What Happened on October 30?
October 30 is National Candy Corn Day — peak Halloween-week sweets — on the same date Orson Welles panicked radio listeners in 1938, Muhammad Ali regained his title in 1974, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility appeared in 1811, and the Perfect Storm roared in 1991.
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1811 — Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is published
On October 30, 1811, Sense and Sensibility appeared — Jane Austen's first published novel, credited only 'By a Lady.' Read the full story →
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1864 — Prospectors found the town of Helena, Montana
On October 30, 1864, gold seekers established a camp that became Helena — later Montana's capital city. Read the full story →
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1938 — Orson Welles broadcasts The War of the Worlds on radio
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre staged a realistic radio drama of a Martian invasion — and some listeners believed it was news. Read the full story →
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1973 — The Bosphorus Bridge opens, linking Europe and Asia in Istanbul
On October 30, 1973, Turkey opened the Bosphorus Bridge — a suspension bridge joining the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Read the full story →
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1974 — Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle
On October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman to regain the world heavyweight boxing title. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
John Adams (1735–1826) · Diego Maradona (1960–2020) · Ezra Pound (1885–1972) · Charles Atlas (1892–1972)
Days & observances
National Candy Corn Day · National Checklist Day · Mischief Night · Haunted House Night (community fun)