Today is Wednesday, Oct. 1, the 274th day of 2025. There are 91 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Oct. 1, 1910, the offices of the Los Angeles Times were destroyed by a dynamite explosion and fire, killing 21 employees; union activist J.B. McNamara eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for the bombing.
Also on this date:
In 1890, Yosemite National Park was established by the U.S. Congress.
In 1903, the first modern baseball World Series began, with the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the American League’s Boston Americans in Game 1; Boston would ultimately win the series 5-3.
In 1908, Henry Ford introduced his mass-produced Model T automobile to the market. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build more than 15 million Model T cars.
In 1949, Mao Zedong, leader of the communist People’s Liberation Army, proclaimed the People’s Republic of China during a ceremony in Beijing.
In 1957, the motto “In God We Trust” began appearing on U.S. paper currency.
In 1962, federal marshals escorted James Meredith as he enrolled as the first Black student at the University of Mississippi; Meredith’s presence sparked rioting that left two people dead.
In 1964, the Free Speech Movement began at the University of California, Berkeley, as students surrounded a police car containing an arrested campus activist for more than 30 hours.
In 1971, Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, Florida.
In 1975, Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila,” the last of their three boxing bouts for the heavyweight championship.
In 2017, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, a gunman opened fire from a room at the high-rise Mandalay Bay casino hotel in Las Vegas on a crowd of 22,000 fans at a country music concert below, causing 60 deaths and more than 850 injuries.
In 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum, a scientist-turned-politician, was sworn in as the first female president of Mexico.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor-singer Julie Andrews is 90.
- Film director Jean-Jacques Annaud is 82.
- Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew is 80.
- Actor Randy Quaid is 75.
- Singer Youssou N’Dour is 66.
- Actor Esai Morales is 63.
- Retired MLB All-Star Mark McGwire is 62.
- Actor Zach Galifianakis is 56.
- Actor Sarah Drew is 45.
- Actor-comedian Beck Bennett is 41.
- Actor Jurnee Smollett is 39.
- Actor Brie Larson is 36.