What Happened in October 1986

Historical Events

Love You Forever

Oct 1 Canadian children's author Robert Munsch publishes "Love You Forever"

  • Oct 1 New Zealand's Labour Government introduces a Goods and Services Tax (GST), adding 10% to the cost of most goods and services
  • Oct 1 President Carter's presidential library/museum dedicated in Atlanta
  • Oct 2 Astros starter Mike Scott finishes MLB regular season with 306 strikeouts with 8 in a 2-1 win in San Francisco; 3rd NL pitcher to reach 300 in a season

Baseball Record

Oct 2 New York Mets' Dwight Gooden becomes first pitcher to collect 200 strikeouts in each of his first 3 seasons when he records 7 in 8-2 win v Pittsburgh Pirates

Assassination Attempt

Oct 2 Sikhs attempt to assassinate Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

  • Oct 3 Baltimore loses 6-3 to Detroit Tigers, assuring Orioles of club's first ever last-place finish in AL East standings
  • Oct 3 Soviet Yankee-class sub sinks off NC, 3 die
  • Oct 3 TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories, was officially opened.

Baseball Record

Oct 4 NY Yankees closer Dave Righetti saves both doubleheader games at Fenway Park for 5-3 and 3-1 wins v Boston; Righetti's MLB record 46th save

  • Oct 4 Queen Beatrice installs dam at Oosterschelde
  • Oct 4 Rachel Oliver (Mass), 20, crowned 19th Miss Black America
  • Oct 5 London Sunday Times reports Israel is stocking nuclear arms

Dickerson's Overtime Record

Oct 5 Rams running back Eric Dickerson runs for an NFL overtime record 42-yard touchdown as LA defeats Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-20 at Anaheim Stadium

  • Oct 6 Russian nuclear sub K291 sinks in Atlantic Ocean
  • Oct 7 First edition of new British newspaper "Independent" published

Sports History

Oct 7 Steve Yzerman is named captain of the Detroit Red Wings, a title he would hold for over 1,300 games

  • Oct 8 Mike Scott ties playoff record of 14 strikeouts, beats Mets 1-0
  • Oct 8 Run-DMC calls for a day of peace among LA street gangs

The Late Show with Joan Rivers

Oct 9 "The Late Show with Joan Rivers" premieres on Fox, first woman to host a US late-night TV talk show' she is fired in May of 1987

Phantom of the Opera

Oct 9 Stage musical "Phantom of the Opera" premieres in London, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman; runs for 13,629 performances

  • Oct 9 US Senate convicts US District Judge Harry E Claiborne making him 5th federal official to be removed from office through impeachment; he had previously been criminally convicted of tax evasion
  • Oct 10 7.5 Earthquake strikes San Salvador, El Salvador

Event of Interest

Oct 10 Shimon Peres resigns as Prime Minister of Israel

  • Oct 12 California Angels within 1 pitch of pennant victory lose to Red Sox

Event of Interest

Oct 12 Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visit the People's Republic of China

  • Oct 13 25th NY, NL appearance in World Series (Mets vs A's)
  • Oct 13 IOC announces baseball will become a medal sport in 1992
  • Oct 14 IOC decides to stagger Winter & Summer Olympic schedule

Nobel Peace Prize

Oct 14 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel, for his efforts to ensure the Holocaust was remembered

  • Oct 14 Tim Kides of West NY, NJ performs 25,000 leg raises in 11:57:15
  • Oct 15 Longest post season game, Mets beat Astros 7-6 in 16 & win NL pennant
  • Oct 15 MLB American League Championship: Boston Red Sox beat California Angels, 4 games to 3
  • Oct 15 MLB National League Championship: New York Mets beat Houston Astros, 4 games to 2

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Oct 15 Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded jointly to Dudley Herschbach, Yuan Lee and John Polanyi for work on the "dynamics of chemical elementary processes"

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Oct 15 Yuan T. Lee is the first Taiwanese Nobel Prize winner, for Chemistry, alongside Dudley R. Herschbach and John C. Polanyi "for their contributions concerning the dynamics of chemical elementary processes" [1]

  • Oct 16 Armand Hammer returns to US with Jewish refusenik David Goldfarb
  • Oct 16 Joe Raposa's musical "Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure", starring Ivy Austin, opens at Nederlander Theater, NYC; runs for 5 performances

