On This Day: October 24

Updated October 23, 2012, 2:28 pm

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On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations charter took effect.

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On Oct. 24, 1915, Bob Kane, the American cartoonist best known for creating ‘Batman,’ was born. Following his death on Nov. 3, 1998, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1648 The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’ War and, effectively, the Holy Roman Empire.

1861 The first transcontinental telegraph message was sent from California to President Abraham Lincoln.

1931 The George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey was dedicated.

1940 The 40-hour work week went into effect in the United States.

1945 The United Nations charter took effect.

1952 Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, “I shall go to Korea” as he promised to end the conflict.

1992 The Toronto Blue Jays became the first team outside the United States to win a World Series as they defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 6.

2002 Authorities arrested Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks. (Muhammad was later sentenced to death, Malvo to life in prison.)

2003 The era of supersonic jet travel came to an end as three British Airways Concordes landed at London’s Heathrow Airport.

2005 Civil rights activist Rosa Parks died at age 92.

2007 Facebook Inc. sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from Google Inc.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Kevin Kline turns 65 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actress B.D. Wong (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) turns 52 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1926 Y.A. Tittle, Football Hall of Famer, turns 86

1936 Bill Wyman, Rock musician (Rolling Stones), turns 76

1939 F. Murray Abraham, Actor (“Amadeus”), turns 73

1948 Kweisi Mfume, Former NAACP president, turns 64

1956 Jeff Merkley, U.S. senator, D-Ore., turns 56

1980 Monica, R&B singer, actress, turns 32

1989 Shenae Grimes, Actress (“90210”), turns 23

Historic Birthdays

Bob Kane 10/24/1915 – 11/3/1998 American cartoonist; creator of Batman and Robin.Go to obituary »

90 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 10/24/1632 – 8/26/1723
Dutch microbiologist

62 Alban Butler 10/24/1710 – 5/15/1773
English Roman Catholic priest and educator

90 Sarah Josepha Hale 10/24/1788 – 4/30/1879
Americam writer and magazine publisher

86 Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood 10/24/1830 – 5/19/1917
Americam attorney and social reformer

57 James Schoolcraft Sherman 10/24/1855 – 10/30/1912
American politician; U.S. vice president (1909-12)

93 Dame Sybil Thorndike 10/24/1882 – 6/9/1976
English actress

69 Rafael Trujillo 10/24/1891 – 5/30/1961
President of Dominican Republic (1930-61)

57 Moss Hart 10/24/1904 – 12/20/1961
American dramatist

1648	The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’ War and, effectively, the Holy Roman Empire.
1861	The first transcontinental telegraph message was sent from California to President Abraham Lincoln.
1931	The George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey was dedicated.
1940	The 40-hour work week went into effect in the United States.
1945	The United Nations charter took effect.
1952	Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, “I shall go to Korea” as he promised to end the conflict.
1992	The Toronto Blue Jays became the first team outside the United States to win a World Series as they defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 6.
2002	Authorities arrested Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks. (Muhammad was later sentenced to death, Malvo to life in prison.)
2003	The era of supersonic jet travel came to an end as three British Airways Concordes landed at London’s Heathrow Airport.
2005	Civil rights activist Rosa Parks died at age 92.
2007	Facebook Inc. sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from Google Inc.

1926	Y.A. Tittle, Football Hall of Famer, turns 86
1936	Bill Wyman, Rock musician (Rolling Stones), turns 76
1939	F. Murray Abraham, Actor (“Amadeus”), turns 73
1948	Kweisi Mfume, Former NAACP president, turns 64
1956	Jeff Merkley, U.S. senator, D-Ore., turns 56
1980	Monica, R&B singer, actress, turns 32
1989	Shenae Grimes, Actress (“90210”), turns 23

90	Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 10/24/1632 – 8/26/1723 Dutch microbiologist
62	Alban Butler 10/24/1710 – 5/15/1773 English Roman Catholic priest and educator
90	Sarah Josepha Hale 10/24/1788 – 4/30/1879 Americam writer and magazine publisher
86	Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood 10/24/1830 – 5/19/1917 Americam attorney and social reformer
57	James Schoolcraft Sherman 10/24/1855 – 10/30/1912 American politician; U.S. vice president (1909-12)
93	Dame Sybil Thorndike 10/24/1882 – 6/9/1976 English actress
69	Rafael Trujillo 10/24/1891 – 5/30/1961 President of Dominican Republic (1930-61)
57	Moss Hart 10/24/1904 – 12/20/1961 American dramatist