Today in History: October 25, U.S. Open champion, 5 others killed in plane crash
Today is Friday, Oct. 25, the 299th day of 2024. There are 67 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Oct. 25, 1999, golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet crashed in a field in South Dakota; Stewart was 42.
Also on this date:
In 1760, Britain’s King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.
In 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown went on trial in Charles Town, Virginia, for his failed raid at Harpers Ferry. (He was convicted and later hanged.)
In 1929, former Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for oil field leases at Teapot Dome in Wyoming and the Elk Hills and Buena Vista oil fields in California. As a result of the “Teapot Dome Scandal,” Fall would become the first U.S. cabinet member to be imprisoned for crimes committed while in office.
In 1962, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson II demanded that Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorin confirm or deny the existence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba. Stevenson then presented photographic evidence of the bases to the council.
In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.
In 1986, in Game 6 of the World Series, the New York Mets rallied for three runs with two outs in the 10th inning, defeating the Boston Red Sox 6-5 and forcing a seventh game; the tie-breaking run scored on Boston first baseman Bill Buckner’s error on Mookie Wilson’s slow grounder. (The Mets went on to win Game 7 and the Series.)
In 2002, Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others, a week and a-half before the election.
In 2022, Rishi Sunak became Britain’s first prime minister of color after being chosen to lead a governing Conservative Party.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor Marion Ross is 96.
- Author Anne Tyler is 83.
- Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 80.
- Political strategist James Carville is 80.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Dave Cowens is 76.
- Olympic gold medal wrestler Dan Gable is 76.
- Olympic gold medal hockey player Mike Eruzione is 70.
- Actor Nancy Cartwright (TV: “The Simpsons”) is 67.
- Rock drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 63.
- Actor-comedian-TV host Samantha Bee is 55.
- Country singer Chely (SHEL’-ee) Wright is 54.
- Violinist Midori is 53.
- Baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez is 53.
- Actor Craig Robinson is 53.
- Author Zadie Smith is 49.
- Actor Mehcad (muh-KAD’) Brooks is 44.
- Pop singer Katy Perry is 40.
- Singer Ciara is 39.
- Golfer Xander Schauffle is 31.
- MLB All-Star Juan Soto is 26.