October

October(Oct.) is the tenthmonthof theyearin theGregorian calendar,coming betweenSeptemberandNovember.It has 31days.The name comes from theLatinoctofor "eight". It was the eighth month of the year beforeJanuaryandFebruarywere added to the beginning of the year.

October begins on the same day of the week asJanuaryincommon years,but does not begin on the same day of the week as any other month inleap years.October always ends on the same day of the week asFebruary,and additionally,Januaryincommon years.

The Month

October is anAutumn(Fall) month in theNorthern Hemisphere,as shown here inVermont.

October is the tenth month of the year in theGregorian calendar,coming afterSeptemberand beforeNovember.It has 31 days. Its name comes from Latinocto,meaningeight,as it was the eighth month of the year in the Old Roman Calendar beforeJanuaryandFebruarywere added to the beginning of the year, though its name did not change. The tenth month at the time wasDecember.

October is anAutumn(Fall) month in theNorthern Hemisphereand aSpringmonth in theSouthern Hemisphere.In eachHemisphere,it is theseasonalequivalent ofAprilin the other.

October begins on the same day of the week asJanuaryincommon years,but no other month inleap yearsbegins on the same day of the week as October. October ends on the same day of theweekasJanuaryincommon yearsandFebruaryevery year, as each other's last days are 39 weeks (273 days) and 35 weeks (245 days) apart respectively.

In common years, October starts on the same day of the week asMayof the previous year, and in leap years,Augustof the previous year. In common years, October finishes on the same day of the week as May of the previous year, and in leap years, August andNovemberof the previous year.

In years immediately before common years, October starts on the same day of the week asAprilandJulyof the following year, and in years immediately before leap years,SeptemberandDecemberof the following year. In years immediately before common years, October finishes on the same day of the week asJulyof the following year, and in years immediately before leap years, April and December of the following year.

October is the month of theRosarydevotion.

October 31/November 1isSamhainin oldPagantradition. Several current observances at this time are believed to be related to it. They are:Halloween(October 31) in many western traditions,All Saints Day(November 1), All Souls Day (November 2), and theDay of the Dead(October 31toNovember 2), which is celebrated inMexico.

Holidays

Fixed Observances

Stampmarking German Unity Day onOctober 3.

Halloweenis celebrated onOctober 31.

Offering on Day of the Dead inMexico,celebrated fromOctober 31toNovember 2.

• October 1–National Dayof thePeople's Republic of China
• October 1– Independence Day (Nigeria)
• October 1– National Day (Cyprus)
• October 1– Independence Day (Tuvalu)
• October 1– Independence Day (Palau)
• October 1– International Day of Older Persons
• October 2–GandhiJayanthi (India)
• October 2– GuardianAngelsDay
• October 2– International Day of Non-Violence, birthday ofMahatma Gandhi
• October 2– Independence Day (Guinea)
• October 3– Unity Day (Germany)
• October 3– Foundation Day (South Korea)
• October 4– Independence Day (Lesotho)
• October 4– WorldAnimalDay
• October 5– Republic Day (Portugal)
• October 5– International WorldTeachers' Day
• October 6– Armed Forces Day (Egypt)
• October 7– Feast of Our Lady of theRosary
• October 8– Independence Day (Croatia)
• October 9–Leif EriksonDay
• October 9– Independence Day (Uganda)
• October 10– National Day in theRepublic of China(Taiwan)
• October 10– Independence Day (Fiji)
• October 11– National Coming Out Day (United States)
• October 12– National Day ofSpain
• October 12– Independence Day (Equatorial Guinea)
• October 16– WorldFoodDay
• October 18–AlaskaDay
• October 19–ConstitutionDay (Niue)
• October 21–AppleDay
• October 21– Trafalgar Day (United Kingdom)
• October 23– Remembrance of the Hungarian Revolution (Hungary)
• October 23– Chulalongkorn Day (Thailand)
• October 24–United NationsDay
• October 24– Independence Day (Zambia)
• October 25– Day of theRomanianArmy
• October 25– Day of theBasque Country
• October 25– Constitution Day (Lithuania)
• October 25– Republic Day (Kazakhstan)
• October 26– National Day ofAustria
• October 27– Independence Day (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
• October 27– Independence Day (Turkmenistan)
• October 29–RepublicDay (Turkey)
• October 31–NevadaDay
• October 31–Protestant ReformationDay
• October 31–Halloween
• October 31/November 1–Samhain(an approximate date)
• October 31toNovember 2–Day of the Dead(Mexico)

Moveable Events

• JewishNew Year,September/October
• MunichOktoberfest,runs from mid-Septemberuntil aroundOctober 3
• The SummerParalympicshave often taken place in this month.
• TheNobel Prizewinners of the year are announced in October
• Northern Hemisphere:Harvestfestivals take place around this time.
• SecondMondayin October:
  • Thanksgiving DayinCanada
  • HealthandSportsDay inJapan
  • Columbus Day in theUnited States
• Divali(Hinduism), takes place in October orNovember
• LastSundayin October: End ofDaylight saving timein theEU;clocks are turned back one hour.

Selection of Historical Events

Germanywas officially re-unified onOctober 3,1990.

Sputnik 1,which was sent into space onOctober 4,1957.

Part of theBayeux Tapestryshowing theBattle of Hastings,which took place onOctober 14,1066.

Image showing the death ofHoratio Nelsonat theBattle of TrafalgaronOctober 21,1805.

TheStatue of Liberty,which was opened onOctober 28,1886.

