Oct. 11: National Coming Out Day; Apollo 7 Launch; Clarence Thomas Hearings
1968 Apollo 7 Launch
NASA launched Apollo 7, the first successful manned Apollo mission. Astronauts aboard the flight were Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham.
1975 ‘SNL’ Debuts
NBC premiered the sketch comedy show “ Saturday Night Live” with host George Carlin. The cast in the first year included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Chevy Chase.
1984 First American Woman to Walk in Space
Kathy Sullivan, a 33-year-old marine geologist, became the first American woman to walk in space during an eight-day Challenger mission. Sullivan assisted in tests to see if satellites could be refueled while in orbit.
1988 National Coming Out Day Begins
During the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, 200,000 activists marched to rally against discrimination. A year later, Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary organized National Coming Out Day on the march’s anniversary. The purpose of Coming Out day is to celebrate coming out and to raise awareness to the civil rights of LGBT individuals.
1991 Clarence Thomas Hearings
Attorney Anita Hill accused Supreme Court justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, which Thomas denied. On Oct. 15, 1991, the Senate confirmed Thomas by a 52-48 vote.
1999 World Population Reaches 6 Billion
The world population doubled over just 40 years, reaching 6 billion.
Famous Birthdays
1884 Eleanor Roosevelt
1946 Daryl Hall
1962 Joan Cusack
1965 Luke Perry
1967 Artie Lange
1968 Jane Krakowski
1969 Stephen Moyer
1985 Michelle Trachtenberg
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