Today's Puzzle
The more I grow, the less you can see. What am I?
What Happened On
Fingerprinting
October 28, 1890
Nature magazine published the first article to advocate the use of fingerprinting for criminal investigations.
Fingerprints were used in ancient history, with the Babylonian king Hammurabi (reigned 1792-1750 BCE) noting that law officials would take the fingerprints of people who had been arrested.
They were also used in ancient China to authenticate government documents.
In 1788, German anatomist Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer became the first European to recognize that fingerprints were unique to each individual.
In 1880, Henry Faulds, now known as the "Father of Fingerprinting," was the first to suggest using fingerprints for criminal investigations.
Fingerprints are fairly unique to individuals and even identical twins who share DNA will have unique fingerprints.
Statue of Liberty
October 28, 1886
The 151-foot-high gift from the French people is dedicated. The French donated the Statue of Liberty, but the U.S. was responsible for building its pedestal. In 1884, the governor of New York Grover Cleveland vetoed a bill to provide $50,000 for the project. An attempt the following year to have Congress provide the $100,000 necessary to complete the project also failed. The New York committee, with only $3,000 in the bank, was unable to build the pedestal. With the project in jeopardy, other American cities offered to pay the full cost of erecting the statue in return for relocating it to their city. However, publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World, started a donation drive that drew more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar, raising $102,000. With those funds, construction of the pedestal began.
Ironically, Grover Cleveland, who vetoed funding for the pedestal while governor of New York, was now U.S. President and presided over the dedication, which included New York's first ticker-tape parade.
Its famous poem, by Emma Lazarus, inscribed at the base contains the famous lines,
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
Emperor Constantine Converts to Christianity
October 28, 312
Constantine I wins the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and converts to Christianity. According to some accounts, he received instructions in a dream to paint the Christian monogram on his troops' shields, thus fighting the battle in the name of the Christian God. Other accounts say he saw a cross in the heaven bearing the expression "In this sign conquer." The Arch of Constantine, celebrating this victory, attributes Constantine's success to divine intervention; however, it does not display any overtly Christian symbolism.
This was a turning point in Christianity, as Constantine would go on to legalize and support the Christian faith.
Cheeky Education
October 28, 1993
The president of Columbia's largest university, National University, "moons" his audience in response to being interrupted by students during a speech.
Cuban Missile Crisis
October 28, 1962
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that the Cuban missile bases would be dismantled.
First Woman U.S. Ambassador
October 28, 1949
Eugenie Anderson is sworn in by U.S. President Harry S. Truman as ambassador to Denmark.
She was later appointed by U.S. President John F. Kennedy to be ambassador to Bulgaria (1962-1964).
First Scheduled International Passenger Flight
October 28, 1927
The first scheduled international passenger flight is flown when Pan Am begins flying a route from Key West to Havana.
Mussolini Overthrows Facta Government
October 28, 1922
Benito Mussolini leads the Fascist Party on a march against Rome, overthrowing the Facta government. He then became prime minister.
Volstead Act
October 28, 1919
Passed by the U.S. Congress over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. As part of prohibition, it set maximum alcohol content in non-intoxicating beverages to ½ of 1%
Pathétique Symphony
October 28, 1893
Tchaikovsky conducts his masterpiece Symphony No. 6 for its first performance, just nine days before his death.
Harvard University
October 28, 1636
The oldest college in America is founded.
Birthdays
Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner
Born October 28, 1949
American track athlete, Olympic gold medal winner (1976), Wheaties spokesperson. TV: Keeping Up with the Kardashians. In 2015, Bruce officially changed her sex to female and her name to Caitlynn Jenner.
Salk administering the vaccine
Salk administering the vaccine
Jonas Edward Salk
Born October 28, 1914 d. 1995
American physician, scientist. He discovered a polio vaccine in 1953, saving thousands from the crippling disease. In 1952 alone, polio paralyzed 21,000 people and killed 3,100.
Salk chose to not patent the vaccine in order to maximize its distribution. When asked who owned the patent, Salk replied, "Well, the people I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" It is estimated the patent would have been worth billions had it been patented.
Lanchester as the bride (left)
Lanchester as the bride (left)
Elsa Lanchester (Elsa Sullivan Lanchester)
Born October 28, 1902 d. 1986
English singer, actress. Film: Bride of Frankenstein (1935, the blushing bride).
Electron microscope image of influenza virus
Electron microscope image of influenza virus
Discovered Viruses
Dmitry Iosifovich Ivanovsky
Born October 28, 1864 d. 1920
Russian biologist, discover of viruses. He was studying a tobacco crop disease when he found that an invisible parasite, much smaller than any known bacterium, was the cause. This newly-discovered life form was the virus (1892).
