December 9, 1994 – Frederick C. Crawford, prominent Cleveland industrialist, philanthropist, and aviation enthusiast, passed away. He was instrumental in the growth of TRW Inc. and founded the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, preserving the city’s industrial and automotive heritage.

December 11, 1918 – The Cleveland Orchestra performed its first concert at Grays Armory under founding music director Nikolai Sokoloff. This marked the beginning of what would become one of the world’s most respected symphonic ensembles.

World History

December 8, 1980 – Former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment by Mark David Chapman, shocking fans around the world.

December 8, 1941 – The United States declared war on Japan, entering World War II, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

December 11, 1901 – Guglielmo Marconi successfully transmitted the first transatlantic radio signal from Cornwall, England to Newfoundland, Canada.

December 14, 1900 – Max Planck presented his quantum theory to the German Physical Society, laying the groundwork for modern quantum mechanics.

December 14, 1943 – Nazi forces massacred 22 monks and civilians at the historic Mega Spilaio Monastery in Greece during World War II occupation efforts.

The post This Week in History ~ December 8th – 14th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

December 1, 1906 – Cleveland implemented a major standardization of street names and house numbers to improve consistency and navigation, reflecting the city’s rapid growth and modernization in the early 20th century.

World History

December 1, 1913 – The first moving assembly line for mass production of automobiles was introduced by Henry Ford at the Ford Motor Company, revolutionizing industrial manufacturing.

December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a city bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and becoming a pivotal moment in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

December 2, 1823 – U.S. President James Monroe delivered the address that would become known as the Monroe Doctrine, warning European powers against further colonization in the Americas.

December 4, 1533 – Ivan IV, later known as Ivan the Terrible, was crowned Grand Prince of Moscow at the age of three following the death of his father, Grand Prince Vasili III.

December 7, 1941 – The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the United States’ formal entry into World War II.

The post This Week in History ~ December 1st – 7th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

November 24, 1862 – Ohio Governor David Tod visited Camp Cleveland in what is now Tremont. He was greeted by a 15-gun salute from the 20th Ohio Independent Battery as part of his inspection of Civil War training facilities.

November 24, 1950 – A massive blizzard struck the Cleveland area as part of the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950. The city recorded 22.1 inches of snow, closed its airport, and saw over 10,000 cars abandoned in the streets.

World History

November 24, 1863 – Union forces captured Lookout Mountain in Tennessee, weakening the Confederate hold on the Cumberland Gap during the American Civil War.

November 24, 1963 – Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald on live television in Dallas, two days after Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

November 26, 1942 – The film Casablanca premiered in New York City, launching one of the most enduring classics of world cinema.

November 29, 1947 – The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, calling for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.

November 30, 1782 – The United States and Great Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, setting the stage for the formal Treaty of Paris (1783) that ended the American Revolutionary War.

The post This Week in History ~ November 24th – 30th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

November 19, 1831 – James A. Garfield was born in Orange Township (now Moreland Hills), Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

World History

November 17, 1947 – The in the U.S. implemented an anti‑Communist loyalty oath, reflecting rising Cold War tensions.

November 17, 1989 – The began in Prague as a student protest that grew into a national movement, eventually ending Communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

November 22, 1946 – French forces issued an ultimatum to the Vietnamese in Haiphong harbor, triggering a major colonial conflict that would lead to the First Indochina War.

November 23, 1946 – The French naval cruiser bombarded Haiphong, Vietnam, killing thousands in one of the early violent episodes in the Vietnam‑Indochina conflict.

The post This Week in History ~ November 17th – 23rd first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

November 16, 1907 – Actor Burgess Meredith was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He achieved global fame for roles like boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill in the “Rocky” films and the villainous Penguin in the 1960s “Batman” TV series.

World History

November 10, 1775 – The Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Marines, laying the foundation for what would become the United States Marine Corps.

November 10, 1928 – Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa) was formally enthroned in Kyoto, Japan, marking the ceremonial start of his reign that would last until 1989.

November 12, 1954 – Ellis Island closed as an immigrant processing station after welcoming over 12 million immigrants to the United States between 1892 and 1954.

November 16, 1532 – Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured Inca Emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca, Peru, initiating the downfall of the Inca Empire.

The post This Week in History ~ November 10th – 16th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

November 3, 1964 – The Rolling Stones performed at Cleveland Public Hall. That evening, Mayor Ralph S. Locher announced a ban on The Beatles and similar groups from performing at the venue, claiming they did not contribute to the city’s culture or entertainment.

November 4, 1975 – Ralph J. Perk was reelected as Mayor of Cleveland for a third term. On the same ballot, Dennis Kucinich was elected Clerk of the Municipal Court, paving the way for his future rise in city politics.

World History

November 3, 1903 – Panama declared independence from Colombia, clearing the way for U.S. construction of the Panama Canal and reshaping global maritime trade.

November 3, 1992 – Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd President of the United States, defeating incumbent George H. W. Bush and ushering in a new era of centrist Democratic leadership.

November 4, 1995 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in Tel Aviv following a peace rally, a pivotal moment that deeply impacted the Israeli–Palestinian peace process.

November 5, 1605 – The Gunpowder Plot was foiled in England when Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding explosives beneath Parliament, preventing the assassination of King James I.

November 9, 1989 – The Berlin Wall fell as East Germany opened its borders, allowing citizens to cross freely into West Berlin—marking a symbolic end to the Cold War.

The post This Week in History ~ November 3rd – 9th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

October 27, 1912 – The City Club of Cleveland was formally established as a nonpartisan forum for civic dialogue and free speech. Known as “Cleveland’s Citadel of Free Speech,” it remains one of the oldest continuously operating independent public discussion forums in the United States.

