By Mitchell Smith
October 1,1973: The Sydney Opera House opened in Australia, becoming an iconic architectural landmark.
October 2, 1967: Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American Supreme Court Justice in the United States.
October 3, 1990: Germany reunified, marking the end of the division between East and West Germany.
October 4, 1957: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into space, initiating the space age.
October 5, 2011: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed away, leaving a profound impact on the technology and entertainment industries.
October 6, 1973: The Yom Kippur War, a conflict between Israel and Arab states, began, leading to significant geopolitical changes in the Middle East.
October 7, 2001: The United States began airstrikes in Afghanistan, marking the start of the War on Terror.
October 8, 1871: The Great Chicago Fire began, destroying a significant portion of the city and leading to improvements in fire safety.
October 9, 1967: Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara was captured and executed in Bolivia.
October 10, 1973: Fiji gained independence from British colonial rule.
October 11, 1984: American space shuttle Challenger astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a spacewalk.
October 12, 1492: Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, marking a historic moment of exploration and discovery.
October 13, 1792: The cornerstone of the White House was laid by President George Washington.
October 14, 1964: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle for civil rights.
October 15, 1863: The H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship, was unveiled by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
October 16, 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis began as President John F. Kennedy was informed of Soviet missile deployments in Cuba.
October 17, 1931: Gangster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to prison.
October 18, 1867: The United States formally took possession of Alaska from Russia in a ceremony known as the Alaska Purchase.
October 19, 2005: Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, went on trial for crimes against humanity.
October 20, 2011: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by rebel forces.
October 21, 1805: Admiral Horatio Nelson led the British Royal Navy to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, but he lost his life in the battle.
October 22, 1962: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced the discovery of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, initiating the Cuban Missile Crisis.
October 23, 2001: The iPod, Apple's revolutionary portable media player, was introduced, changing the way people listen to music.
October 24, 1945: The United Nations was officially established, promoting international cooperation and peace.
October 25, 1983: The United States invaded Grenada in Operation Urgent Fury, a military intervention during the Cold War.
October 26, 1977: The last natural smallpox case was reported, marking a significant milestone in the global effort to eradicate the disease.
October 27, 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis came to a resolution as the United States and the Soviet Union reached an agreement to end the crisis.
October 28, 1922: Fascist leader Benito Mussolini took control of the Italian government, leading to the establishment of a fascist dictatorship.
October 29, 1929: "Black Tuesday" marked the culmination of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, leading to the beginning of the Great Depression.
October 30, 1961: The Soviet Union tested Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, with a yield of about 50 megatons.
October 31, 1864: Nevada officially became the 36th state of the United States.