Today In History

October 24:

1861 West Virginia seceded from Virginia

And took all their cousins with them.

1904 1st New York subway opens

But you can’t get there from here.

1929 “Black Thursday,” start of stock market crash, Dow Jones down 12.8%

Black Thursday?!?!?!  Black Thursday?!?!?!?  What the hell did they know about it?  The Dow is down 6% today, 30% in the past 3 months and 36.5% in the past 6 months!  Black Thursday…Pshaw.

1931 Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion

Where the tough guy dies of syphilis because he is scared of needles.  The end of an era.

1945 U.N. charter comes into effect

Now THAT was a Black Friggin Day!

1971 Harry Drake sets longest arrow flight by a footbow (1 mile 268 yds)

HFS!!!  That is farther than our snipers shoot with a .50 BMG!

1984 Steffi Graf plays her 1st pro tennis match

The beginning of an era:

Career record: 900–115 (88.67%)!

Career titles: 107 (including22 Grand Slams)!

2003: The Concorde made its last commercial flight, landing at Heathrow Airport, London