Moments in Time – September 20, 2023

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• On Oct. 2, 1614, Louis XIII of France was declared an adult. His mother, Marie de’ Medici, continued to act as his Regent, however, as she had begun upon the assassination of his father, King Henry IV of France, in 1610, until Louis turned 16.
• On Oct. 3, 1967, singer/musician/activist Woody Guthrie, lauded by Bob Dylan as “the true voice of the American spirit,” died from complications of Huntington’s disease at age 55. His music focused primarily on American socialism and anti-fascism, influencing numerous other artists ranging from Johnny Cash to Jerry Garcia.
• On Oct. 4, 2006, the widows of two war veterans brought a lawsuit against the United States government for the right to include Wiccan religious symbols on graves in military cemeteries. While the religion is recognized by the military, its followers were not permitted to display a Wiccan pentacle on such markers until the following year.
• On Oct. 5, 1999, torrential rains caused flooding and mudslides that completely buried 80 homes in the small Mexican city of Teziutlan. Authorities estimated the village received nearly half the amount of its annual rainfall in just three days.
• On Oct. 6, 1945, tavern owner William Sianis bought a seat for himself and his pet goat, Murphy, for Game 4 of the World Series, featuring the Chicago Cubs vs. the Detroit Tigers. Chagrined that Murphy was denied admission, legend holds that Sianis declared the Cubs would never win a game again until the animal was allowed on Wrigley Field. Though he “lifted” the curse in 1969, the Cubs didn’t see another victory until 1984.
• On Oct. 7, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter welcomed Pope John Paul II as the first pontiff to visit the White House. Carter greeted the Polish-born pope in his native tongue with “Niech bedzie bog Pochwalony” (“May God be praised”).
• On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire broke out in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary and lasted for two days. By the time it ended, 300 people had died and a large swath of the city had been devastated. The exact cause of the blaze was never determined.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.