Fall break might have served as a time of relaxation and recuperation for students, faculty and staff at Elizabethtown College, but they weren’t completely devoid of activity or value. In fact, the days of Oct. 11 through Oct. 14 mark the anniversaries of some of the greatest – and most fun – moments in history, moments that are occasionally forgotten during long autumn weekends of hot chocolate-sipping, and fuzzy sock-wearing and term paper-procrastinating. This past fall break probably meant far more to the country than people might realize, so here are a few memorable fall break dates for the Etown history books.
On Oct. 11, 1968, the United States launched the spacecraft Apollo 7, the first of the Apollo missions to carry human beings into space. Astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham were these privileged, out-of-this-world human beings. Apollo 7 was also the first space mission to feature a live television broadcast documenting the launch and in-flight experiences of the astronauts aboard the craft, allowing the general public to view the intimate details of a space mission from the equipment they used to the meals they ate, which featured the first hot food consumed by humans in space.
Millions of Americans watched in awe as the astronauts floated weightlessly throughout the spacecraft, grabbing objects from midair and releasing them to levitate around the craft as if by magic. The Apollo 7 mission sparked widespread national interest in the space program and caused a great amount of excitement among the public and NASA alike. Apollo 7 gloriously paved the way for the future moon-landing mission that would propel Neil Armstrong to international fame in 1969.
On Oct. 12, 1810, Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, their wedding held in the soon-to-be king’s homeland of Bavaria. Five days later, the marriage celebration culminated into a nationwide festival that took place in front of the Sendlinger Tor, an entry gate leading to what is now Munich, Germany.
The festival lasted several weeks and included horse races, games, food and a healthy excess of German beer. This celebration of the union between two wealthy and influential individuals became the well-known fall season celebration of Oktoberfest, which is still celebrated widely in both Europe and the United States. Now, the festival is celebrated in Munich in September because the weather is more tolerable earlier in the season; it lasts for 16 days, beginning on a Saturday in September and always ending on the first Sunday in October.
The American adaptation of the celebrations usually coincides with this time frame as well, with a few adjustments which might extend it further into the month of October. In the U.S., Oktoberfest has practically become a national seasonal holiday, built upon the timeless communal bonding practices of eating, drinking, laughing and spending memorable, raucously-loud quality time with family and friends.
On Oct. 13, 1792, the cornerstone of the Executive Mansion – the big house in Washington, D.C. that we all know and love – was laid on the future site of the White House. John Adams, second president of the United States, was the first president to reside in the Executive Mansion in 1800; the Mansion was not known as the White House until 1818, after it became known by such a name due to the whitish-gray color of the stone walls, which contrasted sharply with the red brick buildings surrounding it.
The city of Washington, D.C. was established to replace Philadelphia as the nation’s capital because of its more central and advantageous geographical position in the developing country. Maryland and Virginia both surrendered portions of their state territory in order to form the District of Columbia region, and in 1792, work on the newly-delegated land began. French architect Charles L’Enfant designed the early city blocks, which included the streets, parks and building plans, while Irish-American architect James Hoban supervised the building of the Executive Mansion itself. First President George Washington handpicked the location of the Mansion, whose address later became the familiar White House street address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
On Oct. 14, 1964, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was named a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership and non-violent participation in the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. Little can be said about the man that isn’t already known, for his historicized actions and words permeate the nation’s school curriculums, television programs and all forms of printed media, but the fact that he is still a prominent figure in today’s world is undoubtedly for good reason.
At 35 years old, King was the youngest individual ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and even in his acceptance speech, King was reluctant to receive the award on the grounds that the civil rights movement had recently been the cause of more violence than peace throughout the nation. He cited the brutalization of protesters in Birmingham, Ala. who were sprayed with fire hoses and attacked by dogs and police officers during a demonstration. He discussed the beatings and killings of many others in Mississippi, which resulted from a movement in which young black citizens sought the right to vote.
He spoke also of the very day before the ceremony on which more than 40 churches and chapels in the state of Mississippi were bombed or burned to the ground for supporting or hosting anti-segregation beliefs and parishioners. He continued by asking the gathered listeners at the award ceremony why a movement that was “beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle” had warranted an award for peace.
Despite this inner conflict, King reached a resolution by saying, “After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated both nationwide and by Elizabethtown College on Jan. 21, 2013, with week-long festivities held for Etown students, faculty and staff.