Avro Arrow roll-out ceremony at Avro Canada plant in Malton, Ontario.

1958 - 12th NHL All-Star Game: Montreal beat All-Stars 6-3 at Montreal

• The Fifth French Republic was established on this day in 1958.

1958 - Transatlantic coml jet passenger service began (BOAC)

1959 - 1st World Series game played west of St Louis (in LA)

1959 - Cleveland Browns' Jim Brown makes club record 37 rushing attempts

• 1959 - Dmitri Sjostakovitch 1st Cello concert premieres in Leningrad

1959 - LA Dodgers set World Series attendance record at 92,394

1959 - Netherlands beats Belgium 9-1

• 1959 - USSR Luna 3 sent back 1st photos of Moon's far side

• 1960 - Courier 1B Launched; 1st active repeater satellite in orbit

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1961 - Whitey Ford's 3rd straight World Series shutout

1962 - USAF Maj Robert A Rushworth takes X-15 to 32,300m

1962 - Whitey Ford's World Series 33 2/3 scoreless inning streak ends

1963 - -8] Hurricane Flora, kills 6,000 in Cuba & Haiti

1963 - Gambia achieves full internal self-government

1964 - -7] Hurricane Hilda, kills 38 in La, Miss & Ga

1964 - 10th LPGA Championship won by Mary Mills

1964 - 3 cars of a commuter train derails in South Africa killing 81

1964 - Italian Autostrada del Sol opens at Milan-Naples

1964 - Patriots' Gino Cappelletti kicks 6-of-6 field goals against Broncos

1964 - Phils bomb Reds 10-0 as both teams finish one game behind St Louis

1965 - "Pickwick" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 56 performances

1965 - Pope Paul VI becomes 1st Pope to visit Western Hemisphere (UN)

• 1965 - USSR launches Luna 7; crash lands on Moon

1966 - Dutch Cardinal Alfrink presents New Catechism

1966 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island

• 1966 - Lesotho (Basutoland) gains independence from Britain (National Day)

1967 - 1st World Series since 1948 not to feature Yanks, Giants or Dodgers

• 1967 - Omar Ali Saifuddin III of Brunei abdicates in favour of his son, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

• 1969 - Last wooden passenger subway cars retired at Bkln Myrtle Beach el

• 1969 - UN starts issuing postage stamps at Geneva headquarters

1969 - Baseball's 1st divisional playoff games, Mets beat Braves 9-5 & Orioles beat Twins 4-3 in 12 innings

1970 - KC Chiefs Jan Stenerud kicks 55-yard field goal

1970 - Umps return after 1-day walkout in quest of higher wages

1970 - WFYI TV channel 20 in Indianapolis, IN (PBS) begins broadcasting

1970 - Herbert Schmidtz makes highest parachute jump from a tower by leaping from a 1,984 ft TV mast in Tulsa, Oklahoma

1971 - Borden's opens a turn-of-century ice cream parlor at Disney World

1971 - KMPH TV channel 26 in Visalia-Fresno, CA (IND) begins broadcasting

1971 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

Baseball Player Ted WilliamsBaseball Player Ted Williams 1972 - Ted Williams manages his final game as Rangers lose to Royals, 4-0

1973 - Hans of Manens ballet "Adagio Hammerklavier" premieres in Amsterdam

 Ran into this image of John Lennon while in Syracuse to see a Paul McCartney concert. 

• Former Beatle John Lennon released the "Walls & Bridges" album on this day in 1974.

1975 - A Cessna 310Q airplane crashes over Wilmington, North Carolina, killing the pilot and severely injuring several pro wrestlers affiliated with the NWA's Mid-Atlantic promotion. One of the survivors is the legendary Ric Flair.

1976 - Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz resigns due to telling a racial joke

• On this day in 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a 1972 ban on the death penalty for convicted murderers.

1976 - Official launch of the Intercity 125 High Speed Train (HST).

1977 - Pier 39 opens in SF

1978 - Funeral services held for Pope John Paul I

1979 - Hugh Leonards "Life," premieres in Dublin

1979 - USSR performs nuclear test

1980 - Mike Schmidt's 2-run HR clinches NL East title for Phillies

1981 - Donna Caponi Young/Kathy Whitworth wins Portland Ping Team Golf Champ

1981 - Meadowlands Arena opens in NJ

1981 - Pasakevi Kouna of Greece (9) is youngest intl gymnastics participant

Musician and Beatle John LennonMusician and Beatle John Lennon 

• In 1982 on this day, Helmut Kohl was elected chancellor of the German Federal Republic (often better known as West Germany). 