• October 1,1890–Yosemite National Parkis created byUnited States Congress.
• October 1,1946– TheNurembergTrials of leadingNazisends.
• October 1,1949– ThePeople's Republic of Chinais declared byMao Zedong.
• October 1,1960–Nigeriabecomes independent.
• October 1,1961– British and FrenchCameroonmerge.
• October 1,1978–Tuvalubecomes independent.
• October 1,1994–Palaubecomes independent from aUNTrusteeship, though remains dependent onUSaid.
• October 2,1958–Guineadeclares independence.
• October 3,1932– TheKingdom of Iraqis formed.
• October 3,1990–Germanyis officially re-united.
• October 4,1957– TheSoviet Unionlaunches theSputnik 1probe into orbit.
• October 4,1966–Lesothobecomes independent.
• October 5,1910–Portugalbecomes aRepublic.
• October 6,1860– The Introduction of the so-calledSection 377 of the British Indian penal code (Law)was enacted inBritish Indiarespectively.
• October 6,1973– TheYom Kippurwar begins asEgyptandSyrialaunch an attack onIsrael.
• October 6,1981–PresidentofEgyptAnwar Sadatis shot dead at amilitaryparade.
• October 6,1987–Fijibecomes aRepublic.
• October 7,1949–East Germanyis founded.
• October 9,1962–Ugandabecomes independent.
• October 10,1780– TheGreat Hurricane of 1780kills 20,000 to 30,000 people in theCaribbean.
• October 10,1928–Chiang Kai-shekbecomes leader of theRepublic of China.
• October 10,1970–Fijibecomes independent.
• October 10,2010– TheNetherlands Antillesare split up.
• October 12,1492–Christopher Columbusreaches theCaribbean.
• October 12,1871– The Introduction of the so-calledCriminal Tribes Actwas an enacted extension inBritish Indiarespectively.
• October 12,1968–Equatorial Guineabecomes independent.
• October 12,1999– Thepopulationof the world is said to have officially reachedsixbillion.
• October 13,2010– Successful rescue of 69minerstrapped underground near Copiapo,Chile.
• October 14,1066– TheBattle of Hastingsresults inWilliam the Conquerortaking overEngland.
• October 14,1964–Martin Luther King, Jr.wins theNobel Peace Prize.
• October 14,1981–Hosni MubarakbecomesPresidentofEgypt.
• October 14,1991–Aung San Suu Kyiwins theNobel Peace Prize.
• October 15,1917– Dutch exotic dancerMata HariisexecutedforespionageinFrance.
• October 16,1582–Spain,Portugal,ItalyandPolandswitch from theJulian calendarto theGregorian calendar.
• October 16,1978–Pope John Paul IIbecomesPope,remaining in this position until2005.
• October 17,1989– The Loma Prietaearthquakestrikes theSan FranciscoBay Area.
• October 18,1867–Alaskaofficially changes fromRussiantoUScontrol.
• October 18,1898– TheUStakes control ofPuerto Rico.
• October 18,1989– Leader ofEast GermanyErich Honeckerresigns.
• October 20,1973–Sydney Opera HouseinSydney,Australia,is officially opened.
• October 20,2011–2011 Libyan civil war:ColonelMuammar al-Gaddafiis killed.
• October 21,1805– ThenavalBattle of Trafalgarends in British victory, althoughAdmiralHoratio Nelsonis killed.
• October 22,1962– TheCuban Missile Crisisbegins.
• October 23,1956– TheHungarianUprising begins.
• October 24,1945– TheUNis officially founded.
• October 24,1964–Zambiabecomes independent.
• October 26,1905–Norwaybecomes independent fromSweden.
• October 26,1955–Austriadeclares 'PermanentNeutrality'.
• October 27,1962– TheCuban Missile Crisisends.
• October 27,1979–Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesbecomes independent.
• October 27,1991–Turkmenistanbecomes independent from theSoviet Union.
• October 28,1886– TheStatue of Libertyis officially dedicated nearNew York City,as a gift to theUnited StatesfromFrance.
• October 29,1923– TheRepublicofTurkeyis officially declared byMustafa Kemal Atatürk.
• October 29,1929– TheWall Streetcrash occurs, starting theGreat Depression.
• October 29,1998–Hurricane Mitchcauses much destruction inCentral America.
• October 31,1517–Protestant Reformation:Martin Lutheris believed to have nailed his95 thesesto Wittenberg Castle Church inGermanyon this date.
• October 31,1984–Prime MinisterofIndiaIndira Gandhiis shot dead by twoSikhsecurity guards. Riots against the Sikhpopulationstart soon after.
• October 31,2011– Thepopulationof the world is said to have officially reachedsevenbillionon this date.

Trivia

• October has the 300th day of the year. October 27 in a common year, October 26 in a leap year.
• BecauseDaylight Saving Timeends in October in some Northern Hemisphere countries, it is sometimes seen as the "longest" month there.
• In acommon year,October 31falls on the same day of the week asFebruary 28while in aleap year,it falls on the same day of the week asFebruary 29.
• October 1is the only day in October to start within the third quarter of thecalendaryear.
• This month is tied withNovemberas the months with the most births ofUS Presidentsas of January 20, 2021: with six -Jimmy Carter(October 1),Rutherford B. Hayes(October 4),Chester A. Arthur(October 5),Dwight D. Eisenhower(October 14),Theodore Roosevelt(October 27) andJohn Adams(October 30).
• October'sfloweris theCalendula.
• One of October'sbirthstonesis theopal.The meaning of the opal is hope. The other birthstone of October is thepink tourmaline.
• Theastrologicalsigns for October areLibra(September 22toOctober 21) andScorpio(October 22toNovember 21).

Other websites

• Octobre in easy French