Almanac - Thursday October 20, 2022

1818 – The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length.

1935 – The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends.

1947 – Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.

1973 – In the Watergate scandal: the "Saturday Night Massacre" happened: United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork.

1973 – The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.

1977 – A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States. Six people, including three band members, are killed.

1981 – Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York.

1991 – A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums.

2003 – The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structure known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University.

…and if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday To You! You share this special day with…

1632 – Christopher Wren, English physicist, mathematician, and architect, designed St Paul's Cathedral (d. 1723)

1819 – Báb, Iranian religious leader, founded Bábism (d. 1850)

1854 – Arthur Rimbaud, French soldier and poet (d. 1891)

1859 – John Dewey, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1952)

1874 – Charles Ives, American composer (d. 1954)

1882 – Margaret Dumont, American actress (d. 1965)

1882 – Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-American actor (d. 1956)

1900 – Wayne Morse, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 1974)

1907 – Arlene Francis, American actress and television personality (d. 2001)

1913 – Grandpa Jones, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (d. 1998)

1925 – Art Buchwald, American soldier and journalist (d. 2007)

1927 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist, author, and actress (d. 2013)

1931 – Mickey Mantle, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1995)

1934 – Eddie Harris, American saxophonist (d. 1996)

1937 – Wanda Jackson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1940 – Robert Pinsky, American poet and critic

1950 – Tom Petty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)

1953 – Bill Nunn, American actor (d. 2016)

1958 – Viggo Mortensen, American-Danish actor and producer

1964 – Kamala Harris, American politician and lawyer, 49th Vice President of the United States

1970 – Michelle Malkin, American blogger and author

1971 – Snoop Dogg, American rapper, producer, and actor