Today In History
Today is Saturday, Oct. 24, the 298th day of 2020. There are 68 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 1940: The 40-hour work week went into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
ON THIS DATE
› 1861: The first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C., over a line built by the Western Union Telegraph Co.
› 1931: The George Washington Bridge, connecting New York and New Jersey, was officially dedicated (it opened to traffic the next day).
› 1945: The United Nations officially came into existence as its charter took effect.
› 1962: A naval quarantine of Cuba ordered by President John F. Kennedy went into effect during the missile crisis.
› 1992: The Toronto Blue Jays became the first non-U.S. team to win the World Series as they defeated the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, in Game 6.
› 1996: TyRon Lewis, 18, a Black motorist, was shot to death by police during a traffic stop in St.
Petersburg, Florida; the incident sparked rioting. (Officer James Knight, who said that Lewis had lurched his car at him several times, knocking him onto the hood, was cleared by a grand jury and the Justice Department.)
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Rock musician Bill Wyman is 84. Actor F. Murray Abraham is 81. Movie director- screenwriter David S. Ward is
75. Actor Kevin Kline is 73. Congressman and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume is
72. Country musician Billy Thomas ( Terry McBride and the Ride) is
67. Actor Doug Davidson is 66. Actor B. D. Wong is
60. Actor Zahn McClarnon is 54. Singer Michael Trent ( Americana duo Shovels & Rope) is 43. Rock musician Ben Gillies ( Silverchair) is 41. Singer- actor Monica Arnold is 40. Actor- comedian Casey Wilson is 40. R& B singer, actor and “The Real” co- host Adrienne Bailon Houghton is 37. Actor Tim Pocock is 35. R& B singerrapper- actor Drake is
34. Actor Shenae Grimes is 31. Actor Eliza Taylor is 31. Actor Ashton Sanders ( Film: “Moonlight”) is 25. Olympic gold medal gymnast Kyla Ross is 24. Actor Hudson Yang is 17.