Today in History: October 16, Cuban missile crisis begins

Today is Friday, Oct. 16, the 289th day of 2026. There are 76 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 16, 1962, the Cuban missile crisis began as President John F. Kennedy was informed that reconnaissance photographs had revealed the presence of Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba.

Also on this date:

In 1758, American lexicographer Noah Webster was born in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1793, Marie Antoinette, the queen of France, was beheaded during the French Revolution.

In 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown and his small force raided the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in what was then western Virginia. The attack failed to spark Brown's intended slave rebellion but deepened North-South animosities leading to the Civil War. (Ten of Brown’s men were killed, others fled, and Brown and six followers were caught and later executed.)

In 1923, Walt and Roy Disney found the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, signing their first contract for an animated series and launching what would become The Walt Disney Co.

In 1934, Chinese communists, under siege by the Nationalists, began their “long march” lasting a year from southeastern to northwestern China. The 6,000-mile retreat saved the communist force from destruction, allowing them to regroup in the remote north.

In 1964, China set off its first atomic bomb, code-named “596,” at the Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang.

In 1968, American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos sparked controversy at the Mexico City Olympics by giving “Black power” salutes during a victory ceremony after they had won gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race.

In 1978, the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church chose Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (voy-TEE’-wah) to be the new pope; he took the name John Paul II.

In 1984, Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades of non-violent struggle for racial equality in South Africa.

In 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure was pulled from an abandoned well in Midland, Texas, after being stuck there for more than two days. The efforts to rescue “Baby Jessica” captured the attention of the nation.

In 1991, a gunman opened fire at a Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, killing 23 people before taking his own life.

In 1995, the Million Man March, a gathering of Black men meant to foster unity in the face of economic and social issues affecting African Americans, was held in Washington, D.C.

In 2017, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been captured and held by the Taliban for five years after walking away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009, pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. He was subsequently given no prison time after submitting evidence of torture at the hands of the Taliban. A federal judge vacated his military conviction in 2023.

In 2024, more than 140 people were killed in Nigeria when an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded as they tried to scoop up spilled fuel. Dozens more were injured in the inferno at the site in Jigawa state.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Fernanda Montenegro is 97. Actor Barry Corbin is 86. Musician Bob Weir is 79. Actor-director Tim Robbins is 68. Rock musician Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 64. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan is 64. Actor Terri J. Vaughn is 57. Singer John Mayer is 49. Former WNBA point guard Sue Bird is 46. Actor Caterina Scorsone is 45. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is 34. Tennis player Naomi Osaka is 29. Race car driver Charles Leclerc is 29. Actor Ruby Rose Turner is 21.