Browsing: October 1

A Brief History On October 1, 2021, the international exposition known as Expo 2020 was opened in Dubai, an expo delayed by the Covid 19 pandemic since its intended opening of October 20, 2020.  Few places on Earth remained largely unaffected by the worst pandemic of recent decades, and many notable activities were greatly affected by the measures to limit the spread of the deadly virus. Digging Deeper Some other major disruptions included: The 2020 Summer Olympics were not held until July and August of 2021.  Other sporting events were either cancelled or held without spectators. School closings affected about…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 1st.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On October 1, 331 B.C., one of history’s most significant battles occurred: The Battle of Gaugamela in which Alexander the Great dealt a decisive defeat to the then largest empire the world had ever seen (at 3.08 million square miles the Persian Empire even surpassed the Roman Empire’s 2.51 million square miles!). On October 1, 1942, the United States was a bit…

A Brief History On October 1, 1982, Disney’s latest and greatest attraction opened at their Orlando, Florida Walt Disney World location, EPCOT Center, now known as EPCOT.  An acronym, the name stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, intended to showcase technology and the latest in modern inventions and developments, a sort of “permanent world’s fair.” Digging Deeper Double the size of the original Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, EPCOT sprawls across over 300 acres.  The park gets plenty of visitors, close to 12.4 million per year, ranking 4th in North American theme parks and 7th in the world. Some…

A Brief History On October 1, 2009, paleontologists formally announced the discovery of the relatively complete Ardipithecus ramidus fossil skeleton first unearthed in 1994.  An incredibly important find in the search for the origins of human beings, the fossil is of a creature that is both bipedal and arboreal, and not real good at either form of existence!  When walking upright, Ardipithecus ramidus was less efficient than humans, and life in the trees left him less than as adept as arboreal primates.  Still, Ardi is an example of the species that is recognized as the earliest member of the family…

A Brief History On October 1, 1994, the Pacific island nation of Palau entered an agreement with the United States called “a Compact of Free Association with the United States,” maintaining its independence while reaping some of the territorial benefits of being part of the “American Empire.”  While the average American is probably not familiar with the most populous of the 340 islands that make up the country, and probably never heard of the capital city of Ngerulmud, those familiar with the US vs. Japan Pacific War during World War II may be familiar with the island of Peleliu, the…