Today is Tuesday, October 16th, the 289th day of the year. There are 76 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1829, the Tremont Hotel opened in Boston. It was the first modern hotel in the United States.
In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a group of about 20 men in a raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to liberate and arm African-American slaves.
In 1962, the Cuban missile crisis began when aides to President John F. Kennedy informed him that reconnaissance photos indicated the presence of missile bases in Cuba.
In 1968, the New Yardbirds played their first concert at a club in London. The group was made up of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. They later changed their name to Led Zeppelin.
In 1969, the New York Mets won their first World Series title. They had been 100-to-one long shots at the beginning of the season. They became known as "The Miracle Mets."
In 1972, actor Leo G. Carroll died at the age of 79. He appeared in several projects including the film North By Northwest" and the television show "The Man from UNCLE."
In 1972, the legendary rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded. Singer John Fogerty would go on to have a successful solo career.
In 1978, Roman Catholic Cardinal Karol Wojtyla [[ voy-TEE-wah ]] was chosen to become the new pope. He later took the name John Paul the Second.
In 1984, in the first operation of its kind, a baboon heart was transplanted into a 15-day-old baby girl. Baby Fae lived until November 15th with her baboon heart.
In 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure was rescued after spending nearly three days trapped in an abandoned well shaft in Midland, Texas.
In 1995, black men from around the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C., for what was billed as "The Million Man March." The event was organized by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
In 1997, actress Audra Lindley died at the age of 79. She is best known for her role as Mrs. Roper on the television shows "Three's Company" and "The Ropers'."
In 1999, Dr. Jerri Nielsen was rescued from a research center in the South Pole after spending five months isolated by the Antarctic winter.
In 2000, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash near St. Louis, Missouri, along with his son Roger and an aide. He was 66. On Election Day, with his name still on the ballot, the people of Missouri voted Carnahan to victory. His wife Jean Carnahan took on the job of representing Missouri in the Senate.
In 2006, civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced to 28 months in prison for providing support to terrorists. Stewart was convicted for her role in helping Egyptian Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman get a message out to his followers while he was serving a life sentence for plotting to blow up New York landmarks.
In 2007, Oscar nominated actress Deborah Kerr, best known for acting alongside Burt Lancaster in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity," died at the age of 86. Kerr was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar six times. She finally won an honorary Academy Award in the early 1990s.
In 2010, actress Barbara Billingsley, best known for her role as June Cleaver on TV's "Leave It To Beaver," died on this date at the age of 94.
In 2011, President Obama joined members of the King family to dedicate the memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Mall in Washington on this date. Thousands attended the dedication ceremony.
In 2011, British race car driver Dan Wheldon was killed after a fiery 15-car pileup at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wheldon was a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. He was 33.
In 2016, A European rover headed for the surface of Mars after separating from its orbiting mothership.