HALLOWEEN
October 31st brings out the ghouls and goblins, creatures, and strange folk. It's Halloween! This spooktacular holiday is when things come creeping about the neighborhood seeking favors over trickery. #Halloween
NATIONAL DOORBELL DAY
On October 31st, National Doorbell Day will have doorbells ringing more than any other day of the year. This date was specifically chosen to coincide with Halloween, the single day of the year when residential doorbell's ring far more than any other time, thanks to trick-or-treaters. #NationalDoorbellDay
NATIONAL FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY
National Frankenstein Friday, on the last Friday in October, recognizes Frankenstein as one of the best-known horror characters of all time. It's a day to also honor the author Mary Shelley, the characters she created in the novel. #FrankensteinFriday
NATIONAL MAGIC DAY
National Magic Day each year on October 31st recognizes the thrill of seeing the performance art of magic. Taking place during National Magic Week, this magical National Day is sure to leave you feeling entertained. #NationalMagicDay
NATIONAL CARAMEL APPLE DAY
National Caramel Apple Day on October 31st celebrates a time-honored fall treat. Many of us remember eating caramel apples or making them with family. Whether it was at a fair, carnival, or Halloween party, it was a special treat. Sometimes we even made them at home. No matter where we enjoyed them, the memory is a good one. #CaramelAppleDay
NATIONAL KNOCK KNOCK JOKE DAY
Laugh out loud on National Knock Knock Joke Day! October 31st encourages telling a few funny knock knock jokes while going door to door. And the day is for jokesters of all ages, too. #KnockKnockJokeDay
NATIONAL BREADSTICK DAY
National Breadstick Day recognizes the delicious goodness of dunkable pieces of warm and tender enjoyment. Observe this celebration annually on the last Friday in October (or every friday) by enjoying some fresh bread sticks. #NationalBreadstickDay
GIRL SCOUT FOUNDER'S DAY
On October 31st, Girl Scout Founder's Day recognizes the founders and all the great things Scouting has done for girls since its inception. It commemorates the birth of the founder, Juliet Gordon Low. #GirlScoutFoundersDay
📜 Halloween Fun Facts & Trivia:
🎃 Tomorrow is Halloween: When the Veil Between Worlds Thins
Get ready for costumes, candy, and a touch of the supernatural! Tomorrow, October 31st, we celebrate Halloween, a holiday with roots that stretch back over 2,000 years.
From Samhain to All Hallows' Eve
Halloween originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "Sow-in"), which marked the end of summer/harvest and the beginning of winter. Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead was thinnest on this night.
Jack-o'-Lanterns Weren't Pumpkins
The first Jack-o'-Lanterns were traditionally carved out of turnips in Ireland! Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, where they discovered that the native pumpkin was much larger and easier to carve.
Black & Orange Explained
The traditional Halloween colors symbolize the changing season: Orange represents the autumn harvest and Black symbolizes the "death" of summer and the onset of winter's darkness.
Halloween on Hold
During World War II, trick-or-treating was largely suspended in the United States due to sugar rationing, proving that even a fun holiday sometimes has to step aside for history.
How You Can Celebrate Halloween Tomorrow!
- Host a Throwback: Skip the costume and try an older tradition like "apple bobbing" (a fun tradition linked to the Roman goddess of fruit, Pomona).
- Embrace the Spooky Story: Organize a family or neighborhood gathering to tell scary stories in the dark (or share your favorite spooky ghost story in a social media post).
- DIY Candy: Instead of buying a bag, try making a batch of your own festive treats, like caramel apples or "Witch Hat" cookies, to hand out or enjoy at home.
- The Big Ask: If you see any black cats today or tomorrow, give them some extra love—they've been historically misunderstood! Use the hashtag #HalloweenHistory.
Coming on November 1, 2025
National Days
NATIONAL COOK FOR YOUR PETS DAY
NATIONAL CALZONE DAY
NATIONAL CINNAMON DAY
NATIONAL BIOLOGIC COORDINATORS DAY
AUTISTICS SPEAKING DAY
NATIONAL BISON DAY
NATIONAL BRUSH DAY
NATIONAL DEEP FRIED CLAMS DAY
NATIONAL FAMILY LITERACY DAY
NATIONAL AUTHOR'S DAY
NATIONAL VINEGAR DAY
NATIONAL PLAY OUTSIDE DAY
Notable Birthdays on October 31
William Paca (1740-1799) - Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Boston Custer (1848-1876) - Brother of George Custer who also died at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930) - Author of Revolt of Mother.
Charles Leroux (1856-1889) - Air balloonist and skydiver.
Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927) - Founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.
Julia Peterkin (1880-1961) - Author if Scarlet Sister Mary.
Ethel Waters (1896-1977) - Singer Dinah and Stormy Weather.
Eduard Franz (1902-1983) - The original actor of Zorro.
Julia Lee (1902-1958) - Blues singer of Opportunity Knocks But Once - Snatch and Grab It.
Bumpy Johnson (1905-1968) - Infamous crime boss.
Dale Evans (1912-2001) - Singer and third wife to Roy Rogers.
Ollie Johnston (1912-2008) - Disney animator and voice over actor.
Ian Stevenson (1918-2007) - Psychiatrist and founder of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Magnus Wenninger (1919-2017) - Mathematician and author of Polyhedron models.
Barbara Bel Geddes (1922-2005) - Actress known for her role as Ellie Ewing on Dallas.
Shirley Dinsdale (1926-1999) - Female ventriloquist of Judy Splinters.
Michael Collins (1930-2021) - NASA Astronaut.
Dan Rather (1931-Still Living) - Journalist and author.
Donald Pritzker (1932-1972) - Co-founder of the Hyatt hotel franchise.
Michael Landon (1936-1991) - Actor known as Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie.
Deidre Hall (1947-Still Living) - Soap opera actress whose character was Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives.
Bob Siebenberg (1949-Still Living) - Drummer for Supertramp.
Jane Pauley (1950-Still Living) - Television host and news journalist.
Joe West (1952-Still Living) - Baseball umpire known as "Cowboy Joe."
Alonzo Babers (1961-Still Living) - Olympic runner.
Jonathan Borden (1962-Still Living) - Neurosurgeon who developed the Borden Classification of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas.
Vanilla Ice (1967-Still Living) - Rapper and television personality.
Keith Jardine (1975-Still Living) - UFC fighter.
Piper Perabo (1976-Still Living) - Actress best known for her role in the film Coyote Ugly.
Adam Bouska (1983-Still Living) - Founder of the NOH8 Campaign.
Memorable Events on October 31
1837 - At least 300 people die after the river boats Monmouth & Trement collide.
1864 - Nevada becomes the 36th state.
1868 - Post office carries are given a standard uniform.
1895 - An earthquake near Charleston, MO, kills 2 people.
1903 - A railroad train collision kills 14 players of the Purdue University football team.
1913 – The Lincoln Highway becomes the automobile highway in the U.S.
1918 - The Spanish outbreak in the U.S. kills 21,000 people in one week.
1938 - The NY Stock Exchange unveils a program to help recover from the Depression.
1941 - Mount Rushmore Monument is completed in South Dakota.
1943 - A AF4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception by the
military.
1950 - Earl Lloyd becomes the first Black to play a game in the NBA.
1961 - A Federal judge rules that laws against integrated playing fields in Alabama are illegal.
1963 - A gas explosion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds kills 81 people and injures many others during a show.
1968 - President Johnson announces a halt to all bombing in Vietnam.
1988 - The first Monday Night NFL game is played.
2002 - A federal grand jury indicts former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
2017 - Eight people are killed after a truck drives into a crowd in Lower Manhattan.