1983 - Richard Noble reaches record 1019 kph in jet-powered car

1984 - US government closes down due to budget problems

1984 - Detroit Tigers clinch AL East

1985 - Henry G Perry completes 157 day, 14,021 mile bicycle tour of Australia

• 1985 - Shite Moslems claim to have killed hostage William Buckley

1985 - Free Software Foundation is founded in Massachusetts, USA.

1986 - NY Yank Dave Righetti saves doubleheader for then record 46 saves

1986 - Queen Beatrice installs dam at Oosterschelde

1986 - Rachel Oliver (Mass), 20, crowned 19th Miss Black America

1987 - 1st "Scrub Sunday" of NFL football with replacement players

1987 - Blues Jays lose final 7 games allowing Tigers to win AL pennant

1987 - James Jefferson of Winnipeg scores 2 TDs on interception returns without making an interception. (He scored on laterals)

1988 - Pillsbury stock soars $18.37 to $57.37 on takeover bid

1989 - Giants Will Clark hits 1st NLCS grand slam since 1977

1989 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1990 - "Stand Up Tragedy" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 13 performances

Flag of Germany (formerly West Germany during the Cold War)

• On this day in 1990, just after official Germany reunification the previous day, regional elections were held in what had formerly been, just days before, East Germany.

1991 - Delta Center in Salt Lake City Utah

1991 - NHL NY Rangers trade Bernie Nichols to Edmonton for Mark Messier

1991 - San Jose Sharks lose 4-3 to Vancouver Canucks in their 1st NHL game

1991 - Whiteland Janice, driven by Mike Lachance, wins Kentucky Futurity

• 1991 - The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature.

1992 - "Anna Karenina" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 46 perfs

1992 - "Real Inspector Hound" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 61 perfs

1992 - 1st time AL East & West champs have same record (96-66)-Tor & Oak

1992 - 2nd Solheim Cup: Europe beats US, 11½-6½ at Dalmahoy CC Scotland

1992 - El Al cargo plane crashes at Amsterdam Bijlmer, 43 die

1992 - Miami Dolphin Louis Oliver returns record tying interception 103 yards

• 1992 - The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique.

1993 - Troops of pres Yelsin occupy Russian White House (parliament)

1994 - 7.9 earthquake strikes Koerilen, flood kills 18+

1994 - Keith Moore is charged with stealing $5,000,000 from Sting

1994 - Soyuz TM-20 launches

1995 - 29th Country Music Association Award: Krauss Jackson win

1995 - Jim Leyritz homers with a man on in 15th inning to give Yankees 2-0 Division Series lead over Mariners

1996 - BPAA US Bowling Open by Dave Husted

1996 - BPAA US Women's Bowling Open won by Liz Johnson

1996 - Shahid Afridi scores century in 37 balls for Pakistan v Sri Lanka

1997 - Farm Aid 10 concert cancelled due to weak ticket sales

• 1997 - The second largest cash robbery in U.S. history occurs at the Charlotte, North Carolina office of Loomis, Fargo and Company. An FBI investigation eventually results in 24 convictions and the recovery of approximately 95% of the $17.3 million in cash which had been taken.

2001 - Siberia Airlines Flight 1812: a Sibir Airlines Tupolev TU-154 crashes into the Black Sea after being struck by an errant Ukrainian S-200 missile. 78 people are killed.

2003 - Maxim restaurant suicide bombing in Haifa, Israel: 21 Israelis, Jews and Arabs, are killed, and 51 others wounded.

2004 - SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight.

2009 - George Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement defeats Greece's governing New Democracy party in an electoral landslide.

