October 10

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
Achille Lauro hijacking ends, 1985
American Revolution
Howe named commander in chief of British army, 1775
Automotive
Whitesnake's iconic video features Jaguars, 1987
Civil War
Confederate General Magruder is sent to Texas, 1862
Cold War
President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to African diplomat, 1957
Crime
A former postal worker commits mass murder, 1991
Disaster
Great Hurricane ravages West Indies, 1780
General Interest
Battle of Tours, 732
Birth of the U.S. Naval Academy, 1845
October Crisis in Canada, 1970
Vice President Agnew resigns, 1973
Hollywood
Superman Christopher Reeve dies at age 52, 2004
Literary
Darwin publishes work on mold and worms, 1881
Music
Porgy and Bess, the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway, 1935
Old West
Custer's funeral is held at West Point, 1877
Presidential
Truman signs Mutual Security Act, 1951
Sports
Braves beat the Yanks to win World Series, 1957
Vietnam War
1st Cavalry Division commences operations, 1965
U.S. Navy transfers vessels to South Vietnamese, 1969
World War I
Eighth Battle of the Isonzo , 1916
World War II
Eight hundred children are gassed to death at Auschwitz, 1944

General Interest

Oct 10, 1845:

Birth of the U.S. Naval Academy

Previous Day October 10 Calendar Next Day

The United States Naval Academy opens in Annapolis, Maryland, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. Known as the Naval School until 1850, the curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. The Naval School officially became the U.S. Naval Academy in 1850, and a new curriculum went into effect, requiring midshipmen to study at the academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer--the basic format that remains at the academy to this day.

Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Previous Day October 10 Calendar Next Day

This Week in History, Oct 10 - Oct 16

Oct 10, 732
Battle of Tours
Oct 10, 1845
Birth of the U.S. Naval Academy
Oct 10, 1970
October Crisis in Canada
Oct 10, 1973
Vice President Agnew resigns
Oct 11, 1776
Benedict Arnold and the Battle of Valcour Island
Oct 11, 1899
Boer War begins in South Africa
Oct 11, 1962
Pope opens Vatican II
Oct 11, 1968
Apollo 7 launched
Oct 12, 1810
The origin of Oktoberfest
Oct 12, 1915
British nurse executed in WWI
Oct 12, 1945
Conscientious objector wins Medal of Honor
Oct 12, 1964
USSR leads the space race
Oct 12, 2000
USS Cole attacked by terrorists
Oct 12, 2002
Terrorists kill 202 in Bali
Oct 13, 1775
Continental Navy established
Oct 13, 1812
Sir Isaac Brock saves Canada
Oct 13, 1843
B'nai B'rith founded
Oct 13, 1977
Palestinians hijack German airliner
Oct 14, 1066
The Battle of Hastings
Oct 14, 1912
Theodore Roosevelt shot in Milwaukee
Oct 14, 1964
King wins Nobel Peace Prize
Oct 14, 2012
Skydiver breaks sound barrier with 24-mile jump
Oct 15, 1945
Vichy leader executed for treason
Oct 15, 1989
Gretzky breaks scoring record
Oct 15, 1991
Thomas confirmed to the Supreme Court
Oct 16, 1793
Marie-Antoinette is beheaded
Oct 16, 1946
Nazi war criminals executed
Oct 16, 1987
Baby Jessica rescued from a well as the world watches

Related Topics

What Happened on Your Birthday?

Pick a Date

Editor’s Picks

Bio.com

  • On This Day

    On This Day

    Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.

Shop HISTORY

See More