World History

October 27, 1978 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their negotiations that led to the Camp David Accords and paved the way for the 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty.

October 28, 1918 – The independent state of Czechoslovakia was officially proclaimed, marking its separation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire as World War I neared its end.

October 29, 1929 – Known as Black Tuesday, the U.S. stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression. It remains one of the most devastating financial collapses in global economic history.

November 1, 1950 – An assassination attempt was made on U.S. President Harry S. Truman at Blair House in Washington, D.C., where he was staying during White House renovations. Truman was unharmed, though one of his guards was killed.

November 2, 1976 – Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th President of the United States, defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. He became the first president from the Deep South since the Civil War.

The post This Week in History ~ October 27th – November 2nd first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

October 20, 1944 – The East Ohio Gas explosion devastated a portion of Cleveland’s east side when a liquefied natural gas storage tank leaked and ignited. The resulting fire and explosions killed 131 people and destroyed an area approximately one square mile in size.

October 21, 1895 – The Cleveland City Council officially adopted the city flag, designed by Susan Hepburn. The flag features vertical red, white, and blue stripes with a central emblem bearing the city’s name and the year of its founding.

October 21, 1934 – The Hungarian Cultural Garden in Cleveland was dedicated on the 123rd anniversary of composer Franz Liszt’s birth. The event celebrated Hungarian culture and marked a major addition to the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

October 26, 1974 – The Richfield Coliseum officially opened in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron. Its first event was a concert by Frank Sinatra. The venue went on to host Cavaliers games, concerts, and major sporting events for two decades.

World History

October 20, 1774 – The First Continental Congress adopted the Continental Association, agreeing to implement a boycott of British goods in response to the Intolerable Acts. This marked a unified colonial economic resistance and a critical step toward the American Revolution.

October 20, 1803 – The United States Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase treaty, approving the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France and doubling the size of the nation.

October 20, 1935 – Mao Zedong’s Long March concluded when the surviving core of the Chinese Red Army arrived in Shaanxi Province after a year-long, 6,000-mile retreat from Nationalist forces. Fewer than 10,000 of the original 80,000 survived, but the march solidified Mao’s leadership.

October 26, 1917 – Brazil formally declared war on Germany, entering World War I on the side of the Allied Powers. Brazil was the only South American nation to join the war effort militarily.

October 26, 1979 – South Korean President Park Chung‑Hee was assassinated by Kim Jae‑gyu, the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, triggering political upheaval and the eventual transition to a new military regime.

The post This Week in History ~ October 20th – 26th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

October 13, 1853 – The 4th National Women’s Rights Convention opened in Cleveland, marking a major milestone in the national suffrage movement and drawing influential activists like Lucy Stone and Frederick Douglass.

October 13, 1914 – Garrett Morgan, an African American inventor based in Cleveland, received a U.S. patent for his safety hood (early gas mask), which would be used to save lives in both industrial and military settings.

October 13, 2023 – The Cleveland Museum of Natural History unveiled its new Visitor Hall, showcasing iconic specimens and interactive exhibits in a reimagined public space.

October 15, 1910 – The Cuyahoga County Centennial celebration reached its peak during a week-long series of events in Cleveland, including parades, concerts, and technological demonstrations like airship and airplane exhibitions along the lakefront.

World History

October 13, 1775 – The Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Navy, laying the foundation for what would become the United States Navy and marking an important step in American resistance during the Revolutionary War.

October 13, 1914 – Garrett Morgan, an African American inventor from Cleveland, received a U.S. patent for his safety hood, an early version of the gas mask. This invention was later used to save lives during mining disasters and in World War I, making it globally significant.

October 14, 1066 – The Battle of Hastings took place in England. William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold II, beginning the Norman Conquest and drastically altering English history, language, and governance.

October 15, 1582 – The Gregorian calendar was officially implemented in several Catholic countries in Europe, replacing the Julian calendar. The calendar reform skipped ten days, with Thursday, October 4, followed immediately by Friday, October 15.

October 19, 1781 – British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending major combat in the American Revolutionary War. The event marked a turning point in global colonial power dynamics.

The post This Week in History ~ October 13th – 19th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

October 6, 1853 – The 4th National Women’s Rights Convention opened in Cleveland, drawing hundreds of activists and speakers from across the country to advocate for women’s suffrage and legal rights.

October 6, 1939 – The Main Avenue Bridge (also known as the Main Avenue Viaduct) was officially dedicated in Cleveland, connecting the city’s east and west sides and improving industrial and commercial transport.

October 8, 1946 – Dennis Kucinich, future mayor of Cleveland, U.S. Representative, and presidential candidate, was born in Cleveland.

October 9, 1960 – The Cleveland Municipal Airport was formally renamed Burke Lakefront Airport in honor of Thomas A. Burke, a former mayor of Cleveland who had promoted its development as a major regional aviation facility.

World History

October 6, 1973 – The Yom Kippur War began when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The war lasted several weeks and reshaped Middle East diplomacy.

October 6, 1927 – The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue, The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson, premiered in New York. It marked the dawn of the “talkie” era in cinema history.

October 11, 1962 – The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) officially opened under Pope John XXIII. The Council introduced major reforms to the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgy, governance, and relations with other faiths.

October 12, 1492 – Christopher Columbus and his expedition made landfall in the Caribbean, traditionally on the island he named San Salvador. This event is often cited as the beginning of European exploration of the Americas.

October 12, 1915 – Edith Cavell, a British nurse, was executed by German authorities in occupied Belgium during World War I for helping Allied soldiers escape. Her death caused international outrage and increased support for the Allied cause.

The post This Week in History ~ October 6th – 12th first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.