• 2012 - Turkey’s parliament approves cross-border military operations in Syria

2012 - 19 people are killed after being buried by a landslide in Yunnan, China

• 2012 - Jordan’s King Abdullah dissolves parliament in preparation for new elections

Formula 1 Racing Driver Michael SchumacherFormula 1 Racing Driver Michael Schumacher 2012 - Formula One legend, Michael Schumacher, retires

1535 - The first complete English translation of the Bible was printed in Zurich, Switzerland.   1648 - The first volunteer fire department was established in New York by Peter Stuyvesant.   1777 - At Germantown, PA, Patriot forces and British forces both suffer heavy losses in battle. The battle was seen as British victory, which actually served as a moral boost to the Americans.   1876 - The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas formally dedicated by Texas Gov. Richard Coke. It was the state's first venture into public higher education. The college opened for classed two days earlier.   1881 - Edward Leveaux received a patent for the player piano.   1887 - The Paris Herald Tribune was published for the first time. It was later known as the International Herald Tribune.   1893 - The first professional football contract was signed by Grant Dibert for the Pittsburgh AC.   1895 - The first U.S. Open golf tournament took place in Newport, RI. Horace Rawlins, 19 years old, won the tournament.   1909 - The first airship race in the U.S. took place in St. Louis, MO.   1915 - The Dinosaur National Monument was established. The area covered part of Utah and Colorado.   1927 - The first actual work of carving began on Mount Rushmore.   1931 - The comic strip "Dick Tracy" made its debut in the Detroit Daily Mirror. The strip was created by Chester Gould.   1933 - "Esquire" magazine was published for the first time.   1940 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met in the Alps at Brenner Pass. Hitler was seeking help from Italy to fight the British.   1948 - The Railroad Hour" debuted on ABC radio.   1953 - "I Led Three Lives" was first seen in syndication. The TV show was never on network.   1954 - "December Bride" debuted on CBS-TV.   1956 - "Playhouse 90" debuted on CBS-TV.   1957 - "Leave it to Beaver" debuted on CBS-TV.   1957 - The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I into orbit around the Earth. Sputnik was the first manmade satellite to enter space. Sputnik I fell out of orbit on January 4, 1958.   1958 - British Overseas Airways Corporation became the first jetliner to offer trans-Atlantic service to passengers with flights between London, England and New York.   1959 - The first World Series to be played west of St. Louis began in Los Angeles, CA.   1965 - Pope Paul VI addressed the U.N. General Assembly and became the first reigning pontiff to visit the Western Hemisphere.   1976 - Barbara Walters joined Harry Reasoner at the anchor desk of the "ABC Evening News" for the first time.   1981 - Bruce Jenner and Harry Belafonte debuted in their first dramatic roles in NBC-TV's "Grambling's White Tiger".   1987 - NFL owners used replacement personnel to play games despite the player's strike.   1990 - The German parliament had its first meeting since reunification.   1992 - The 16-year civil war in Mozambique ended.   1993 - Russian Vice-President Alexander Rutskoi and Chairman Ruslan Khasbulatov surrendered to Boris Yeltsin after a ten-hour tank assault on the Russian White House. The two men had barricaded themselves in after Yeltsin called for general elections and dissolved the legislative body.   1993 - Dozens of Somalis dragged an American soldier through the streets of Mogadishu. A videotape showed Michael Durant being taken prisoner by Somali militants.   1994 - South African President Nelson Mandela was welcomed to the White House by U.S. President Clinton.   1997 - Hundreds of thousands of men attended a Promise Keepers rally on the Mall in Washington, DC.   1998 - The Vincent Van Gogh exhibit opened in Washington, DC. The exhibit featured 70 paintings.   1998 - Davis Gaines performed as the Phantom in the show "Phantom of the Opera" for the 2,000th time.   2001 - NATO granted the United States open access to their airfields and seaports and agreed to deploy ships and early-warning radar planes in the war on terrorism.   2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 70th home run of the season to tie Mark McGwire's major league record. Bonds also moved past Reggie Jackson on the all-time list with his 564th career home run.   2001 - Rickey Henderson (San Diego Padres) scored his 2,246th career run to break Ty Cobb's major league record.   2001 - In Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport re-opened. The airport had been closed since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.   2004 - SpaceShipOne reached an altitude of 368,000 feet. It was the first privately built, manned rocket ship to fly in space twice within a two week window. The ship won the Ansari X Prize of $10 million dollars for their success.

