October 31, 1753 “I was commissioned and appointed by the Honourable Robert Dinwiddle, Esq ; Governor, & c. of Virginia, to visit and deliver a Letter to the Commandant of the French Forces on the Ohio, and set out on the intended journey the same day” – George Washington Source: https://archive.org/details/journalofmajorg00wash/page/n19/mode/2up Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

President John F. Kennedy with his two children in Halloween costumes – John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy at The White House October 31, 1963 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Born October 31, 1860 Juliette Gordon Low was inspired by England’s Girl Guides, an offshoot of the Boy Scouts. Low founded the American Girl Guides, changing the name to Girl Scouts in 1913. She’s shown here (center) in 1925, two years before her death. Low was buried in her hometown of Savannah, in her Girl Scout uniform. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US

Halloween party at the pre-school center of the WPA recreation division in New Orleans October 31, 1941 Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

“Hallowe’en” postcard from 1910 Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Michael Landon on the set of Little House on the Prairie in 1976 Michael Landon’s birth name was Eugene Maurice Orowitz and he was born on October 31, 1936 in Queens, New York. Image: Robert Lachman, Los Angeles Times via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

“Burns’ Coffee House, in which the first non-importation agreement of the colonies was signed on the 31st of October, 1765, by the merchants of the City of New York.” Image: New York Public Library Digital Collections, public domain

October 31, 1926 saw the death of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini. Also known for exposing fake mediums, Houdini promised his wife, Bess that he would contact her after death if he could. She held séances on Halloween for a decade then stopped saying “Ten years is long enough to wait for any man.” Image from LOC via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US

On October 31, 1950, Earl Lloyd became the first African American to play in an NBA game. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US

On October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36th state. Image of the Nevada State Capitol building in Carson City which was completed in 1871, seven years after Nevada became a state. Image from LOC via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US

On October 31, 1913, The Lincoln Highway was dedicated. Image of a portion of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain