Today in History: October 18, American shatters long jump world record by nearly two feet

Today is Friday, Oct. 18, the 292nd time of 2024. There are 74 days near successful the year.

Today successful history:

On Oct. 18, 1968, American Bob Beamon shattered the erstwhile agelong leap satellite grounds by astir 2 feet, leaping 29 feet, 2 1/4 inches (8.90 meters) astatine the Summer Olympics successful Mexico City.

Also connected this date:

In 1867, the United States took ceremonial possession of Alaska from Russia.

In 1898, the American emblem was archetypal raised successful Puerto Rico, soon earlier Spain formally relinquished power of the land to the U.S.

In 1931, inventor Thomas Alva Edison died astatine his location successful West Orange, New Jersey, astatine the property of 84.

In 1954, Texas Instruments unveiled the Regency TR-1, the archetypal commercially produced transistor radio.

In 1962, James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were honored with the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for determining the double-helix molecular operation of DNA.

In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, overriding President Richard Nixon’s veto.

In 1977, Reggie Jackson deed 3 location runs successful Game 6 of the World Series to pb the New York Yankees to an 8-4 triumph and a 4-2 Series triumph implicit the Los Angeles Dodgers; his occurrence successful the Fall Classic earned him the nickname “Mr. October.” Also successful 1977, West German commandos stormed a hijacked Lufthansa jetliner connected the crushed successful Mogadishu, Somalia, freeing each 87 hostages and 4 unit members and sidesplitting 3 of the 4 hijackers.

In 2018, President Donald Trump threatened to adjacent the U.S. borderline with Mexico if authorities could not halt a caravan of migrants making their mode from Central America.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is 85.
• Composer Howard Shore is 78.
• Actor Joe Morton is 77.
• Author Terry McMillan is 73.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova is 68.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns is 66.
• Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 64.
• Jazz instrumentalist Wynton Marsalis is 63.
• Musician Ne-Yo is 45.
• Olympic golden medal skier Lindsey Vonn is 40.
• Jazz singer-musician Esperanza Spalding is 40.
• Actor Freida Pinto is 40.
• Actor Zac Efron is 37.
• WNBA halfway Brittney Griner is 34.
• Actor Tyler Posey is 33.
• Actor Barry Keoghan is 32.