Music Concert

Oct 16 Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards organizes concert celebrating rock and roll legend Chuck Berry's 60th birthday at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri; performers include: Richards, Berry, Johnnie Johnson, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Robert Cray, and Julian Lennon among others

Event of Interest

Oct 16 US government shuts down due to disputes between President Reagan and the House

  • Oct 16 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Nobel Prize in Literature

Oct 16 Wole Soyinka, Nigerian playwright and poet, becomes the first African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature

  • Oct 17 US Senate approved immigration bill prohibiting hiring of illegal aliens & offered amnesty to illegals who entered prior to 1982

Event of Interest

Oct 17 Yitzhak Rabin forms Israeli government

Cricket History

Oct 19 Allan Border scores the 1,000,000th run in all test cricket (vs India in Bombay)

  • Oct 19 Joe Raposa's musical "Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure", starring Ivy Austin, closes at Nederlander Theater, NYC, after 5 performances
  • Oct 19 Musical revue "Flamenco Puro" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC, for a limited run of 40 performances
  • Oct 19 USSR expels five US diplomats
  • Oct 20 Tupolev-134 crashes in Southern Africa
  • Oct 21 1st-class cricket debut of Andy Flower, ZCU Presidents XI v Young WI
  • Oct 21 American writer Edward Tracy kidnapped in Beirut
  • Oct 21 Hugh Whitemore's "Breaking the Code" premieres in London
  • Oct 21 IBM re-forms in South Africa
  • Oct 21 Republic of Marshall Islands signs Compact of Free Association with US
  • Oct 22 John Forster and Lee Holdridge's musical "Into the Light", starring Dean Jones, opens at Neil Simon Theater, NYC ; runs for 6 performances
  • Oct 22 WNBC-AM NYC helicopter crashes into Hudson River during a live report, killing traffic reporter Jane Dornacker

Event of Interest

Oct 23 Artist Keith Haring commissioned to paint a mural on the Berlin wall by Checkpoint Charlie Museum 300 metres long

  • Oct 24 Great Britain drops diplomatic relations with Syria
  • Oct 24 MLB Los Angeles Dodgers' infielder Bill Russell (38) announces his retirement
  • Oct 25 International Red Cross ousted from South Africa
  • Oct 25 Michael Sergio Parachutes into Shea Stadium during game 6 of WS
  • Oct 25 Trailing 5-3 with 2 out & no one on in bottom of 10th, NY rallies to win Game 6 of the World Series, 6-5, Bill Buckner misplays a ball

F1 World Champion

Oct 26 French McLaren driver Alain Prost retains his Formula 1 World Drivers Championship with victory in season ending Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide; wins title by 2 points from Nigel Mansell

  • Oct 26 John Forster and Lee Holdridge's musical "Into the Light", starring Dean Jones, closes at Neil Simon Theater, NYC. after 6 performances
  • Oct 27 British government deregulates financial markets in a "Big Bang", enhancing London's status as a financial capital while increasing income inequality
  • Oct 27 MLB World Series: NY Mets win their second title; beat Boston Red Sox, 8-5 at Shea Stadium for 4 games to 3 series win; MVP: Mets infielder Ray Knight

Pretty Little Head

Oct 27 Paul McCartney releases single "Pretty Little Head"

  • Oct 28 Stanley E. Hubbard's KOB sells the company's Albuquerque, New Mexico radio stations, KOB-AM and KOB-FM, the stations change their call signs to KKOB

Statue of Liberty

Oct 28 The centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is celebrated in New York Harbor

'Splendid Achievement' becomes the 'Road To Hell'

Oct 29 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opens the final stretch of London's Orbital Motorway, the M25. Then the world’s longest ring road at 117 miles (188.3 km).

