October 22nd

India Launches its First Lunar Mission. The unmade space probe called Chandrayaan-1 was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The probe successfully landed on the Moon on November 14, 2008, making India the 5th country to land a spacecraft on the Moon.

Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi, the deposed Shah of Iran, was allowed in the United States for medical treatment. This action led to the Iran hostage crisis.

Spanish cellist, conductor, and composer Pablo Casals died in Puerto Rico, at age 96.

President Kennedy announced an air and naval blockade of Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet missile bases on the island.

François Duvalier takes office. François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, became the President of Haiti.

West Germany joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

End of the Long March in China. The Long March, a 6000-mile journey made by members of the Red Army led by Mao Zedong came to an end. The March was undertaken as a way to escape the Nationalist army of Chiang Kai-shek. The end of the March is also known in China as the “union of the three armies”.

Panic of 1907: A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to US wide run on banks.

International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. adopts Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) worldwide, creating 24 international time zones with longitude zero at the Greenwich meridian.

Thomas Edison perfects carbonized cotton filament light bulb.

Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first president of the Republic of Texas.

Andre-Jacques Garnerin made the first parachute jump from a balloon.

First Person to Jump With a Parachute. French balloonist André-Jacques Garnerin jumped out of a balloon over Parc Monceau in Paris using a silk parachute that he made himself.

Tsar Peter the Great becomes 'All-Russian Imperator'.

Battle of Liaoluo Bay: Dutch East India Company defeated by Chinese Ming naval forces in southern Fujian sea.