October 25, 2020
Day 299 of 366

October 25th is the 299th day of the year. It is Thanksgiving Day in Grenada.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Greasy Food Day, Sourest Day, National Mother-in-Law Day (typically observed on the fourth Sunday in October), and Chucky, The Notorious Killer Doll Day.

Historical items of note:

• In 1854, the Battle of Balaclava took place during the Crimean War. It was soon memorialized in verse as The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
• In 1881, Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso was born.
• In 1917, the October Revolution began in Russia (by Old Style dating).
• In 1940, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was named the first African American general in the United States Army.
• In 1955, producer Gale Anne Hurd was born.
• In 1957, voice actress Nancy Cartwright was born. She’s probably best known as the voice of Bart Simpson.
• In 1962, actress Darlene Vogel was born.
• In 1964, voice actor and singer Kevin Michael Richardson was born.
• In 1971, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China at the United Nations.
• In 1978, Halloween premiered.

In 1979, the autonomous community of Basque Country was granted the status of nationality within Spain.

Part of a larger cultural region of the same name, the area is home to the Basque people. They have a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians, each part of pre-Roman cultures. The region is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.