Famous Birthdays
October History
Halloween
Spiders
Oktoberfest
Snakes
200
Born on October 20, 1882, this Hungarian actor is best remembered for his role as the most famous vampire of all time.
Who is Bela Lugosi?
The actor made his Broadway debut before he even spoke a word of English. He memorized his lines perfectly and went on to rise to fame for playing Dracula.
200
On October 1st, 1908, the first of these cars rolled off the assembly line.
What are Model T’s?
Henry Ford said, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black," leading to a legend that it only came in black. However in the first years of production from 1908 to 1913, the Model T was not available in black, but rather only in gray, green, blue, and red. Only in 1914 was the "any color so long as it is black" policy finally implemented.
200
This famous magician and escape artist passed away on Halloween, 1926 in Detroit, Michigan.
Who is Harry Houdini?
Perhaps ironically, the bronze casket Houdini created for his stunt "Buried Alive" was used to transport his body from Detroit to New York following his death.
200
Orb weaver spiders have 5 spinnerets for extruding this substance used to make webs.
What is Silk?
Some fun facts about spider silk; it's stronger by weight than steel, there are 7 different types of spider silk, spiders make silk kites, slingshots, submarines and more, and some spiders 'tune' and pluck their silk like a guitar.
200
You might know that Oktoberfest actually starts in this month.
What is September?
The event started in 1810 and at that time it took place during one week of October. Along the years, it was extended and the starting date was changed to September because the weather is warmer and more pleasing. Therefore, it’s easier to attract more visitors to stay even longer and enjoy the beer (and festival) throughout the night.
200
Nebraska is home to at least four types of venomous snakes, including three types of this snake, named for the distinctive noise it makes.
What are rattlesnakes?
Timber Rattlesnakes, Prairie Rattlesnakes, and the Massasauga, also known as a swamp rattler. The other venomous species is the Copperhead. There are 25 other nonvenomous snake species native to Nebraska.
There have been no recorded snakebite deaths in Nebraska.
400
Born October 11, 1884, she was the wife of one American president and the niece of another.
Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?
Her husband was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and her uncle was Theodore Roosevelt. She championed racial equality, women’s rights, war refugees, and children. She wrote a daily newspaper column and was a delegate for the United Nations.
400
Every year, Canada celebrates this holiday on the second Monday of October, and the United States celebrates the same holiday on the fourth Thursday of November.
What is Thanksgiving?
In Canada, Protestants petitioned the colonial government to establish the holiday to thank God for the harvest. Instead of turkey, Canadians might serve ham and tourtiere, a pastry pie filled with potatoes and meat. People from Newfoundland like to enjoy a traditional Jiggs dinner – corned beef, root vegetables, and peas pudding all boiled together. For dessert, Ontarian locals usually go for butter tarts, while people in the Canadian Prairie love their apple pie, instead of pumpkin pie.
400
This famous Halloween candy was created in the 1880's and was originally named "Chicken Feed".
What is Candy Corn?
It’s widely considered the worst candy in surveys, followed by Circus Peanuts.
400
If you see a characteristic "Halloween" spider-web, it was probably created by this type of spider.
What are Orb Weavers?
Orb weavers, part of a very large group of different species, will trap and eat a large number of flies, mosquitos, and in some places, even small birds! Many orb weavers will destroy their nest and then rebuild it every day, changing the size, strength, and stickiness depending on what prey they want to catch!
400
The only beer allowed at Oktoberfest is brewed in this city.
What is Munich?
Oktoberfest is, above all, a celebration of Bavarian traditions, so the only beer you’ll find during the festival is brewed within the city limits of Munich. In 2023, around 6.5 million liters of beer were poured.
400
Thamnophis is the genus of snakes that have stripes resembling these bands used to secure clothing.
What are garters?
They're the most widespread snake in the united states. Dozens and dozens of baby garter snakes slithering around may be a nightmare for some people, but garter snakes can have as many as 80 babies at once. Common garter snakes are ovoviviparous, which means they give birth to live offspring after the eggs are incubated in the females' abdomens.
600
In tribute to this man, the U.N. declared his birthday, October 2, International Day of Non-Violence
Who is Mahatma Ghandi?
Born and raised in a Hindu family in coastal Gujarat, Gandhi trained in the law at the Inner Temple, London, and was called to the bar at age 22 in June 1891. In 1915, aged 45, he returned to India from South Africa and soon set about organizing peasants, farmers, and urban laborers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. India gained its independence from Britain in 1947, but religious strife continued between Hindus and Muslims, and Ghandi continued his nonviolent approach to attempt to stop the unrest. He was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist.
600
On October 18, 1867, the United States took possession of what is now the 49th state.
What is Alaska?
The United States purchased it from Russia, and it became a state in 1959. The easiest way to remember that Alaska became a state before Hawaii is to remember that A comes before H. Both states were territories before they became states.
600
Before pumpkins, the Irish and Scottish carved this vegetable on Halloween.
What are turnips?
To ward off restless souls, people donned costumes and carved frightening faces into root vegetables such as beets, potatoes, and turnips.
600
Latrodectus geometricus, the brown this, has venom twice as powerful as that of its notorious black cousin
What is a Brown Widow?
Neither spider is actually commonly fatal to humans. The most recent data reveals that of the 1,015 cases of Black Widow spider bites recorded in 2018, there were no deaths and only six patients suffered potentially life-threatening symptoms. Bites are extremely painful, however.
