What Happened in October?

The Federalist Papers. The first in a series of eighty-five essays by “Publius,” the pen name of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, appeared in the Independent Journal, a New York newspaper. Publius urged New Yorkers to support ratification of the Constitution approved by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787.

The French Revolution begins with the Women's March on Versailles, prompting King Louis XVI to return to Paris.

The Corner Stone of the White House is laid. A culminating act which was initiated by George Washington's proclamation issued of January 24, 1791 announcing the permanent location of the new capital, that would eventually became the District of Columbia. Following the announcement, Washington appointed commissioners to plan the new city. In September 1791, the commissioners named the city "Washington" in honor of the president. More

Marie Antoinette, the former Queen of France, is executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. She was 37. Her husband, Louis XVI had been executed on January 23, 1793  More

A mysterious editorial from a writer named Phocion appeared in the Gazette of the United States, a popular Federalist newspaper in Philadelphia. Phocion said, in terms understood by most readers, that presidential candidate Jefferson was having an affair with one of his female slaves. More

The Treaty of Campo Formio is signed, ending the War of the First Coalition and marking significant territorial changes.

The USS Constitution is launched in Boston. She was one of the six original frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 and it is the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat. It was designed by Joshua Humphreys, and built at Hartt's Shipyard in Boston.  Expand +

Pioneering balloonist André-Jacques Garnerin became the modern world's first successful parachutist by jumping from a hydrogen balloon over Paris More

Napoleon Bonaparte stages a coup d'état, overthrowing the French Directory and establishing the French Consulate.

The U.S. Congress approves the Louisiana Purchase by a vote of 24 to 7.. More

The Battle of Trafalgar takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a decisive naval engagement between the British Royal Navy led by Admiral Lord Nelson and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish navies under Admiral Pierre Villeneuve and Federico Gravina.  Expand +

The birth of Oktoberfest - Kronprinz Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) marries Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the royal festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates. The fields were named "Theresienwiese" ("Theresa's Meadow") in honor of the Crown Princess. Locals have abbreviated the name simply to Wiesn. Expand +

American forces under General William Henry Harrison defeat the British and Native American forces at the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812.

Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow. It is estimated that of the 612,000 combatants who entered Russia only 112,000 returned to the frontier; 100,000 are thought to have been killed in action, 200,000 died from other causes, 50,000 were left sick in hospitals, 50,000 deserted, and 100,000 were been taken as prisoners of war. Russian casualties have been estimated at 200,000 killed. More

The Battle of the Thames in present-day Ontario, Canada, sees British and Native American forces defeated by American forces.

The three- day Battle of Leipzig fought at Leipzig, Saxony from from October 16 to October 19, 1813 begins. The Grande Armée of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was decisively defeated by the Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia. It was the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, involving over 550,000 soldiers.  Expand +

Mexico officially becomes a republic as the Plan of Iguala is accepted, ending Spanish rule and establishing Mexican independence.

The Erie Canal opens providing overland water transportation between the ­­ Hudson River on the east and Lake Erie at the western end. Popularly known as “Clinton’s Folly,” the eight-year construction project was the vision of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. More

The Naval Battle of Navarino takes place, during which combined British, French, and Russian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire's fleet during the Greek War of Independence. The decisive battle effectively ended Ottoman naval power, leading to the independence of Greece and the rise of European nationalism.

The Texas Revolution begins with the Battle of Gonzales, a confrontation between Texian settlers and Mexican soldiers.