This Day in History Class

On this day in 1991, after days of build-up, a devastating storm reached peak intensity as it battered the North Atlantic.

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On this day in 1929, in an event known as Black Tuesday, the United States stock market crashed, wiping out the savings of thousands of investors and erasing $100 billion from the nation’s economy.

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On this day in 1846, a blizzard traps the ill-fated Donner Party in a high mountain pass in California.

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On this day in 1966, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, aired for the very first time on CBS.

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On this day in 1948, an ominous, yellow fog descends on the town of Donora, Pennsylvania.

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John Carpenter’s seminal slasher film Halloween premieres at the AMC Empire theater in Kansas City, Missouri.

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On this day in 1901, a 63-year-old teacher named Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to ride over the edge of Niagara Falls in a barrel.

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On this day in 1959, the parody-singing, polka-playing musician known as “Weird Al” was born.

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On this day in 1797, French balloonist André-Jacques Garnerin descended 3,200 feet through the skies of Paris, becoming the first person to float safely to the ground using a frameless parachute.

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On this day in 1966, an avalanche of coal waste swept through the village of Aberfan in South Wales, claiming the lives of 144 people.

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