This Month in History: October

Thurgood Marshall wearing his robe, a gavel, the Supreme Court building

Oct. 2, 1967 - Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American on the Supreme Court 

United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) devoted his life to civil rights. During his long career as counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), he led the legal team in Brown vs. the Board of Education. He became a judge in 1961 when he was appointed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1967, President Johnson nominated Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was vehemently opposed by several Southern senators, but he was confirmed with a vote of 69 to 11. Marshall, a liberal among conservatives, served until 1991 when he retired due to his failing health. (Marshall photo from the Library of Congress)

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Shawnee Chief Tecumseh

Oct. 5, 1813 - Shawnee Chief Tecumseh is killed in the War of 1812

Regarded as one of the greatest Native Americans, Tecumseh was a powerful orator and warrior who defended his people against westward expansion. He tried to bring multiple tribes together in the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley to present a united front against white settlers. When the War of 1812 broke out, he joined the British as a brigadier general. Tecumseh helped win several key battles but was killed at the Battle of Thames in Ontario, Canada. (Left and middle images from the Library of Congress, right image from Flickr)

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USSR flag, Cuban flag, American flag, President Kennedy

Oct. 22, 1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis

President John F. Kennedy appeared on television to announce to the American public that the Soviet Union had nuclear missiles in Cuba. He demanded the missiles be removed and ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba. Negotiations were filled with direct and secret communications between the White House and the Kremlin. Six days later, the Soviets removed the missiles and the next year the United States removed missiles from Turkey. This event was the closest the two superpowers came to nuclear conflict during the Cold War.

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red and white boxing gloves and ali and foreman boxing in the ring

Oct. 30, 1974 - Muhammad Ali wins the heavyweight championship against George Foreman

Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali had hopes of regaining his title even though the younger George Foreman was favored to win. Seven years earlier, the government had accused Ali of draft-dodging and the boxing commission revoked his boxing license. Now, Ali was back in what was named "The Rumble in the Jungle," the first heavyweight match in Africa. Ali used his rope-a-dope technique of tiring out his opponent. In the eighth round, Ali began a series of quick punches that sent the exhausted Foreman to the mat. (photo of Ali and Foreman from Flickr)

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Factual information from: History, the National Park Service, the State Department, and National Geographic.

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By BethN on October 2, 2023