Today in History: October 22, JFK reveals Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Oct. 22, the 295th day of 2023. There are 70 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 22, 1962, in a nationally broadcast address, President John F. Kennedy revealed the presence of Soviet-built missile bases under construction in Cuba and announced a quarantine of all offensive military equipment being shipped to the Communist island nation.

On this date:

In 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first constitutionally elected president of the Republic of Texas.

In 1926, Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, “The Sun Also Rises,” was published by Scribner’s of New York.

In 1928, Republican presidential nominee Herbert Hoover spoke of the “American system of rugged individualism” in a speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

In 1934, bank robber Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was shot to death by federal agents and local police at a farm near East Liverpool, Ohio.

In 1968, Apollo 7 returned safely from Earth orbit, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1979, the U.S. government allowed the deposed Shah of Iran to travel to New York for medical treatment — a decision that precipitated the Iran hostage crisis.

In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was decertified by the federal government for its strike the previous August.

In 1995, the largest gathering of world leaders in history marked the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

In 2001, a second Washington, D.C., postal worker, Joseph P. Curseen, died of inhalation anthrax.

In 2014, a gunman shot and killed a soldier standing guard at a war memorial in Ottawa, then stormed the Canadian Parliament before he was shot and killed by the usually ceremonial sergeant-at-arms.

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won their first pennant since 1945, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. (The Cubs would go on to beat Cleveland in the World Series in seven games.)

In 2018, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. would start cutting aid to three Central American countries he accused of failing to stop thousands of migrants heading for the U.S. border.

In 2020, in the closing debate of the presidential campaign, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden clashed over how to tame the raging coronavirus; Trump declared that the virus would “go away,” while Biden countered that the nation was heading toward a “dark winter.”

In 2022, it was revealed that the two musical sisters of pop star Carly Simon – singer Joanna and composer Lucy – had died of cancer within a day of each other.

Today’s Birthdays: Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 87. Actor Christopher Lloyd is 85. Actor Derek Jacobi is 85. Actor Tony Roberts is 84. Movie director Jan (yahn) de Bont is 80. Actor Catherine Deneuve is 80. Rock musician Eddie Brigati is 78. Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is 76. Actor Jeff Goldblum is 71. Rock musician Greg Hawkes is 71. Movie director Bill Condon is 68. Actor Luis Guzman is 67. Actor-writer-producer Todd Graff is 64. Rock musician Cris Kirkwood is 63. Actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk is 61. Olympic gold medal figure skater Brian Boitano is 60. Christian singer TobyMac is 59. Singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding (Wesley Stace) is 58. Actor Valeria Golino is 57. Comedian Carlos Mencia is 56. Country singer Shelby Lynne is 55. Reggae rapper Shaggy is 55. Movie director Spike Jonze is 54. Rapper Tracey Lee is 53. Actor Saffron Burrows is 51. Actor Carmen Ejogo is 50. Former MLB player Ichiro Suzuki is 50. Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson is 48. Actor Michael Fishman is 42. Talk show host Michael Essany is 41. MLB infielder Robinson Canó is 41. Rock musician Rickard Goransson (Carolina Liar) is 40. Rock musician Zac Hanson is 38. Actor Corey Hawkins is 35. Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 33. Actor Sofia Vassilieva is 31. Actor Elias Harger is 16.