October 1929

Tuesday, October 1, 1929

• Britain restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
• Died: Antoine Bourdelle, 67, French sculptor, painter and teacher

  Wednesday, October 2, 1929

• In Marion, North Carolina six people were killed and 25 wounded when special deputies, allegedly drunk, opened fire on striking mill workers.
• Britain set up a national committee to consider establishing national parks.
• The talking historical film Disraeli, starring George Arliss as the nineteenth century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, premiered at the Warner's Theatre in New York.
• Born: Moses Gunn, actor, in St. Louis, Missouri

  Thursday, October 3, 1929

• The country officially known as the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
• The biggest prison riot in the history of Colorado State Penitentiary began when a failed escape attempt by two inmates turned into a hostage situation. The National Guard, civilian volunteers and police from nearby districts were called in and prepared to lay siege.
• Chinese and Soviet troops battled for Manzhouli.
• The musical film Sunny Side Up, starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in New York City.
• Mahatma Gandhi visited Azamgarh, where he addressed a meeting of about 75,000 persons at Srikrishna Pathsala High School.
• Died:
• *Jeanne Eagels, 39, American film actress, died of an overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate, in conjunction with heroin and alcohol
• *Gustav Stresemann, 51, Foreign Minister of Germany since 1923, died of a stroke

  Friday, October 4, 1929

• The Colorado State Penitentiary riot ended in the early morning with its leaders all dead. With the prospects of escape clearly hopeless, one of the leaders shot his accomplices and then himself. In all, eight prison guards and five inmates were killed.
• The Victor Talking Machine Company was merged with RCA to form RCA-Victor, with RCA holding 50 percent of the stock, General Electric 30 percent, and Westinghouse Electric 20 percent.
• Ramsay MacDonald arrived in New York City and proceeded to Washington, D.C., by train, where he had an introductory 20-minute meeting with President Herbert Hoover. MacDonald became the first sitting British Prime Minister to ever visit the United States.
• The Fritz Lang-directed silent science fiction film Frau im Mond '''' premiered in Berlin.

  Saturday, October 5, 1929

• Ramsay MacDonald and Herbert Hoover retreated to Rapidan Camp for disarmament talks.
• The body of Gustav Stresemann lay in state at the Reichstag.

  Sunday, October 6, 1929

• Gustav Stresemann was given a state funeral.
• General Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, who died in April 1928, was reburied in Belgrade, Serbia, in accordance with his wishes.
• Fifty-three-year-old Nick Altrock, a coach for the Washington Senators, was inserted into a meaningless game at the end of the season against the Boston Red Sox as something of a lark. Altrock hit a single in his only at-bat of the game and became one of the few men in major league history to get a hit past the age of 50: Jim O'Rourke, Charley O'Leary and Minnie Miñoso are the only others to accomplish the feat.

  Monday, October 7, 1929

• The sinking of the Norwegian passenger ship Haakon VII killed 44 passengers and crew after the vessel struck a rock near Florø and sank. Another 69 people were rescued.
• Sir Francis Humphrys was appointed High Commissioner for Iraq by the British government.
• Back in Washington, D.C., Ramsay MacDonald addressed the United States Senate with a 20-minute speech about world peace and disarmament.
• The backstage musical film Applause premiered at the Criterion Theatre in New York City.
• Born: Tony Beckley, English actor; in Southampton
• Died: Esteban Gallard, 28, popular Cuban boxer who competed under the name Kid Charol, died of tuberculosis

  Tuesday, October 8, 1929

• Mobster Ralph Capone was arrested by federal authorities for tax fraud.
• Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel were married in the living room of the Ohio farmhouse of William Ernst Kornspeter, Viola's stepfather. Their first child, future astronaut Neil Armstrong, would be born on August 5, 1930.
• Cuban airline Cubana de Aviación was founded.

  Wednesday, October 9, 1929

• The George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner stage play June Moon opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway.

  Thursday, October 10, 1929

• The troops of General Nadir Khan took Kabul in the Afghan civil war, who then proclaimed himself the new King of Afghanistan.
• Died: Elijah McCoy, 86, Canadian-American inventor

  Friday, October 11, 1929

• By two votes, the U.S. Senate eased American censorship laws by passing an amendment to a tariff bill to exempt books and pamphlets from a ban on the importation of obscene content. However, the amendment included a new prohibition against books or drawings urging forcible resistance to the laws of the United States or threats against any American's life. The amendment would be revoked in March 1930.

