On this day...

1582 Last day of the Julian calendar in Italy, many Catholic countries

1636 1st code of law for Plymouth Colony

1864-National black convention meets (Syracuse NY)

1957-USSR launches Sputnik I, the 1st artificial Earth satellite

1966-Lesotho (Basutoland) gains independence from Britain (National Day)

1969-U.N. starts issuing postage stamps at Geneva headquarters

1970-Jan Stenerud of Kansas City Chiefs kicks 55-yard field goal

1970-Herbert Schmidtz makes highest parachute jump from a tower by leaping from a 1,984 ft TV mast in Tulsa, Oklahoma

1971-Borden's opens a turn-of-century ice cream parlor at Disney World

1976-Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz resigns due to telling a racial joke

1977-Pier 39 opens in SF

1978-Funeral services held for Pope John Paul I

1984-U.S. govt closes down due to budget problems

1985-Henry G Perry completes 157 day, 14,021 mile bicycle tour of Australia

1985-Shiite Muslims claim to have killed hostage William Buckley