PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 1

On this day in 1189, Gerard de Ridefort, grandmaster of the Knights Templar since 1184, is killed in the Siege of Acre.

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On this day in 1553, the coronation of Queen Mary I of England takes place.

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On this day in 1811, the first steamboat to sail the Mississippi River arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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On this day in 1890, Yosemite National Park is established by the U.S. Congress.

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On this day in 1891, in the state of California, Stanford University opens its doors. A prestigious parapsychology department soon opens its doors.

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On this day in 1908, Ford puts the Model T car on the market at a price of US$825.

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On this day in 1910, a large bomb destroys the Los Angeles Times building in downtown Los Angeles, California, killing 21.

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On this day in 1918, Arab forces under T. E. Lawrence, also known as "Lawrence of Arabia", capture Damascus.

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On this day in 1936, General Francisco Franco is named head of the Nationalist government of Spain.

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On this day in 1938, Germany annexes the Sudetenland.

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On this day in 1944, the Nazis begin a series of gruesome medical experiments on gay men at the Buchenwald concentration camp. Hiding behind the legitimate-sounding moniker: Division for Typhus and Virus Research of the Hygiene Institute of the Waffen SS, the sadistic freakazoids of the Third Reich got their rocks off by castrating hundreds of men using a variety of torturous methods, and injecting prisoners with diseases to test out new vaccines. Hundreds of Jews, Gypsies, and mentally ill prisoners were also "euthanized" in the camp, which was overseen by the infamous Ilsa Koch, the real-life inspiration for those lurid Ilsa movies. Her penchant for lampshades, gloves, and other items made from the skin of dead inmates -- along with her reputation for forcing prisoners to participate in Caligula-level orgies -- made her a legend for a time.

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On this day in 1946, the “genius” organization Mensa International is founded in the United Kingdom.

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Remember Dr. Strangelove? On this day in the year 1957, B-52 bombers loaded down with nukes begin flying non-stop missions along the boundaries of Soviet airspace, just waiting on the word to fly in and drop their loads. Get thee to a mine shaft! It was also on this day that Americans first see In God We Trust on their paper currency.

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On this day in 1958, NASA is created to replace NACA.

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On this day in 1979, the United States returns sovereignty of the Panama canal to Panama.

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On this day in 1982, EPCOT Center opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States. Meanwhile, in Japan, Sony launches the first consumer compact disc player (model CDP-101).

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On this day in 1989, Denmark introduces the world's first legal modern same-sex civil union called "registered partnership".

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On this day in 1992, the Cartoon Network begins broadcasting. Adult Swim shows ensue.