  • Oct 29 Kirk Muller scores NJ Devil record 6 point, beat Penguins, 8-6

Cricket History

Oct 29 Pakistan cricket leg-spin bowler Abdul Qadir takes 6-16 as the West Indies dismissed for 53 in 186 run defeat in 1st Test at Faisalabad

  • Oct 30 Discovery moves to OPF where more than 200 modifications are made
1986 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Oct 1 Jurnee Smollett-Bell, American actress (Lovecraft Country), born in New York City
  • Oct 1 Sayaka Kanda, Japanese singer and actress, born in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
  • Oct 2 Camilla Belle, American actress (Rip Girls), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Oct 3 Joonas Suotamo, Finnish basketball player and actor (Chewbacca in "Star Wars"), born in Espoo, Finland
  • Oct 4 Yuridia [Gaxiola], Mexican R&B and Latin pop singer, born in Hermosillo, Mexico
  • Oct 6 Olivia Thirlby, American actress
  • Oct 6 Yoo Ah-in, South Korean actor (Sungkyunkwan Scandal), born in Daegu, South Korea
  • Oct 7 Gunnar Nielsen, Faroese footballer, born in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
  • Oct 7 Lee Nguyen, American soccer midfielder (9 caps; New England Revolution 203 games), born in Richardson, Texas
  • Oct 9 Laure Manaudou, French swimmer, born in Villeurbanne, France
  • Oct 12 Li Wenliang, Chinese doctor who tried to raise the alarm over COVID-19, born in Beizhen, China (d. 2020)
  • Oct 12 Marcus T. Paulk, American actor (Moesha), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Oct 12 Sergio Peter, German footballer (SpVgg Neckarelz), born in Ludwigshafen, West Germany
  • Oct 12 Tyler Blackburn, American actor (Pretty Little Liars), born in Burbank, California
  • Oct 14 Skyler Shaye, American actress
  • Oct 14 Tom Craddock, English footballer
  • Oct 15 Lee Donghae, Korean singer (Super Junior), born in Mokpo, South Korea
  • Oct 15 Paul Walter Hauser, American actor and comedian (Black Bird), born in Saginaw, Michigan
  • Oct 16 Inna (Elena Apostoleanu) Romanian electronic-dance music singer-songwriter (Hot; Sun Is Up), born in Mangalia, Romania
  • Oct 20 Priyanka Sharma, Indian actress
  • Oct 21 Alex Kew, British actor (2point4 Children - "Declan"), and singer-songwriter, born in Buckinghamshire, England
  • Oct 21 Chibuzor Chilaka, English footballer
  • Oct 21 Christopher Uckermann, Mexican-Swedish actor, and singer in the Latin pop group RBD, born in Mexico City
  • Oct 21 Natalee Holloway, US teenage vacationer who disappeared in Aruba in 2005, born in Clinton, Mississippi (decalred dead in 2012)
  • Oct 22 Kara Lang, Canadian soccer forward (92 caps; Vancouver Whitecaps FC), born in Calgary, Alberta

Emilia Clarke (37 years old)

Oct 23 English actress (Game of Thrones), born in London, England

  • Oct 23 Jessica Stroup, American Actress (90210), born in Anderson, South Carolina

Drake (37 years old)

Oct 24 Canadian actor and rapper (Hotline Bling), born in Toronto, Ontario

  • Oct 24 John Ruddy, English footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers), born in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England
  • Oct 25 DJ Webstar [Troy Ryan], American disc jockey and record producer (Chicken Noodle Soup), born in Harlem, New York
  • Oct 25 Eddie Gaven, American footballer (Columbus Crew), born in Hamilton Township, New Jersey
  • Oct 26 Schoolboy Q [Quincy Hanley), American rap artist (Oxymoron), born in Wiesbaden, West Germany
  • Oct 27 Alba Flores, Spanish actress (Money Heist), born in Madrid, Spain
  • Oct 27 David Warner, Australian cricket batsman (HS 335no 2019; 2nd highest by an Australian; "Sandpaper-gate" 2018 12-month suspension), born in Sydney, Australia
  • Oct 27 Inbar Lavi, Israeli actress (Prison Break, Lucifer), born in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Oct 27 Matty Pattison, South African footballer (Whickham), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Oct 30 Thomas Morgenstern, Austrian ski jumper (3 Olympic gold 2006, 10), born in Spittal an der Drau, Austria
  • Oct 31 Chris Alajajian, Australian racing driver, born in Sydney, Australia
  • Oct 31 Christie Hayes, Australian actress (Home and Away), born in North Nowra, New South Wales, Australia
Born in 1986

Famous Weddings

  • Oct 16 American pop singer Marie Osmond weds Brian Blosil at the Jordan River Temple in South Jordan, Utah: divorce in 2007

