Today in Oklahoma History
The Dalton Gang is wiped out in Coffeyville, Kansas
Wednesday, October, 5, 1892 – On this day in 1892, the famous Dalton Gang attempts the daring daylight robbery of two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks at the same time. But if the gang members believed the sheer audacity of their plan would bring them success, they were sadly mistaken. Instead, they were nearly all killed by quick-acting townspeople. For a year and a half, the Dalton Gang had terrorized Indian Territory, mostly concentrating on train holdups. More...
San Bernardo
Sunday, October, 7, 1759 – Spaniards were defeated in a battle the Taovayans.
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
Sunday, October, 7, 2001 – The War in Afghanistan began n response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.. This marked the beginning of the campaign known as the War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to al-Qaeda. more...
1st non-Indian Settlement in Oklahoma
Sunday, October, 10, 1802 – Oldest permanent American settlement in state. Grew out of Chaouteau's furn trade at St. Louis, with Osages after they settled in this region in 1802 from Missouri. more...
The Oklahoma Lottery
Wednesday, October, 12, 2005 – In 2003 the Oklahoma legislature passed legislation allowing the proposal of a lottery to go before a vote of the people. Two state questions (705 and 706) were placed on the general election ballot in 2004. Those state questions would set up the lottery commission and create a lottery trust fund. The Oklahoma Lottery was approved by the vote of the people in 2004 by rather large margins. The Oklahoma Lottery is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). On its first day, October 12, 2005, scratch tickets went on sale. On November 10, 2005 Pick 3 was started. Powerball came to Oklahoma on January 12, 2006. More...
4.3 Earthquake
Wednesday, October, 13, 2010 – One of the strongest earthquakes in state history startled Oklahomans, rattling windows and nerves but causing no major damage or injuries. The quake was centered eight miles southeast of Norman, south of Lake Thunderbird, near E Post Oak Road and 84th Avenue SE, Oklahoma Geological Survey research seismologist Austin Holland said. He estimated the magnitude of the 9:06 a.m. quake at 5.1 and called it a "small to moderate earthquake," while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 4.3. Read more: NewsOK.com
Earthquake at Durant
Monday, October, 14, 1968 – An October 14, 1968, earthquake caused minor damage at Durant. Walls cracked, and glass in two structures broke (VI). The press reported that a 5 foot tall advertising stand fell over, and canned goods fell from a rack in a supermarket. Slight foreshocks were felt at Durant on October 10 and 11. Intensity IV effects from the October 14 shock were also noted at Caddo. More...
Battle of Old Fort Wayne
Wednesday, October, 22, 1862 – American Civil War -- Description: Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt and his troops attacked Col. Douglas H. Cooper and his Confederate command on Beatties Prairie near Old Fort Wayne at 7:00 am on October 22, 1862. The Confederates put up stiff resistance for a half hour, but overwhelming numbers forced them to retire from the field in haste, leaving artillery and equipage behind. This was a setback in the 1862 Confederate offensive that extended from the tidewater in the east to the plains of the Indian Territory of the west. more...
New Madrid Earthquakes
Saturday, October, 22, 1881 – The series of great earthquakes in the New Madrid, Missouri, region in 1811 - 1812, and a strong earthquake centered in Arkansas were probably felt in the area that is now Oklahoma. more...
Pretty Boy Floyd is killed by the FBI
Monday, October, 22, 1934 – Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd is shot by FBI agents in a cornfield in East Liverpool, Ohio. Floyd, who had been a hotly pursued fugitive for four years, used his last breath to deny his involvement in the infamous Kansas City Massacre, in which four officers were shot to death at a train station. He died shortly thereafter. Charles Floyd grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. When it became impossible to operate a small farm in the drought conditions of the late 1920s, Floyd tried his hand at bank robbery... More...
Governor Walton Impeached
Tuesday, October, 23, 1923 – On this day Governor John "Jack" C. Walton was suspended. Walton had placed Okmulgee County under martial law and Tulsa County likewise with the additional penalty of suspension of habeas corpus; the latter step forbade by state constitution. When an Oklahoma City grand jury prepared to investigate the governor's office, Walton put the entire state under martial law on September 15, 1923 with "absolute martial law" applicable to the capital. Impeachment demands were rampant. more...
USS Oklahoma
Saturday, October, 26, 1912 – USS Oklahoma (BB-37), a Nevada-class battleship was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 46th state. Her keel was laid down on 26 October 1912 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 23 March 1914. She was moored in Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked. more...