What Happened On
Longest NFL Punt Return - 103 Yards
October 23, 1994
Robert Bailey of the Los Angeles Rams in a game against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints punted the ball and it looked like it would bounce out the end zone, however, it didn't. Apparently, everyone except Bailey thought the ball was dead. He scooped it up as players were walking off the field and returned it for a touchdown before anyone realized what had happened. The Saints prevailed and won 37-34.
First Criminal Prosecution for Cheating on a College Entrance Exam
October 23, 1992
A 19-year-old Maryland man is sentenced to six months in jail for committing perjury after paying another man $200 to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) exam for him. He eventually admitted his guilt. Suspicions arose after his substitute scored exceptionally high on the exam.
Rescue and clean-up crews search for casualties
Rescue and clean-up crews search for casualties
Bombing of U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut
October 23, 1983
Two truck bombs strike separate buildings housing Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) peacekeepers, specifically targeting United States and French service members, killing 241 U.S. and 58 French peacekeepers, 6 civilians, and the 2 suicide attackers. This was the deadliest single-day death toll for the U.S. Marine Corps since World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima, the deadliest single-day death toll for the U.S. Armed Forces since the first day of the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, the deadliest single terrorist attack on American citizens prior to the September 11 attacks, and the deadliest single terrorist attack on American citizens overseas.
A group called "Islamic Jihad" claimed responsibility and said that the bombings were aimed to get the Multinational Forces out of Lebanon.
First Videotaped Person on Network TV
October 23, 1956
A two and a half minute video-taped performance by Dorothy Collins aired during a live broadcast of The Jonathan Winter's Show.
The videotape recorder was new and NBC engineers wanted to see if the viewing public could tell the difference between a videotape and the live portion of the show. They played the segment as if it were part of the live show, and it passed the test.
The first tape-delayed television program would take place the following month.
Michelangelo's Creation of Adam
Biblical Day of Creation
October 23, 4004 B.C.
As calculated in 1658 by Archbishop James Ussher of Armagh, Ireland. He used a combination of Biblical and historical documents to calculate this date of creation.
Woman Detained for "Unusually Large Buttocks"
October 23, 1992
She was attempting to smuggle 1½ pounds of surgically implanted heroin through a Columbian airport.
First Japanese Emperor to Visit China
October 23, 1992
Emperor Akihito.
AIDS
October 23, 1992
The director of the French national blood transfusion center is convicted of knowingly distributing AIDS-infected blood, resulting in 256 deaths and hundreds of new cases of the disease.
Reagan Testifies on Communism in the Entertainment Industry
October 23, 1947
Ronald Reagan, President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and future President of the U.S., testifies before the House Un-American Activities Committee about communism in the entertainment industry. He testified that a small clique within the SAG was using "communist-like tactics" in attempting to steer union policy, "…I can certainly testify that in the case of the Screen Actors Guild we have been eminently successful in preventing them from, with their usual tactics, trying to run a majority of an organization with a well-organized minority."
First Successful Stratospheric Flight Through Clouds
October 23, 1934
Jean Felix Piccard and his wife in a balloon reaching an altitude of 11 miles.
Fred Allen's First Radio Show
October 23, 1932
The Linit Bath Club Review debuts on radio. It was Fred Allen's first radio show.
First U.S. National Radio Network Broadcast Received on the West Coast
October 23, 1924
A speech by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.
First National Women's Rights Convention
October 23, 1850
Concerns included the right to vote, equal wages, women's property rights, and marriage reform.
Birthdays
Johnny Carson
Born October 23, 1925 d. 2005
American Emmy-winning TV late-night host of the Tonight Show (1962-92) for nearly 30 years. An avid tennis player, when he sold a Malibu house to John McEnroe the terms required McEnroe to give Johnny six tennis lessons.
First Woman to Swim the English Channel
Gertrude Caroline Ederle
Born October 23, 1905 d. 2003
American swimmer. Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel (1926). Her time of 14 hours and 34 minutes for the 21-mile (33.8 km) swim was almost two hours faster than the current men's record. Her record stood until 1950.
She also won three Olympic medals, including a gold at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
She was hard of hearing since childhood due to measles and by the 1940s she was almost completely deaf. She taught swimming to deaf children.
Weird Al Yankovic (Alfred Matthew Yankovic)
Born October 23, 1959
American Grammy-winning satirist musician. Music: Eat It (1983) and I Lost On Jeopardy (1984). Film: UHF (1989) and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022).
