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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