October 1 is:
International Day of Older Persons
World Vegetarian Day
National Pumpkin Spice Day
- The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
- In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
- Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
- The chemicals in the pumpkin seed cause an increase in urination (diuretic effect), which helps relieve bladder and prostate discomfort. Some chemicals might also reduce inflammation in the prostate.
Birthday of James Lawrence (October 1, 1781), naval hero during the War of 1812; he commanded USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words or “dying command” “Don’t give up the ship!”, which is still a popular naval battle cry.
Spain ceded Louisiana to France in a secret treaty, the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800.
Birthday of Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison (October 1, 1832), first wife of Benjamin Harrison, first lady 1889-1892. She secured $35,000 in appropriations from Congress to renovate the White House; and she oversaw an extensive project making up-to-date improvements. In 1891 she had electricity installed but was too frightened to handle the switches. She left the lights on all night and a building engineer turned them off each morning. Harrison was nominated for a second term in 1892. A few days prior to the election, First Lady Caroline Harrison died of tuberculosis.
Karl Marx‘ “Das Kapital, Volume I”, also called “Capital. A Critique of Political Economy” published in 1867. Volumes II and III were completed by Engels from the notes of Marx. Marx is also well-known for writing the 1848 pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto. Marx died in 1883.
1903 – First baseball World Series, Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League vs Boston Americans of the American League. Pittsburgh pitcher, Sam Leever, injured his shoulder while trap-shooting, so his teammate, Deacon Phillippe, pitched five complete games, winning three of them. In Game 1, Phillippe set a World Series record by striking out ten Boston batters.
In Game 2, Boston pitcher Bill Dinneen broke that record, striking out eleven batters.
He and pitcher Cy Young led Boston to victory, coming back from a 3 game to 1 deficit, winning the final four games to win the World Series.
Henry Ford introduced the Model T car (costs $825) in 1908.
1908 The Model T Ford was introduced at a price of $825. Due to efficient mass production, by 1925 the price of a 2 door Model T was only $260.
1913 A monument to honor sea gulls was erected in Salt Lake City, Utah. The gulls had eaten the plague of grasshoppers that threatened the Mormon settlers crops in 1848.
The Black Sox Scandal took place during the play of the 1919 World Series. The Chicago White Sox lost the series to the Cincinnati Reds, and eight White Sox players were later accused of intentionally losing games in exchange for money from gamblers. The players were acquitted in court, but nevertheless, they were all banned for life from baseball.
Birthday of Jimmy Carter (October 1, 1924), thirty-ninth President of the United States. Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency is remembered for the events that overwhelmed it—inflation, energy crisis, war in Afghanistan, and hostages in Iran. After one term in office, voters strongly rejected Jimmy Carter’s gloomy outlook in favor of Ronald Reagan’s optimism.
Birthday of William Rehnquist, (October 1, 1924), Supreme Court (1972-86) Chief Justice (1987-2005)
Birthday of Julie Andrews (October 1, 1935), Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, actress/singer (Sound of Music, Mary Poppins)