Michael Crichton
Born October 23, 1942 d. 2008
American author. Writings: The Andromeda Strain (1969), Westworld (1973), and Jurassic Park (1993).
Dimitra Arliss
Born October 23, 1932 d. 2012
American actress. TV: Rich Man, Poor Man-Book II (1976, Maria Falconetti). Film: The Sting (1973, Hit woman Loretta).
Robert Bray
Born October 23, 1917 d. 1983
American actor. TV: Lassie (forest ranger Corey Stuart). He died from an accidental gunshot wound sustained while out hunting alone.
Gobbledygook
Maury Maverick (Fontaine Maury Maverick Sr.)
Born October 23, 1895 d. 1954
American politician, U.S. congressman (Texas, 1935-39), mayor of San Antonio (1939-41). He coined the word "Gobbledygook" (1944) referring to obscure and euphemistic bureaucratic language.
Gummo Marx (Milton Marx)
Born October 23, 1892 d. 1977
American comedian, one of the Marx Brothers. He left the team to join the military during World War I before they reached stardom. After the war he became a talent agent; his clients included his brother Groucho Marx. Gummo helped develop the radio show The Life of Riley.
Adlai Ewing Stevenson I
Born October 23, 1835 d. 1914
American politician. 23rd U.S. Vice-President (1893-97 under Grover Cleveland), U.S. House of Representatives (1875-77, 1879-81, Illinois). While serving as first Assistant Postmaster General in 1885, he fired over 40,000 Republican workers and replaced them with Southern Democrats. In 1893, due to mouth cancer he required the replacement of his upper jaw with a prosthesis. Not wanting to start another panic on Wall Street, the operation was kept secret by performing it on a yacht.
Samuel Morey
Born October 23, 1762 d. 1843
American inventor. He patented the first U.S. internal combustion engine. It was later used to power the first automobile ride in the U.S. (The second in the world).
Peter II
Born October 23, 1715 d. 1730
Czar of Russia (1727-30), grandson of Peter the Great. He died on of small pox on his intended wedding day.
Deaths
Al Jolson (Asa Yoelson)
Died October 23, 1950 b. 1886
Russian-born American jazz singer, comedian, actor. Called "The World's Greatest Entertainer", he was the highest paid entertainer of the 1920s. He is now seen as controversial for his use of blackface while performing traditional African-America music for American and European audiences that weren't receptive to black performers. He was the first star to entertain U.S. troops overseas after the outbreak of WWII. Film: The Jazz Singer (1927) and The Jolson Story (1946, in which Larry Parks played Jolson, with the Jolson dubbing for Parks).
Zane Grey
Died October 23, 1939 b. 1872
American western novelist. His novels have been adapted into over 100 films. He played minor league baseball and played one major league game with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903).
Writings: Riders of the Purple Sage (1912, selling over 12,000,000 copies).
Joan Quigley
Died October 23, 2014 b. 1927
American astrologer. Her astrological advice to First Lady Nancy Reagan guided her husband U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Mrs. Reagan began using Quigley after Quigley claimed she could have foreseen the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan had she been watching for it. Donald Regan wrote, "Virtually every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman in San Francisco [Quigley] who drew up horoscopes to make certain that the planets were in a favorable alignment for the enterprise."
Her book, What Does Joan Say?, described her years as astrologer to the White House.
Lou Jacobi
Died October 23, 2009 b. 1913
Canadian actor. TV: Somerset (Mac Wells).
Robert Lansing (Robert Brown)
Died October 23, 1994 b. 1928
American actor. TV: Twelve O'Clock High (Gen. Savage) and The Equalizer (Control).
Jessica Savitch
Died October 23, 1983 b. 1947
American news correspondent. NBC newswoman and anchor of PBS news magazine Front Line. She and her boyfriend died in a car crash.
Author of Brewster's Millions
George Barr McCutcheon
Died October 23, 1928 b. 1866
American author. He wrote the novel Brewster's Millions (1902), which has been the basis for at least six movies, including the 1985 version starring Richard Pryor and a 1937 radio version starring Jack Benny.
Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires
Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires
John Boyd Dunlop
Died October 23, 1921 b. 1840
Scottish veterinarian and inventor. He patented the pneumatic tire (1888), although he would lose his patent rights when it was discovered the pneumatic tire had already been patented. Dunlop originally developed pneumatic tires for his son's tricycle and soon had them made commercially in Scotland. A cyclist using his tires began winning all his races and drew the attention of Harvey Du Cros, who then went into business with Dunlop.