Today is Monday, October 22nd, the 295th day of the year. There are 70 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1883, the original Metropolitan Opera House opened in New York City.
In 1907, Ringling Brothers bought out their rival, Barnum and Bailey circus, to form the most famous circus in the world.
In 1934, notorious bank robber "Pretty Boy" Floyd was shot and killed by federal agents in East Liverpool, Ohio.
In 1938, Chester Carlson demonstrated the first copying machine.
In 1960, boxer Cassius Clay, the future Muhammad Ali, won his first professional fight.
In 1962, President Kennedy announced an air and naval blockade of Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet missile bases on the island.
In 1964, EMI Records passed on a chance to sign the band High Numbers following their audition. The group later became The Who.
In 1969, Paul McCartney officially denied the rumor that he was dead.
In 1982, Sylvester Stallone's first Rambo film, "First Blood," opened across the U.S.
In 1978, Pope John Paul the Second was installed as the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, in effect becoming the first non-Italian Pope in 456 years.
In 1979, the 100-millionth person passed through the gates of Florida's Walt Disney World.
In 1991, the first Planet Hollywood restaurant opened in New York City.
In 1998, the government announced one of the biggest toy recalls ever. Parents were told to remove batteries from their children's Fisher Price "Power Wheels" cars and trucks because of faulty wiring that could cause the toys to burst into flames.
In 2007, raging wildfires continued to sweep across southern California forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in several counties.
In 2015, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the House committee on Benghazi for more than nine hours. Clinton said she has accepted full responsibility for four Americans killed in the 2012 terror attacks on a U.S. consulate in Libya.
In 2015, the Pentagon confirmed that the first U.S. soldier was killed in the fight against ISIS. He was later named as Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler from Oklahoma.