Annie Taylor Goes Over Niagara Falls
Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive Niagara Falls in a barrel on October 24, 1901. She was 63 years old.
Pele Is Born in Brazil
On October 23, 1940, the Brazilian footballer Pele, the only player to win three World Cups, was born in Tres Coracoes.
Don Larsen Pitches the Only Perfect Game in World Series History
Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history on October 8, 1956, for the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
He Went Over Backwards
Dick Fosbury won Olympic high jump gold on October 20, 1968, going over the bar backwards in the style now named after him.
Mark Spitz Wins a Seventh Gold Medal at the Munich Olympics
On September 4, 1972, Mark Spitz won his seventh gold medal at the Munich Olympics, a record that stood until Michael Phelps in 2008.
John Glenn Returns to Space at 77
On October 29, 1998, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, returned to space at the age of 77 aboard the shuttle Discovery.
World Population Reaches Seven Billion
On October 31, 2011, the United Nations marked the world population reaching seven billion, twelve years after it passed six billion.