October 9th is not associated with any particular event in Leif Erikson's life. The date was chosen because the ship Restauration, coming from Stavanger, Norway, arrived in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825, at the start of the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the Discoverer of America. In 1930, Wisconsin adopted Leif Erikson Day as a state holiday. A year later, Minnesota followed suit. By 1956, Leif Erikson Day had been made an official observance in seven states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California) and one Canadian province (Saskatchewan). In 1964, Congress adopted a bill to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so.
Today is also the fourth annual Universal Music Day, World Post Day (marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union's establishment in 1874), and would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday.
National Fire Prevention Week has been sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) since 1922 on the Sunday to Saturday period each year in which October 9th falls (3-9 October this year). This date is chosen to commemorate the tragic Great Chicago Fire on October 8th and 9th, in 1871. While the Great Chicago Fire was more well known, the Peshtigo Fire, over this same two-day period, was bigger, burning down sixteen towns in northeastern Wisconsin, killing 1152 people and scorching 1.2 million acres.
Tomorrow features another slate of NCAA football games. Some key matchups include: top ranked Alabama vs. South Carolina, LSU vs. Florida, Florida State vs. Miami, and Michigan State vs. Michigan. The NHL season opened for hockey fans this weekend (games started on Thursday).
If you're watching TV tonight, Saturday Night Live is hosted by actress and comedian Jane Lynch with musical guest Bruno Mars. The rest of the TV Guide Hot List includes: "After the Fall " (Hallmark, 8/7c), "Monster Wolf" (SyFy, 9/8c), "Auctioneer$" (TLC, 10/9c), "College Football - Stanford vs. USC" (ABC, 8/7c), "Public Enemies" (Cinemax, 10/9c), and "Houston, We Have a Problem" (PlanetGreen, 10/9c). The MLB playoffs also continue on TBS (Rays vs. Rangers Game 3 and Twins vs. Yankees Game 3).
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