What Happened on October 28?

  • The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor. (1886) US President Grover Cleveland dedicated the statue, which was a gift from France to celebrate America's independence from Britain in 1783. The statue quickly became the US symbol of freedom.

  • The Volstead Act was passed by the US Congress, enforcing Prohibition. (1919) US President Woodrow Wilson tried to veto the act, which prohibited the use of alcohol in the US, but his veto was overridden. Prohibition ended up having devastating effects on the US economy and its citizens. Ultimately, it resulted in toxic, bootlegged alcohol that killed more people than legal alcohol had. Prohibition ended in 1933.

  • Italy became a fascist nation. (1922) Benito Mussolini took control of the country during the "March on Rome" and installed his National Fascist Party. He was handed power from King Victor Emmanuel III. Mussolini was removed from power in 1943.

  • Greece joined the Allied forces in World War II. (1940) Italy invaded Greece in a poorly-conceived military move — even Hitler called the action a "major strategic blunder." Greece solidly defeated Italy, giving the Allies their first victory of the war.

  • The world's first porcelain toilet was made. (1885) Thomas Twyford, an English manufacturer, built the one-piece toilet using the cutting-edge flushing technology developed by J.G. Jennings in 1852.

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis officially ended. (1962) Nikita Khrushchev formally agreed to dismantle the Soviet missiles and remove them from Cuba. In exchange, the US agreed not to invade Cuba and respect its sovereignty. The world breathed a sigh of relief as the tense situation that almost caused a nuclear war came to an end.

  • Argentina elected its first female leader. (2007) Christina Fernandez assumed office on December 10. She previously had been the country's First Lady as well.

  • The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, was completed, becoming the tallest memorial in the US. (1965) The famous arch is 603 feet (about 184 meters) tall and 630 feet (about 192 meters) wide. The memorial symbolizes the US expansion from the East to the West.

  • The first university in the Americas was established. (1538) Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino, founded in the Dominican Republic, was the first institution of higher education to open in the New World. Students continue to study there today.

  • Harvard University opened as the first university in the United States. (1636) Harvard was established by a vote of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Great and General Court. The court initially convened on September 8 to consider the vote, but was adjourned until this day. They voted to provide a £400-English Pound appropriation to start the school.

Discussion Comments

Viranty

While it's true that education has been going around for a very long time, I didn't know that it dated all the way back to 1538. That's pretty interesting, to say the least. However, there's one thing that didn't really cross my mind until I read the bullet point. How much did universities cost back then? Obviously, the amount was nowhere near as much as it is now, but I'm sure that there had to be some compensation, right? However, whatever the case was, there's a high possibility that back then, education was much more "accessible", to say the least.

Hazali

I know that laws are quite different in some countries and states, but the fourth to last bullet point makes me question what some of the laws in Argentina are regarding women. After all, considering how the first female was elected in 2007, it really makes you wonder, doesn't it? Were and are rights against women still limited in Argentina?

In my opinion, not only does it show that not all countries and states have equal rights, but even more so, women are also restricted in many other parts of the world as well. Not to get off topic, but if one wants to see a good example of women in oppression, look no further than the Middle East.

Chmander

In relation to the first bullet point, one thing that I've always wondered is how some monuments began to get built in the first place. I think it's interesting that even though there are many things in our city that can contribute to our history, we really don't take the time to stop and think about it, and we don't really appreciate it for what it is. In fact, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty reminds me of a college trip that I had a few years ago.

In one of my communication classes, my class went downtown to view many of the monuments in Chicago, such as The Bean. Not only did we observe these artifacts, but we also learned that more than often, the history behind something doesn't really matter to its citizens because when it's all said and done, it becomes a norm of our culture. Overall, I think this is something that can be said about the Statue of Liberty as well.

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