This Month in Colonial History: October

So what tidbits do we find in colonial and Federal history for this month? Every single month has held some surprises for me ... what are yours?

4 - "The Gregorian Calendar took effect in Catholic countries as Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree stating the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582, would be Friday, October 15, 1582, correcting a 10-day error accumulated by the Julian Calendar. Britain and the American colonies adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752."

4 - Belgium gained its independence in 1830, after having been a part of the Netherlands since 1815.

Jonathan Edwards

5 - Birth of theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in East Windsor, Connecticut.

5 - "Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 2d Continental Congress used the word 'Marines' on one of the earliest known occasions, when it directed General George Washington to secure two vessels on 'Continental risque and pay,' and to give orders for the 'proper encouragement to the Marines and seamen' to serve on the two armed ships." (usmcu.edu) (1775)

5 - Shawnee Indian Chief Tecumseh defeated and killed (1813).

7 - The Stamp Act Congress convenes in New York City, attended by representatives from nine colonies meeting in protest to the British Stamp Act, the first direct tax by the Crown upon the American colonies. (1765)

11 - King Henry VIII of England is given the title "Defender of the Faith" by Pope Leo X following the publication of the King's book against Martin Luther. (1521)

12 - After a 33-day voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus makes first landfall in the New World in the Bahamas. Also, Paraguay declared its independence from Spain and Argentina in 1811. And in 1822, Brazil became independent of Portugal.

13 - The U.S. Continental Navy is created. (1775)

13 - The cornerstone of the White House is laid in 1792 by George Washington.

14 – Birth of Quaker founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn (1644-1718) in London.

15 - Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the Island of St. Helena beginning a British-imposed exile following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.  (1815)

16 - Yale University founded in Killingworth, Connecticut, as the Collegiate School of Connecticut. (1701) The name later changed to Yale College to honor Elihu Yale, a philanthropist.

Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun

16 - Queen Marie Antoinette beheaded during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution. (1793)

16 - Birth of teacher and journalist Noah Webster (1758-1843) in West Hartford, Connecticut.

17 - The first major victory of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saratoga, where British General John Burgoyne and his entire army of 5,700 men surrendered to American General Horatio Gates. (1777)

18 – In 1685, the Edict of Nantes is revoked by King Louis XIV of France, thus depriving Protestant Huguenots of all religious and civil liberties previously granted to them by Henry IV in 1598.

19 - The Revolutionary War ended with the surrender of Cornwallis to Washington at Yorktown. (1781) The final treaty would not be signed until September 3, 1783.

20 - The U.S. and Britain agreed to set the U.S.- Canadian border at the 49th parallel. (1818)

20 - Birth of British architect Christopher Wren (1632-1723) in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. “Considered one of the greatest minds of his time, he designed St. Paul's Cathedral and 52 churches for the City of London. His secular buildings included the ‘new’ wing of Hampton Court near London and Greenwich Hospital, now the Royal Naval College.”

21 - The Battle of Trafalgar takes place between the British Royal Navy and the combined French and Spanish fleets. Britain’s victory ends the threat of Napoleon's invasion of England, but British naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson is mortally wounded aboard his ship Victory. (1805)

26 - The Erie Canal opens, connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River. (1825)

27 - The first of 85 Federalist Papers, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, appeared in print in a New York City newspaper, arguing for the adoption of the new U.S. Constitution. (1787)

28 - Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in America, is founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, named after John Harvard, a Puritan who donated his library and half of his estate. (1636)

29 - British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh is executed in London for treason on orders from King James I. (1618)

Luther's 1534 Bible

30 - Birth of John Adams (1735-1826) the 2nd U.S. President, in Braintree, Massachusetts.

31 - Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg's palace church, denouncing the selling of papal indulgences, questioning various ecclesiastical practices, and marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Germany. (1517)

As always, my thanks to The History Place, Holiday Insights, Marine Corps University, and Wikipedia. :)