Christine McVie

Oct 18 "Fleetwood Mac" member Christine McVie (43) weds Portuguese keyboardist Eduardo Quintela; divorce in 2003

  • Oct 18 NFL player Frank Gifford (56) marries 3rd wife Kathie Lee Johnson (35)

Famous Deaths

  • Oct 3 Vince DiMaggio, American baseball center fielder (MLB All Star 1943-44; Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 74
  • Oct 5 Emanuel Sayles, American jazz banjo player (Preservation Hall Jazz Band), dies at 79
  • Oct 5 Hal B. Wallis [Aaron Blum Wolowicz], American movie producer (Casablanca; Maltese Falcon; Martin & Lewis; Elvis movies; Barefoot in the Park), dies at 87
  • Oct 5 James H. Wilkinson, English mathematician (numerical analysis), dies of a heart attack at 67
  • Oct 5 Mike Burgmann, Australian racing driver (b. 1947)
  • Oct 6 Alexander Kronrod, Russian mathematician (b. 1921)
  • Oct 7 Cheryl Crawford, American actress and producer (Touch of Venus, Brigadoon), dies at 84
  • Oct 8 Walter Burkemo, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1953), dies at 67
  • Oct 10 (Ivy) Priaulx Rainier, South African-British composer (Ploërmel), dies at 83
  • Oct 10 Gleb Wataghin, Ukrainian-Italian physicist, dies at 86
  • Oct 11 Norm Cash, American baseball 1st baseman (5 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1968; AL batting champion 1961; Detroit Tigers), dies from drowning at 51
  • Oct 14 Keenan Wynn, American actor (Dr Strangelove, Absent Minded Professor), dies at 70
  • Oct 14 Mary Lund, American women first to receive an artificial heart, dies at 40
  • Oct 16 Arthur Grumiaux, Belgian concert violinist, dies of a stroke at 65
  • Oct 16 C Wttewaall van Stoetwegen, CHU Member of Dutch parliament, dies at 85
  • Oct 19 Dele Giwa, Nigerian journalist, editor, and founder of Newswatch magazine, is assassinated by a mail bomb at 39
  • Oct 19 Moses Asch, Polish-American recording engineer (founder of Folkways Records), dies at 81 [1]
  • Oct 20 Samora Machel, President of Mozambique, dies in air crash at 53
  • Oct 21 Lionel Murphy, Australian politician and judge, dies at 64
  • Oct 22 Albert Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian biochemist (Vitamin C, Nobel 1937), dies at 93
  • Oct 22 Ivor Francis, Canadian-American radio, stage, and screen character actor (Dusty's Trail; The Prisoner of Second Avenue), and acting teacher, dies at 67
  • Oct 22 Jane Dornacker, American stand-up comic, songwriter, rock vocalist (The Tubes), and ill-fated traffic reporter, dies in a helicopter crash at 39
  • Oct 22 Ye Jianying, Chinese communist general and politician (Head of State of the People's Republic of China 1978-83), dies at 89
  • Oct 23 Edward A Doisy Sr, American bio-chemist (Vitamin K1, Nobel 1943), dies at 92
  • Oct 25 Forrest Tucker, American actor (F Troop, Dusty Trail, The Crawling Eye), dies of lung cancer and emphysema at 67
  • Oct 26 Jackson Scholz, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1920, 200m 1924), dies at 89
  • Oct 27 Alan Branscombe, British jazz and session pianist, vibraphonist, and saxophonist (Tubby Hayes; Beatles - "Got To Get You Into My Life"), dies at 50
  • Oct 28 John Braine, English novelist (Life at the Top), dies at 64
  • Oct 28 Marga Klompé, Dutch 1st female minister (CRM), dies at 74
  • Oct 29 Abel Meeropol, American songwriter ("Strange Fruit"; "The House I Live In'), and librettist ("The Good Soldier Schweick"), dies at 83
  • Oct 29 Mimis Fotopoulos, Greek actor (b. 1913)
  • Oct 29 Osamu Shimizu, Japanese composer, dies at 74
  • Oct 29 Sem Presser, Dutch press photographer, dies at 68
  • Oct 30 Andrzej Markowski, Polish composer, dies at 62
  • Oct 31 Robert S. Mulliken, American chemist and physicist (Nobel 1966), dies at 90