1887 The International Herald Tribune was published for the first time. 1895 The first U.S. Open Golf tournament was held in Newport, Rhode Island. 1957 The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into orbit around the earth, ushering in the Space Age and Space Race. 1965 Pope Paul VI made the first visit to the Western Hemisphere by a reigning pope. He came to New York to address the UN General Assembly. 1970 Rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead of a drug overdose at age 27. 1990 The German parliament met for the first time since the reunification of Germany. 2001 Authorities confirmed a tabloid editor in Florida had contracted anthrax. He died the next day. 2002 John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban," received a 20-year sentence.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/oct04.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Birthday Weekend # 2: Fonthill Castle in Doylsetown Boro, Pennsylvania

 

My girlfriend and I went to lunch at Cracker Barrel and had some good laughs. After that, we went for a pleasant drive by the Delaware River, not too far from the Washington Crossing. It is a beautful area Plus, we visited some parts that we had never seen, as we were going to an unfamiliar location: Doylsetown, Pennsylvania.

The weather was ideal. It was an Indian Summer day, temperatures feeling more like a summer day than a day in October. 

I had long wanted to visit Fonthill Castle in Doylsetown Boro, Pennsylvania. Especially since we visited places close to it on a regular basis. Yet, we had never gotten here.

We managed to pay a relatively brief visit yesterday. It was a bit late, so we did not do the tour. However, we did visit the grounds, which were quite nice with formal gardens and a little pond and stream out in the back.

The "castle" belonged to Henry Champman Mercer, who made his fortune producing tiles.

Very interesting place. Obviously, I took some pictures and am sharing them here.

Enjoy.

Birthday Weekend Part 1: Pictures of the Fog & Sunrise Over the Raritan

On the way back home after my shift ended on Friday morning, I wanted to stop by the Raritan. One day earlier, I had seen a tree which looked stunning, because it was in the middle of the leaves changing colors. The top was the orange of fall, while the bottom was still green.

So I stopped.

It was a foggy morning, but the sin was rising and, slowly, burning the fog away. Seemed like I came at almost the right time to get the dramatic effects of both.

Took some pictures, and here they are.

Enjoy. 

October 3rd: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history 

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• 2333 BCE - The state of Gojoseon (Modern-day Korea) founded by Dangun Wanggeom during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Yao.

• 52 BCE - Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius Caesar, ending the siege and battle of Alesia.

• 42 BCE - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's assassins Brutus and Cassius.

1143 - Cardinal Guido elected Pope Coelestinus II

1247 - Willem II of Holland elected Roman Catholic German emperor

1264 - Comet said to predict death of Pope Urban IV is last seen

• 1283 - Dafydd ap Gruffydd, prince of Gwynedd in Wales, becomes the first person executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered.

1430 - Jews are expelled from Eger Bohemia

• 1569 - Battle of Montcontour: Duke of Anjou beats Huguenots

• 1574 - The Siege of Leiden is lifted by the Watergeuzen and the forces of Admiral Boisot

• 1605 - Chinese uprising on Philippines, Tondo/Quiapo massacre

• 1657 - French troops occupy Mardyke

1683 - The Qing Dynasty naval commander Shi Lang reaches Taiwan (under the Kingdom of Tungning) to receive the formal surrender of Zheng Keshuang and Liu Guoxuan after the Battle of Penghu.

1691 - English & Dutch army occupies Limerick Ireland

1712 - The Duke of Montrose issues a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor.

1735 - France & Emperor Karel VI sign peace accord

• 1739 - The Treaty of Nissa is signed by the Ottoman Empire and Russia at the end of the Russian-Turkish War, 1736-1739.

Picture of a statue of British explorer Captain James Cook

• 1778 - Capt Cook anchors at Alaska

Statue of George Washington in Paramus, NJ (above) and in Morristown, NJ (Below)

• 1789 - Washington proclaims 1st national Thanksgiving Day on Nov 26

Roman Emperor Augustus CaesarRoman Emperor Augustus Caesar 

• 1835 - Staedtler Company was founded by J.S. Staedtler in Nuremburg, Germany.

• 1849 - American author Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he is seen in public before his death.

1862 - -10] Battle of Corinth, Mississippi

1862 - Skirmish at Bardstown, Kentucky

Lincoln Memorial Sculpture by Daniel French i Washington, D.C.

• On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln designated the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day

1872 - Bloomingdale's department store in NY opens

1873 - Captain Jack and companions are hanged for their part in the Modoc War.

