PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 29

On this day in 1390, the first trial for witchcraft in Paris leads to the death of three people.

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On this day in 1675, the philosopher Leibniz makes the first use of the long s (∫) as a symbol of the integral in calculus. That’s right. It wasn’t Newton. The two shared credit for the creation of this notoriously difficult aspect of mathematics.

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On this day in 1787, Mozart's occult-tinged opera Don Giovanni receives its first performance in Prague.

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On this day in 1901, assassin Leon Czolgosz is executed by electrocution for killing U.S. President William McKinley.

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The dull, wet thud of accountants and money-lenders kissing concrete echoes throughout New York City on this day in the year 1929, as the worst Stock Market crash in history - Black Tuesday - triggers the so-called Great Depression. Truth is, there was nothing "great" about it.

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On this day in 1941, in the Kaunas Ghetto over 10,000 Jews are shot by German occupiers at the Ninth Fort, a massacre known as the "Great Action". One year later, on this day in 1942, leading clergymen and political figures in the United Kingdom hold a public meeting to register outrage over Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.

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On this day in 1967, Montreal's World Fair, Expo 67, closes after welcoming over 50 million visitors, a smashing success by any measure.

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On this day in 1969, the first-ever computer-to-computer link is established on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.

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On this day in 1991, the American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid. 

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On this day in 1994, Francisco Martin Duran fires over two dozen shots at the White House Duran is later convicted of trying to kill US President Bill Clinton.

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On this day in 1997, Anton Lavey, founder of the Church of Satan, dies in San Francisco of pulmonary edema.

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On this day in 1998, Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off on STS-95 with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space, until Shatner.

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On this day in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hits the east coast of the United States, killing 148 directly and 138 indirectly, while leaving nearly $70 billion in damages and causing major power outages.