  Saturday, October 12, 1929

• Elections were held for the 75 seats of the Australian House of Representatives. The Australian Labor Party, led by James Scullin, gained 15 seats to win a majority of 46. The Nationalist/Country coalition government of Prime Minister Stanley Bruce lost its 42 to 31 majority, dropping 24 seats, and Scullin replaced Bruce as the head of the Australian government.
• In Game Four of the World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics mounted the biggest comeback in World Series history, overcoming an eight-run deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs 10 to 8. Hack Wilson became the goat of the series by losing two fly balls in the sun during the Athletics' seventh inning rally.
• The German government issued a warning against the anti-Young Plan referendum campaign, calling it a "monstrous attempt to incite the German people against the government and to annihilate the ten-year goodwill policy of the republic with Germany's former enemies."
• The comedy film Welcome Danger, Harold Lloyd's first talkie, was released.

  Sunday, October 13, 1929

• The ocean liner RMS Empress of Canada ran aground off Vancouver Island during a fog. All 96 passengers were safely transferred ashore by another ship.
• Born: Walasse Ting, Chinese-American artist and poet, in Shanghai

  Monday, October 14, 1929

• The Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series four games to one over the Chicago Cubs, taking Game Five by a 3–2 score at Shibe Park.
• The British airship R101 embarked on its maiden voyage. Traffic in London came to a standstill as thousands stopped to watch the dirigible pass over the city.

  Tuesday, October 15, 1929

• American economist Irving Fisher told a dinner meeting audience in New York City that stock prices had reached "what looks like a permanently high plateau" and that he expected "to see the stock market a good deal higher than it is today within a few months."
• Ramsay MacDonald crossed into Canada at Niagara Falls and traveled to Toronto.
• Mohammed Nadir Shah became King of Afghanistan as the country's civil war ended.
• Born: Antonino Zichichi, physicist, in Trapani, Sicily

  Wednesday, October 16, 1929

• Lists were opened in Germany for the signing of a petition for a national referendum to deny Germany's war guilt and refuse to obey the Young Plan. 10% of all the country's eligible voters would be required to sign up before the referendum could be considered binding.
• The British government made a concession to the country's coal miners by informing their unions that there would be a uniform reduction of work hours from eight down to seven-and-a-half per day without reduction of wages. The miners had sought repeal of the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 – the 'Eight Hour Act' – passed by the Stanley Baldwin government and reversion to the old seven-hour day.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 3.2% as the New York Stock Exchange posted widespread losses, with numerous declines of 10 points or more.
• Born: S. William Green, politician, in New York City

  Thursday, October 17, 1929

• Anti-Italian demonstrations were held all over Yugoslavia as Italian authorities executed a Serbian student by firing squad for being part of a group that fired into a line of electors in Pazin on election day, killing a Fascist.
• Ramsay MacDonald arrived in Ottawa to meet with Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
• The New York Stock Exchange posted a small gain of 1.7% on an uncertain day with many fluctuations.

  Friday, October 18, 1929

• The Privy Council of England made a landmark decision recognizing women as "persons" under the law in Canada, giving them the right to be appointed to the Senate. The decision was a victory for five Alberta women— Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, and Irene Parlby— known as "The Famous Five". October 18 is now commemorated as Persons Day in Canada.
• A group of 100 protesters in Brussels rioted and threw stones at the Italian embassy in opposition to the news of the engagement of Princess Marie José to Crown Prince Umberto of Italy. The engagement was unpopular in Belgium because Italian leader Benito Mussolini was disliked there. Police dispersed the rioters by firing over their heads.
• Several battalions of Chinese troops mutinied at Wuhu.
• The Dow Jones declined again, losing 2.51% on the New York Stock Exchange.

  Saturday, October 19, 1929

• The Soviet Union recognized Mohammed Nadir Shah as ruler of Afghanistan.
• The New York Stock Exchange posted more big losses amid a wave of selling.