• 1890 - Capt Guillaume of Kerckhoven marches into Boma Congo

1899 - J S Thurman patents motor-driven vacuum cleaner

1900 - Edward Elgar/Cardinal Newmans oratorium premieres in Birmingham

• 1904 - France & Spain sign treaty for Morocco Independence

1904 - Giants Christy Mathewson strikes out then record 16 Cards

1904 - Mary McLeod Bethune opens Daytona Normal & Industrial School

1906 - SOS adopted as warning signal by 1st conference on wireless telegraphy

1906 - US regime names Charles Magoon, governor of Cuba

Author Edgar Allan PoeAuthor Edgar Allan Poe 1906 - William Vaughan Moody's "Great Divide," premieres in NYC

1908 - The Pravda newspaper founded by Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles in Vienna.

1913 - Federal Income Tax signed into law (at 1%)

1915 - 7.8 earthquake shakes Pleasant Valley Nevada

1918 - Boris becomes king of Bulgaria

• 1918 - Czar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria does distance of throne

1918 - Selwyn Theater opens at 229 W 42nd St NYC

1919 - Reds Adolfo Luque is 1st Latin player to appear in a World Series

1919 - Serbian, Croatian & Slavic parliment accord for 8 hr work day

1920 - Browns 1st baseman George Sisler gets his record 257th hit of season

1920 - NFL (then American Pro Football Association) plays 1st games

1922 - 1st facsimile photo send over city telephone lines, Washington, DC

1922 - Rebecca Felton of Georgia becomes 1st woman in Senate

• 1923 - Germany's Stresemann resigns

1924 - King Hussein of Hedzjaz abdicts throne

Russian Revolutionary Leon TrotskyRussian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky 1926 - 1st congress of Paneuropabeweging opens in Vienna

1926 - Violet Percy runs female record marathon (3:40:22)

1928 - French sun "Ondine" sinks returning to Toulon, drowning 42

1929 - British Labour government recovers diplomatic relations with USSR

1929 - Julius Curtius succeeds Stresemann as German foreign minister

• 1929 - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats & Slovenes changes name to Yugoslavia  1929 - The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes officially changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. 

• 1932 - Iraq gains full independence from Britain, joins League of Nations

1933 - Gustave "Staf" de Clerq forms Flemish National Covenant

Flag of Ethiopia

The Lion of Judah Emblem of the Ethiopian Empire

• 1935 - Italy invades Ethiopia

1936 - Yanks set new attendance record of 64,842 in 3rd game of World Series

1939 - Lemmer-Urk Dike closes

• 1940 - France Vichy government proclaims end to Jewish status

1940 - Reds beat Tigers ending NL's 10-game World Series losing streak

1940 - US forms parachute troops

1941 - Adolf Hitler says Russia is "broken" & would "never rise again"

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 

• 1941 - All elderly Jewish men of Kerenchug Ukraine, are killed by SS

• 1941 - Nazi's blow up 6 synagoges in Paris

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

• 1942 - FDR forms Office of Economic Stabilization

1942 - Launch of 1st A-4/V-2 rocket to altitude of 53 miles (85 km)

1943 - British 8th army lands at Termoli, East Italy

• 1943 - Operations begin at PETA Java, defending (Japanese) fatherland

1944 - 1st broadcast of Radio Herrijzend Netherland

1944 - RAF bombs West Kapelse

1945 - Elvis Presley's 1st public appearance, he is 10

1945 - Tigers & Cubs meet in World Series for 4th time

1945 - World Federation of Trade Unions forms; CIO a member

1946 - Cards beat Dodgers 8-4 at Ebbets Field to win NL playoffs 2-0

1947 - "Under the Counter" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 27 performances

1947 - 1st telescope lens 200" (508 cm) in diameter completed

Singer & Cultural Icon Elvis PresleySinger & Cultural Icon Elvis Presley 1947 - WMAL (now WJLA) TV channel 7 in Washington, DC (ABC) begins

1947 - With only 1 out to go, Yank Floyd Beven gives up a double breaking his World Series no-hit bid, it scored 2 runs & he lost game

1948 - Columbia U reports discovery of uranium in Belgian Congo

1948 - NFL becomes 1st sport televised as sport of week

1949 - WERD, 1st black-owned radio station, opens in Atlanta

1950 - 1st black lead (Ethel Waters) on TV (Beulah)

• 1950 - Indonesian army opens assault on Ambon, South Moluccas

1950 - Baseball rules Phils lefty Curt Simmons cannot play in World Series despite his being on furlough from Army

