October 24th Major News Events

24 Oct, 1901 Canada Niagara Falls

1901 : The first successful barrel ride over Niagara Falls occurred when Anna Edson Taylor, a school teacher, rode safely over the Falls today in a barrel. The ride through the rapids took 18 minutes.

Full Size Original Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Niag715.jpg

24 Oct, 1921 U.S.A. New Lower Taxes

1921 : An amendment to lower the taxes paid on income was defeated today with a majority of 46 to 28 in the Senate.

The current rate of Taxation is:

4% on income up to $4,000

8% on income from $4000

The new amendment contained the following Tax thresholds:

2% on income up to $5,000

4% on income from $5,000 to $10,000

6% on income from $10,000 to $15,000

8% on all income over $15,000

24 Oct, 1931 George Washington Bridge Opens

1931 : The upper level of the George Washington Bridge able to carry six lanes of traffic, connecting New York and New Jersey, opened to traffic. Work on the bridge on behalf of the Port of New York Authority had begun in October 1927.

24 Oct, 1939 Germany Star of David

1939 : New Rules by Nazis require Jews to wear star of David often yellow-colored to identify Jewish People. The requirement to wear the Star of David with the word Jude (German for Jew) inscribed was then extended to all Jews over the age of 6 in the Reichland.

Full Size Original Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Judenstern_JMW.jpg

24 Oct, 1940 40 Hour Working Week

1940 : Due to the passing of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S. Code Chapter 8) in 1938 part of the New Deal the 40-hour working week goes into effect.

24 Oct, 1942 World War II El Alemain

1942 : A much refreshed and rearmed British 8th Army charged into the Axis El Alemain line today in an offensive sprung in the night by land sea and air which will prove to be the turning point in the war in Egypt.

24 Oct, 1945 U.S.A. United Nations

1945 : The United Nations is formally established as a new international body to maintain peace in the postwar world when its charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories.

24 Oct, 1947 Great Britain Train Crash

1947 : Heavy fog and a mistake by a signalman causes two rush hour commuter trains to collide in South Croydon, killing 32 people.

24 Oct, 1964 U.S.A. Food Stamp Program

1964 : The Department of Agriculture is expand the food stamp program to include 41 states. The program works by allowing those in need to buy food stamps for $6.00 which are worth $10.00 worth of food. The New cities to be included in the program include Chicago, Denver, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Cincinnati.

24 Oct, 1973 Egypt Yom Kippur War

October 24th, 1973 : The Yom Kippur War ends when all sides agree to a ceasefire, the war had started on October 6th when a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria crossing the (1967 5 day war) ceasefire lines in the Sinai and Golan Heights on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. After initial success by Egypt and Syria Israel had surrounded and trapped the Egyptian Third Army which forced the ceasefire following pressure from the Soviet Union on the Arab countries and pressure from America on Israel.

24 Oct, 1998 Philippines Typhoon Babs

1998 : As reports are coming out from the Philippines from Typhoon Babs, the cost in human lives has now reached more than 100 and nearly 100,000 people forced to leave their homes. The damage to crops which are an important part of the Philippine economy is estimated at over 20 million dollars.

24 Oct, 2001 Switzerland Fire In Gotthard Road Tunnel

October 24th, 2001 : Following an accident between two lorries deep in the Gotthard Road Tunnel which is the main route from Zurich through the Alps to Northern Italy, a massive fire starts causing part of the tunnel roof to collapse, early estimates put the death toll at 10. The tunnel traffic has increased in the last two years following the closure of the Mont Blanc Tunnel in 1999 after 39 die in that tunnel fire.

24 Oct, 2002 Washington Snipers Arrested

2002 : Authorities arrest John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo when they are found sleeping in their car at a rest stop off Interstate 70 near Myersville, Maryland, and arrested on federal weapons charges and investigations begin in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks.

24 Oct, 2003 Great Britain Concorde

October 24th, 2003 : Concorde makes its final commercial passenger flight, traveling at twice the speed of sound from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport.

24 Oct, 2005 U.S.A. Rosa Parks

2005 : Civil rights activist Rosa Parks died today of natural causes at the age of 92. Her refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 triggered a bus boycott that would mark the start of the modern civil rights movement.

Full Size Original Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_Parks_Booking.jpg

24 Oct, 2008 Iceland IMF Aid

October 24th, 2008 : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to give aid to Iceland worth about $2.1bn (£1.3bn; 1.58bn euros). The aid is required because after the country was forced to take over three of its biggest, debt-laden banks this month. Iceland is the first Western country to have approached the IMF for aid since 1976. Many are predicting that other countries will follow next year including Greece.

24 Oct, 2009 US Bank Closures Reaches 100

2009 : The number of banks now closed this year reaches 100 following the closure of three banks in Florida this week.

24 Oct, 2009 H1N1 Declared National Emergency

October 24th, 2009 : US President has signed a proclamation declaring the H1N1 swine flu a national emergency, in a move to help medical teams handle the outbreak allowing authorities to bypass certain federal requirements in order to deal more effectively with emergencies.

24 Oct, 2011 Javan Rhinos Classified as Extinct in Vietnam

2011 : Officials stated that the last Javan Rhino was most likely killed by a poacher because its horn had been removed and it had been shot in the leg. Research during the previous few years had concluded that based on genetic tests done on dung samples, there was probably only one Javan Rhino left in Vietnam. The overall global population of Javan Rhinos was now estimated at less than fifty.

24 Oct, 2012 Man Dies in Shark Attack

October 24th, 2012 : Francisco Javier Solorio Jr, a thirty-nine year old surfer, died after being attacked by a shark at Surf Beach in California.

24 Oct, 2013 Ethiopia Bans Workers From Going Abroad

2013 : It was reported that Ethiopia temporarily banned its own citizens from traveling abroad in order to find work. Officials stated that the decision was made to help the welfare of the country's citizens and reduce problems with human trafficking.