Navy Day: 2011 marks 236 years of the United States Navy.  The first Navy Day celebrations were Oct. 27, 1922, a date chosen in honor of Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. Roosevelt served as sssistant secretary of the Navy in 1897.  Prior to 1949, Navy ships would dock at ports around the country Oct. 27 to celebrate and allow civilians to tour the ships.  In 1949, the secretary of the Department of Defense, Louis A. Johnson, declared that Navy festivities would instead take place on Armed Forces Day in May.

Also on This Day:

1904 New York City Subway Opens

The New York City subway system debuted to the public Oct. 27, 1904 with one line running from City Hall to 103rd Street in Harlem and making 28 stops. Passengers could ride the train for a nickel. New York City’s subway was not America’s first (Boston’s transit system opened in 1897), but it is the country’s largest.

1988 Rebuilding U.S. Embassy in Moscow

President Reagan says embassy must be rebuilt after electronic bugs are found.

1997 Global Stock Market Crash

NYSE halted trading to stem losses as the world plunged into a global financial crisis.

2004 Boston Red Sox Win First World Series Since 1918

Up until 2004, the Boston Red Sox had not won a World Series since 1918 when they beat the Chicago Cubs.  Despite the World Series win in 1918, the Sox were in bad financial shape.  To lift the team out of debt, the team’s owner, Harry Frazee, sold star player Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, a deal that would spawn the “Curse of the Bambino.”  The Boston Red Sox finally broke the “curse” in 2004 when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games to win the World Series title.

2005 Harriet Miers Withdraws Supreme Court Nomination

President George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers to take the Supreme Court seat vacated by Sandra Day O’Connor, but she declined the opportunity.

Famous Birthdays

1858 Theodore Roosevelt

1914 Dylan Thomas

1932 Sylvia Plath

1940 John Gotti

1958 Simon Le Bon

1966 Matt Drudge

1967 Steve Almond

1982 Patrick Fugit

1984 Brady Quinn

1984 Kelly Osbourne

Jump back to Oct. 26: Day in History.

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