1951 - Bobby Thomson HR-Giants win pennant defeating Dodgers

1952 - 1st British nuclear test at Monte Bello Is Australia

1952 - 1st video recording on magnetic tape, LA, Ca

1952 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Monte Bello Is Australia

1953 - 10th Ryder Cup: US wins 6½-5½ at Wentworth, England

1953 - 7th NHL All-Star Game: All-Stars beat Montreal 3-1 at Montreal

1953 - KGGM TV channel 13 in Albuquerque, NM (CBS) begins broadcasting

1954 - "Father Knows Best" premieres

1954 - KFVS TV channel 12 in Cape Girardeau, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting

1955 - "Captain Kangaroo" premieres on CBS-TV, Good Morning, Captain!

1955 - "Mickey Mouse Club" premieres

1955 - Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira becomes pres of Brazil

1955 - Soviet battleship "Novorossiisk" strikes WW II mine in Baltic Sea

1955 - WDBJ TV channel 7 in Roanoke, VA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1955 - WTVS TV channel 56 in Detroit, MI (PBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - Sal Maglie & Dodgers defeat Yanks 6-3 in opening game of World Series

• 1957 - Willy Brandt elected mayor of West Berlin

• 1957 - Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems is ruled not obscene.

1959 - 13th NHL All-Star Game: Montreal beat All-Stars 6-1 at Montreal

1960 - "Flair" (CBS' answer to Monitor) premieres on radio with Dick Van Dyke

1960 - Janio Quadros elected president of Brazil

1960 - SF's White House dept store 1st to accept BankAmericard

1960 - Yanks win 8-7, ending season on a 15 game win streak, & record 193 HRs

1961 - "Dick Van Dyke Show" premieres on CBS-TV

1961 - "Mr Ed" premieres

1961 - "Sail Away" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 167 performances

1961 - KMED (now KTVL) TV channel 10 in Medford, OR (CBS) begins broadcasting

1962 - "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" opens at Shubert NYC for 886 perfs

1962 - Dodgers set major league-record season attendance of 2,755,184

1962 - Wally Schirra in Sigma 7 launched into Earth orbit

1963 - "Here's Love" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 338 performances

1963 - Hurricane hits Haiti; about 5,000 die & 100,000 injured

Beat Poet Allen GinsbergBeat Poet Allen Ginsberg 1964 - Yankees clinch their 5th straight pennant, & 29th in club's history

1965 - Cubs tie major league record of 3 triple plays in a season

1965 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Mickey Wright Golf Invitational

1965 - Whitey Ford notches #232 to become Yankees winningest pitcher

• 1966 - Marshal Arturo da Costa e Silva elected president

1967 - KGSC (now KICU) TV channel 36 in San Jose, CA (IND) begins

1967 - King Boudouin inaugurates world's biggest floodgate (Antwerp)

1967 - William Knight sets X-15 speed rec of 7,297 KPH/4,534 MPH/Mach 6.72

1968 - Howard Sacklers "Great White Hope," premieres in NYC

• 1968 - Military coup overthrows Pres Fernando Belaúnde Terry in Peru

1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1970 - "Coco" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 333 performances

1970 - Baseball umpires call their 1st strike

1970 - WAPT TV channel 16 in Jackson, MS (ABC) begins broadcasting

1971 - Billie Jean King became 1st female athlete to win $100,000

1972 - Indians set a team record for lowest team batting avg .234

• 1972 - Spaceflight 71-2 launched; 1st flexible substrate photovoltaic flown

1972 - Steve Carlton wins 27th game for Phillies (almost ½ of their 59 wins)

1972 - USSR performs nuclear test

1972 - Balt Roric Harrison is last AL pitcher to homer until interleague play 25 years later

1973 - Willi Stoph succeeds Walter Ulbricht as East German party leader

1974 - Ted Bundy victim Nancy Wilcox disappears in Salt Lake City, Utah

Brazilian Football Legend PeleBrazilian Football Legend Pele 1974 - Pele retires as soccer player

1974 - Watergate trial begins

1975 - George Harrison releases "Extra Texture" album in UK

1975 - Ireland AKZO director Tiede Herrema kidnap

1976 - Hank Aaron singles in his last at bat & drives in his 2,297th run

1976 - Helmuth Kohl's CDU wins German parliament election

1977 - "Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)" opens at Imperial NYC for 66 perfs

