#OnThisDay: Oct. 8 – Oct. 15, 2020

Oct. 8, 2020 – Discovery Park of America is filled with artifacts, replicas, history, science, art and more. Our mission is to inspire children and adults to see beyond, and we do so by sharing educational content online and throughout our museum.

We share weekly updates on anniversaries and significant moments in history, and where you can find items related to these dates through our museum and heritage park.

Liberty Hall

• Oct. 10, 1997 (23 years ago) – John Tanner received an award from Naval Support Activity Memphis.
• Oct. 15, 1781 (239th anniversary) – Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered 8,000 British soldiers to a larger Franco-America force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

STEM Landing

• Oct. 10, 1968 (52nd anniversary) – A crawler-transporter moved a Saturn V rocket to the launch pad for Apollo 8, the first manned Saturn V mission. Crawler-transporters are the biggest self-propelled land vehicles.
• Oct. 11, 1968 (52nd anniversary) – Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr.; Donn F. Eisele; and Walter Cunningham aboard. The crew of Apollo 7 conducted an 11-day orbit of Earth, during which the crew transmitted the first live television broadcasts from orbit.

Natural History Gallery

• Oct. 14, 2020 – National Fossil Day: This day was established to promote the scientific and educational values of fossils.

Freedom Square: Walk of Heroes

• Oct. 10, 1957 (63rd anniversary) – Ayn Rand’s fourth and final novel was published. Atlas Shrugged included elements of science fiction, mystery and romance, and it contained Rand’s most extensive statement of objectivism in any of her works of fiction.

Transportation Gallery

• Oct. 12, 1915 (105th anniversary) – Ford Motor Company manufactured it’s one millionth automobile.

Reelfoot Room

• Oct. 14, 1890 (130th birthday) – Sabin Photos – Verne Sabin was born is Champaign, Illinois.

International/National Holidays

• Oct. 12, 2020 – National Farmer’s Day
• Oct. 14, 2020 – National Fossil Day