October 12 is:
Cookbook Launch Day
Old Farmer’s Day
National Gumbo Day Gumbo is a stew-like dish that originated in Louisiana. It is typically made of a strongly flavored stock, a thickener (okra, filé powder, or roux), meat and/or shellfish, and vegetables.
1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance was first recited by students in many US public schools, as part of a celebration marking the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage. Written by Francis Bellamy, the original Pledge read as follows:
I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The United States Congress officially recognized the Pledge for the first time, in the following form, on June 22, 1942:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Since 1943, when the Supreme Court ruled in the case of West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, students couldn’t be forced to salute the US flag or say the pledge because doing so would violate their First Amendment rights.
The phrase “under God” was incorporated into the Pledge of Allegiance June 14, 1954, by a Joint Resolution of Congress amending §4 of the Flag Code.
1935 Birthday of Luciano Pavarotti, Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed and loved tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and achieving the honorific title “King of the High Cs”.
October 12, 2000 While preparing to refuel in the Yemeni port of Aden, the USS Cole, a U.S. naval destroyer, was attacked by suicide bombers associated with al-Qaeda; 17 sailors were killed and 39 wounded.