• 1977 - Indira Gandhi arrested

1978 - Gold hits record $223.50 an ounce in London

1980 - 4 dies in attack on synagogue in Paris

1981 - Brewers (since 1970) & Expos (1969) clinch their 1st-ever postseason

1981 - Irish Nationalist at Maze Prison near Belfast end 7-mo hunger strike

1981 - Mike Weaver beats Quick Tillis in 15 for heavyweight boxing title

1982 - Cox 4 rowing record set at 12:52 for 99 miles (Geneva, Switzerland)

1982 - Milwaukee whips Baltimore 10-2 to win AL East championship

Baseball Player Hank AaronBaseball Player Hank Aaron 1982 - Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Inamori Golf Classic

1982 - Record 11,763 start a 186 mile cross-country race near Stockholm

1982 - Scott Weiland runs Detroit marathon backwards in less than 5 hours

1983 - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson release "Say, Say, Say" in UK

1985 - 21st Shuttle Mission (51J)-Atlantis 1-all-military flight launched

• 1985 - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) adopts constitution

Picture of a bust of Pope John Paul II taken at the Basilique Saint-Sernin in Toulouse.

• 1985 - Pope John Paul II declares Titus Brandsma divine

1985 - South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands adopts constitution

1986 - Baltimore loses assuring Orioles of their 1st last-place finish

1986 - Soviet Yankee-class sub sinks off NC, 3 die

1986 - TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories, was officially opened.

1987 - Benito Santiago ends longest catcher/rookie hitting streak at 34

1987 - Michael Pruffer of France skis 135.26 MPH at Portillo, Chile

1987 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

1988 - 26th Space Shuttle Mission, Discovery 7 returns to Earth after 4-days

264th Pope John Paul II264th Pope John Paul II 1988 - Criterion Center Theater opens at Broadway bet 44th & 45th Sts NYC

1988 - Lebanese kidnappers release Mithileshwar Singh (held for 30 months)

1988 - WBMW-FM, Wash DC changes calls to WJFK & begins airing Howard Stern

1989 - Panamanian Defense Force attempted coup of Manuel Noriega fails

Flag of Germany (formerly West Germany during the Cold War)

Flag of East Germany

• 1990 - East Germany & West Germany merge to become Germany

1990 - George Brett becomes 1st to lead league in batting in 3 decades

1990 - Tiger Cecil Fielder becomes 11th, to hit 50 HRs (& 51st)

1990 - Florida record store owner Charles Freeman is found guilty of obsenity, for selling 2 Live Crew rap records

1991 - 25th Country Music Association Award:

1992 - Atlanta Braves win franchise record 98th game (old record 95 in 1957)

• 1992 - Madonna premieres her "Erotica" video on MTV

• 1992 - Sinead O'Connor rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live

1992 - Toronto Blue Jays win AL East title

1993 - "White Liars/Black Comedy" closes at Criterion NYC after 38 perfs

1993 - Battle at TV station Ostankino/Moscow townhall, about 25 killed

Russian President Boris YeltsinRussian President Boris Yeltsin 

• 1993 - Boris Yeltsin declares state of emergency in Moscow

1993 - Harry Belafonte performs in Tivoli Copenhagen

1993 - Indians play their last game at Cleve Stadium, Chicago wins 4-0

1993 - Somali General Aidids arm forces kill 18 US Rangers

1993 - Giants need to beat Dodgers to force a playoff game with Braves for NL West title, but Dodgers destroy Giants 12-1, Giants end year 103-59

1993 - Battle of Mogadishu: In an attempt to capture officials of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's organisation in Mogadishu, Somalia, 18 US Soldiers and about 1,000 Somalis are killed in heavy fighting.

1994 - Fernando Henrique Cardoso elected president of Brazil

1994 - Gary Larson, announces he is retiring from doing "Far Side" cartoon

1995 - 1st 1st-class match at Hurstville Oval, Sydney (NSW v W Prov)

1995 - OJ Simpson found not guilty in murder of Nicole Simpson & Ron Goldman

1996 - Thunderdome in Tampa Bay renamed Tropicana Field

1997 - Carolina Hurricanes 1st home game vs Pitts Penguins

1997 - Gordie Howie, 69, plays in 7th decade, with IHL'S Detroit Vipers

• 1997 - Japan's maglev train breaks world speed record at 280.3 mph

1997 - Vancouver Canucks beats Mighty Ducks, 3-2 in Japan

2003 - Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy is attacked by one of the shows tigers, canceling the show for good.