600
Oktoberfest wasn't originally a beer festival; the first celebrated this event.
What is a wedding?
Kronprinz Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12th, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event.
600
Snakes use this body part to smell and sense their environment.
What are tongues?
While snakes do have nostrils, most of the smelling happens with their tongue. The tongue picks up molecules in the air when it's flicked out, and when it's pulled back in it passes over their Jacobson's organ, which can sense many more odors than our own sense of smell.
Some snakes also have pits along the front of their face which essentially "see" radiant heat. The more advanced infrared sense of pit vipers allows these animals to strike prey accurately even in the absence of light, and detect warm objects from several meters away.
800
Dictionary Day, October 16, celebrates the birthday of this American lexicographer; look it up!
Who is Noah Webster?
In 1806, Webster published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. The following year, he started working on an expanded and comprehensive dictionary, finally publishing it in 1828. He was very influential in popularizing certain spellings in the United States. While working on a second volume of his dictionary, Webster died in 1843, and the rights to the dictionary were acquired by George and Charles Merriam.
800
Led by Orson Welles, the Mercury Theatre panicked the U.S. with a live radio dramatization of this work on October 30, 1938
What is The War of the Worlds?
The illusion of realism was supported by the Mercury Theatre on the Air's lack of commercial interruptions, which meant that the first break in the drama came after all of the alarming "news" reports had taken place. In the days after the adaptation, widespread outrage was expressed in the media. The program's news-bulletin format was described as deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the broadcasters and calls for regulation by the FCC. Welles apologized at a hastily-called news conference the next morning, and no punitive action was taken. The broadcast and subsequent publicity brought the 23-year-old Welles to the attention of the general public and gave him the reputation of an innovative storyteller and "trickster"
800
People suffering from 'Sanhainophobia' are terrified of this
What is Halloween?
The term traces its roots to an ancient Gaelic/Celtic festival called Samhain that began some 2,000 years ago and marked the end of the Harvest season at that time.
800
Lycosidae is the family of these hairy hunting spiders, named for another hairy hunter.
What is a wolf spider?
Wolf spiders are one of the many arachnids that don’t spin webs. Since they don’t create webs, they create burrows in the ground that they use as shelters to hide from predators and prey. Unlike many spiders, which actually have poor eyesight, wolf spiders have excellent vision. Wolf spiders in particular are popular in the pet trade. Wolf spiders can live up to 4 years in captivity, so only invest in a wolf spider if you’re in for the long haul!
800
Oktoberfest has only been canceled for three reasons; Wars, Hyperinflation, and this.
What is COVID-19 or What is Disease?
In 1854, the festival was cancelled after 3,000 residents of Munich including the queen consort died during a cholera epidemic. In 1873, the festival was cancelled due to yet another cholera epidemic. Then in 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic also canceled the festival.
800
Several different types of this medication prescribed to treat heart disease were developed from snake venom.
What are blood thinners?
Captopril, Aggrastat, and Integrilin are all blood thinners available in the United States that were developed from snake venom. There are also medications approved outside the US that treat blood clots, strokes, and pulmonary embolisms, and another venom-based drug that prevents bleeding after surgery.
1000
Born on October 25, this Spanish artist was known for his paintings that broke up people and objects into different shapes.
Who is Pablo Picasso?
As an artist and an innovator, he is responsible for co-founding the entire Cubist movement alongside Georges Braque. Throughout the long course of his career, he created more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and other items such as costumes and theater sets.
1000
On October 26th, a famous shootout occurred near this location.
What is the O.K. Corral or Tombstone?
Despite its association with the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the historic gunfight did not take place within or next to the corral on Allen Street, but in a narrow lot on Fremont Street, six doors west of the rear entrance to the corral. The lot was between Harwood's home and C. S. Fly's 12-room boarding house and photography studio. The 1957 film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral made the shootout famous and the public was incorrectly led to believe it was the actual location of the altercation.
1000
Michael Myers’ mask in the movie Halloween was actually the likeness of this famous actor.
Who is William Shatner?
The studio didn’t have much of a budget, so they used a cheap Shatner mask from Star Trek and painted it white.
1000
It's possible that jumping spiders do this while sleeping.
What is dream?
A team of former Harvard researchers analyzed videos of the sleeping arachnids and found they exhibited a rapid-eye movement (REM) dream-like state, which they could directly observe because juvenile spiders have translucent exoskeletons. The researchers also documented limb movements characteristic of dreaming, including leg twitching and curling. The study is believed to be the first time REM sleep-like behavior has been documented in a terrestrial invertebrate.
1000
This reality show star and hotel heiress is permanently banned from Oktoberfest.
Who is Paris Hilton?
Paris Hilton attended the 2006 event clad in a shiny, golden dirndl to promote a brand of canned wine. Locals were offended by her take on the traditional Bavarian dress and prevailed on organizers to ban her. Hilton is also banned from two casinos in Las Vegas, and the entire country of Japan.
1000
The coral snake is deadly; the similar-looking scarlet this is harmless.
What is a scarlet kingsnake?
The well-known rhyme, “red touches yellow, kill a fellow; red touches black, friend of Jack” is used to differentiate coral snakes and lookalike kingsnakes. Luckily, coral snakes rarely bite humans: the United States has not reported an eastern coral snake–related death since the 1960s. Kingsnakes are harmless, nonvenomous snakes popular as household pets.