On This Day: October 20

Updated October 19, 2012, 2:28 pm

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On Oct. 20, 1973, in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre, President Nixon abolished the office of special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, accepted the resignation of Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and fired Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus.

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On Oct. 20, 1859, John Dewey, the influential American philosopher, was born. Following his death on June 1, 1952, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1803 The U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase.

1931 Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla.

1944 Gen. Douglas MacArthur stepped ashore at Leyte in the Philippines, 2 1/2 years after he’d said, “I shall return.”

1947 The House Un-American Activities Committee opened hearings into alleged Communist influence in the motion picture industry.

1964 Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, died at age 90 in New York City.

1968 Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

1973 Special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox and Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus were fired and Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson resigned in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre.

1977 Three members of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in the crash of a chartered plane near McComb, Miss.

1992 The host Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the first World Series game played outside the United States.

2000 Egyptian-born Ali Mohamed, a U.S. citizen who’d served in the Army, pleaded guilty in New York to helping plan the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa in 1998 that killed 224 people.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Rapper Snoop Dogg turns 41 years old today.

AP Photo/Katy Winn

Actor John Krasinski (“The Office”) turns 33 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1932 William Christopher, Actor (“M.A.S.H.”), turns 80

1937 Juan Marichal, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 75

1950 Tom Petty, Rock singer, musician, turns 62

1955 Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. senator, D-R.I., turns 57

1956 Danny Boyle, Director (“Slumdog Millionaire”), turns 56

1957 Hilda Solis, Secretary of labor, turns 55

1958 Viggo Mortensen, Actor, turns 54

Historic Birthdays

John Dewey 10/20/1859 – 6/1/1952 American philosopher.Go to obituary »

89 Andrea Della Robbia 10/20/1435 – 8/4/1525
Italian sculptor

90 Sir Christopher Wren 10/20/1632 – 2/25/1723
English architect

88 Daniel Sickles 10/20/1825 – 5/3/1914
American politician, soldier, diplomat

37 Arthur Rimbaud 10/20/1854 – 11/10/1891
French poet

79 Charles Edward Ives 10/20/1874 – 5/19/1954
American composer

71 Bela Lugosi 10/20/1882 – 8/16/1956
Hungarian actor

82 Sir James Chadwick 10/20/1891 – 7/24/1974
English physicist

81 Dame Anna Neagle 10/20/1904 – 6/3/1986
English actress and dancer

63 Mickey Mantle 10/20/1931 – 8/13/1995
American professional baseball player

47 Lewis Grizzard 10/20/1946 – 3/20/1994
American columnist

1803	The U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase.
1931	Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla.
1944	Gen. Douglas MacArthur stepped ashore at Leyte in the Philippines, 2 1/2 years after he’d said, “I shall return.”
1947	The House Un-American Activities Committee opened hearings into alleged Communist influence in the motion picture industry.
1964	Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, died at age 90 in New York City.
1968	Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
1973	Special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox and Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus were fired and Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson resigned in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre.
1977	Three members of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in the crash of a chartered plane near McComb, Miss.
1992	The host Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the first World Series game played outside the United States.
2000	Egyptian-born Ali Mohamed, a U.S. citizen who’d served in the Army, pleaded guilty in New York to helping plan the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa in 1998 that killed 224 people.

1932	William Christopher, Actor (“M.A.S.H.”), turns 80
1937	Juan Marichal, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 75
1950	Tom Petty, Rock singer, musician, turns 62
1955	Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. senator, D-R.I., turns 57
1956	Danny Boyle, Director (“Slumdog Millionaire”), turns 56
1957	Hilda Solis, Secretary of labor, turns 55
1958	Viggo Mortensen, Actor, turns 54

89	Andrea Della Robbia 10/20/1435 – 8/4/1525 Italian sculptor
90	Sir Christopher Wren 10/20/1632 – 2/25/1723 English architect
88	Daniel Sickles 10/20/1825 – 5/3/1914 American politician, soldier, diplomat
37	Arthur Rimbaud 10/20/1854 – 11/10/1891 French poet
79	Charles Edward Ives 10/20/1874 – 5/19/1954 American composer
71	Bela Lugosi 10/20/1882 – 8/16/1956 Hungarian actor
82	Sir James Chadwick 10/20/1891 – 7/24/1974 English physicist
81	Dame Anna Neagle 10/20/1904 – 6/3/1986 English actress and dancer
63	Mickey Mantle 10/20/1931 – 8/13/1995 American professional baseball player
47	Lewis Grizzard 10/20/1946 – 3/20/1994 American columnist