Today In History: October 26

The Wild West, The Terminator, Ben Franklin, Birthdays & More

Author

Cameron Bartkoski
October 26, 2023

Good morning and welcome to Today In History. Your daily dose of history and nostalgia.

Read time ~ 4 min

  • Old West Shootout

  • Culture

  • U.S.

  • Just For Fun

  • Birthdays & Deaths

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1881)

Setting The Scene

Take a trip with me back to 1881. The world is rapidly expanding, European nations participate in the “Scramble for Africa”, competing for control over African territories. Global trade is becoming a reality thanks to transportation and the Suez Canal.

Meanwhile, Americans push West, only 20 years removed from the Civil War. Westward expansion means conflict with the Native Americans, but it also means the rise of industrialization, paving the path for Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Thomas Edison is revolutionizing the world with the light bulb and telephone.

Today, we’re going to stay in the West for the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. More specifically, we’re in Tombstone, Arizona. It’s the American Old West and outlaws haven’t seen much resistance from authority, until today.

What Happened?

Four lawmen had been feuding with an Outlaw group nicknamed the “Cowboys”. Today, tensions would finally came to a head as the lawmen went to the O.K. Corral photography studio in Tombstone to enforce a new town ordinance that prohibited carrying firearms within city limits.

As the lawmen approach the Cowboys, the men begin shouting at one another, as the lawmen attempt to disarm the outlaws. This exchange quickly turns violent as a gunfight breaks out and clouds of black smoke fill the air. The fight lasts for 30 seconds and as the smoke clears, three cowboys lay dead and 3 of the 4 lawmen are wounded.

Impact

Although the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral would not become well known to the American public until 1931 due to the lack of communication, this battle became the archetype for depicting the Old West. It also marked a turning point the widespread adoption of authority in cities. Even though fighting with outlaws would get worse before it got better, this was a step towards what we now know as the police.

What else happened?

Culture

Polaroid SX-70

  • George Foreman wins Olympic gold in Mexico City, stopping Joan Čepulis of the Soviet Union in round 2. (1968)

  • Edwin Land unveils the Polaroid SX-70, the first truly instant camera. (1972)

  • The Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger hits theaters. (1984)

United States

Erie Canal

  • Benjamin Franklin leaves the U.S., traveling to France seeking support in the American Revolution. (1776)

  • Erie Canal opens, connecting the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson river. (1825)

  • Patriot Act signed into law by President George W. Bush. (2001)

Just For Fun

Margaret Sanger

  • Football Association forms in England, splitting soccer and rugby.(1863)

  • Margaret Sanger is arrested for obscenity; she was distributing pamphlets for birth control. (1916)

  • First infant to receive organ transplant from another species, Baby Fae would have her heart replaced with one from a baboon. (1984)

Birthdays

Deaths