A Brief History On October 21, 2021, film actor Alec Baldwin fired a single shot from a movie prop pistol on the set of Rust, a movie being filmed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico.  Sadly, Halyna Hutchins, a Ukrainian cinematographer involved in the film, was struck and killed by the bullet fired by Baldwin. Digging Deeper The tragic incident appeared to have been an accident, although at this time we still are not sure how a live round ended up in a prop gun that should only have blank rounds either in the pistol or on the…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 20th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On October 20, 1803, Ludwig van Beethoven, one of history’s greatest composers (and a favorite here at History and Headlines!) was hard at work on his vastly important “Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major,” better known as “Sinfonia Eroica” (“Heroic Symphony”). On October 20, 1827, and international coalition of British, French and Russian ships fought against a fleet of Turkish Ottoman…

A Brief History On October 20, 1827, an international coalition of British, French, and Russian ships fought against a fleet of Turkish Ottoman and Egyptian ships in the Battle of Navarino, the last major naval battle fought by wooden sailing ships. Digging Deeper Part of the 1821 to 1829 Greek War of Independence, Navarino pitted 1,252 naval guns spread across 10 ships of the line, 10 frigates, two schooners, four sloops, and one cutter on the European side against the Ottoman fleet of 2,158 guns dispersed among three ships of the line, 17 frigates, 30 corvettes, five schooners, 28 brigs,…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 19th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper October 19 marks the feast of Saint Frithuswith, also spelled Frideswide, who passed away on that date in 727 A.D., and for whom a king had died as he tried to force her into marriage! On October 19, 1864, military forces of the Confederate States of America invaded Vermont from a staging area in Quebec, Canada. On October 19, 1943, a French cargo ship…

A Brief History On October 19, 1943, a French cargo ship that had been seized by Germany in 1942, was sunk by USAAF North American B-25 Mitchell and RAF Bristol Beaufighter bombers near Crete, taking 2,098 Italian soldiers being held as POWs to a watery grave. Digging Deeper The Italians had surrendered to the Allies in September of 1943, and the Germans were faced with considerable numbers of Italian military forces alongside German forces.  The Germans decided to give the Italian soldiers the choice of either serving alongside their German comrades just as before the surrender, or to assume the…