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Born October 28, 1837 d. 1913
Japanese Shogun. Tokugawa Yoshinobu was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. After a failed attempt to reform the shogunate, he resigned in 1867 restoring power back to the Emperor.
Michelangelo's Creation of Adam
Adam
Born October 28, 4004 B.C. d. 3074 B.C.
First human, as per the Bible. In 1658, Archbishop James Ussher of Armagh, Ireland used a combination of Biblical and historical documents to calculate the day of creation and of Adam's birth.
Julia Roberts
Born October 28, 1967
American actress. Film: Steel Magnolias (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), Flatliners (1990), Sleeping With the Enemy (1991), and Hook (1991).
Jami Gertz
Born October 28, 1965
American actress. TV: Square Pegs (Muffy).
Bill Gates (William Henry Gates III)
Born October 28, 1955
American businessman. He and Paul Allen founded Microsoft (1975). Allen convinced Gates to drop out of Harvard University in order to create Microsoft. He was once the world's richest man.
Hopkins (left) with Tony Orlando and Joyce Vincent Wilson
Hopkins (left) with Tony Orlando and Joyce Vincent Wilson
Telma Louise Hopkins
Born October 28, 1948
American singer, actor. Telma Hopkins came to fame with the group Tony Orlando and Dawn. Music: Knock Three Times (1971, #1) and Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973, #1). TV: Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974-76), Gimme a Break! (1983-87, Addy) and Family Matters (1989-97, Rachel).
Mother of First Surviving Sextuplets
Susan Jane Rosenkowitz
Born October 28, 1947
South African mother. She gave birth to the first recorded surviving sextuplets (1974). Source: Guinness Book of World Records
Jane Alexander (Jane Quigley)
Born October 28, 1939
American Tony-Emmy-winning actress. Stage: The Great White Hope (1969, Tony). Film: All the President's Men (1976) and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). TV: Eleanor and Franklin (1976, Eleanor Roosevelt) and Playing for Time (1980, Emmy). She was selected as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (1993).
Photo Credit: Joe Schneid
Photo Credit: Joe Schneid
Charlie Daniels
Born October 28, 1936 d. 2020
American Hall of Fame Grammy-winning singer, fiddler. Music: The Devil Went Down to Georgia (1979).
Dody Goodman (Dolores Goodman)
Born October 28, 1914 d. 2008
American actress. Her distinctive voice was described as sounding "like a Tweetie Pie cartoon bird strangling on peanut butter." TV: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-77, Mary's mother) and Diff'rent Strokes (1981-84, Aunt Sophia). Film: Grease (1978, Blanche) and Splash (1984, Mrs. Stimler).
Francis Bacon
Born October 28, 1909 d. 1992
British artist. One of the leading artists of the 20th century.
Co-founder of Smith & Wesson
Horace Smith
Born October 28, 1808 d. 1893
American gun-maker. Co-founder of Smith & Wesson (1852). Smith and Daniel B. Wesson founded the Smith & Wesson Company (1852) to develop the first repeating rifle. He is also credited with the invention of the explosive bullet used to kill whales.
Eliphalet Remington
Born October 28, 1793 d. 1861
American gun manufacturer. Founder of Remington gunworks.
Deaths
Jerry Lee Lewis
Died October 28, 2022 b. 1935
American rock 'n' roll singer. Music: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (1957, #1) and Great Balls of Fire (1957, #1). He created a scandal in 1957 by marrying his 13-year-old cousin. Source: Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis
Wagoner with Dolly Parton
Wagoner with Dolly Parton
Mr. Grand Ole Opry
Porter Wagoner
Died October 28, 2007 b. 1927
American Hall of Fame country singer. Known as "Mr. Grand Ole Opry." He introduced Dolly Parton on his TV show, The Porter Wagoner Show, and they performed as a duo during the 1960s and 70's. Wagoner charted 81 singles from 1954 to 1983.
Music: Misery Loves Company (1962, #1).
Arnold "Red" Auerbach
Died October 28, 2006 b. 1917
American basketball coach, manager. His 938 wins with the Boston Celtics makes him the NBA all-time win leader at the time of his retirement. He introduced the fast break as an offensive weapon. He also drafted the first African-American NBA player (1950, Chuck Cooper).
Richest Girl in the World
Doris Duke
Died October 28, 1993 b. 1912
American heiress. At 12 years old she and her mother inherited between $60 million and $100 million (equivalent to $837 million to $1.395 billion in 2018) from her father, earning her the nickname "the richest girl in the world." Duke posted a bail of $5,000,000 for her friend, former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos after Marcos was arrested for racketeering.