2008 - The $700 billion bailout bill for the US financial system is signed by President George W. Bush.

• 2012 - 34 people are killed by a series of bombings in Aleppo, Syria

1863 - U.S. President Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of November would be recognized as Thanksgiving Day.   1888 - "The Yeomen of the Guard" was performed for the first time. It was the first of 423 shows.   1893 - The motor-driven vacuum cleaner was patented by J.S. Thurman.   1901 - The Victor Talking Machine Company was incorporated. After a merger with Radio Corporation of America the company became RCA-Victor.   1906 - W.T. Grant opened a 25-cent department store.   1922 - Rebecca L. Felton became the first female to hold office of U.S. Senator. She was appointed by Governor Thomas W. Hardwick of Georgia to fill a vacancy.   1929 - The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes officially changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.   1932 - Iraq was admitted into the League of Nations leading Britain to terminate their mandate over the nation. Britain had ruled Iraq since taking it from Turkey during World War I.   1935 - Italian forces invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia).   1941 - Adolf Hitler stated in a speech that Russia was "broken" and they "would never rise again."   1942 - The Office of Economic Stabilization was established by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He also authorized controls on rents, wages, salaries and farm prices.   1944 - During World War II, U.S. troops broke through the Siegfried Line.   1946 - "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day" began airing on NBC-TV.   1951 - CBS-TV aired the first coast-to-coast telecast of a prizefight. Dave Sands defeated Carl Olson at Soldier Field in Chicago.   1952 - Britain became the third nuclear power in the world when they successfully detonated their first atomic bomb. The U.S. and Russia were the only other nuclear powers.   1954 - "Father Knows Best" began airing on CBS-TV.   1955 - "Captain Kangaroo" premiered on CBS-TV.   1955 - "The Mickey Mouse Club" premiered on ABC-TV.   1961 - "The Dick Van Dyke Show" debuted on CBS-TV.   1962 - The Sigma VII blasted off from Cape Canaveral for a nine-hour flight.   1962 - The play, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!" opened on Broadway.   1974 - Frank Robinson took over the management position of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. He was the first black manager in major league baseball.   1981 - Irish Nationalist in Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland called off their hunger strike. The strike had lasted 7 months and ten people had died.   1986 - "Tough Guys" was released. It was the first comedy to feature Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. It was, however, their seventh movie together.   1988 - The space shuttle Discovery landed safely after its four-day mission. It was the first American shuttle mission since the Challenger disaster.   1989 - East Germany suspended unrestricted travel to Czechoslovakia in an effort to slow the flow of refugees to the West.   1989 - Art Shell became the first African-American head coach in the modern NFL when he took over the Los Angeles Raiders.   1990 - The Berlin Wall was dismantled eleven months after the borders between East and West Germany were dissolved. The unification of Germany ended 45 years of division.   1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made a visit to Kuwait since his country had seized control of the oil-rich nation.   1994 - The headquarters of the Haitian pro-army militia was raided by U.S. soldiers.   2001 - ESPN began its 10th season of National Hockey League (NHL) coverage.   2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) broke Babe Ruth's major league single-season record for walks at 171.   2003 - Ray Horn, of the duo "Siegfried & Roy," was attacked by tiger during a performance. Roy survived the attack after being dragged offstage. The tiger, a 7-year-old male named Montecore, was debuting in his first show.   2006 - North Korea announced that it would conduct a nuclear test as a key step in the manufacture of atomic bombs that it viewed as a deterrent against a U.S. attack. A date for the test was not announced.   2006 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a new high ending the day at 11,727.34. Earlier in the session, the Dow had risen to 11,758.95. Both previous records had been set on January 14, 2000.

1226 St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, died. 1863 President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. 1922 Rebecca L. Felton became the first woman U.S. Senator when she was appointed to serve out the term of Senator Thomas E. Watson. 1929 The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes formally changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. 1955 Captain Kangaroo and The Mickey Mouse Club premiered on television. 1974 Frank Robinson was named the first African-American manager in major league baseball. 1990 East Germany and West Germany united to become Germany, 45 years after being split into two countries at the end of World War II.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/oct03.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory