This Week in History Oct. 1-7

Oct. 1, 1946 – A verdict is handed down on 22 of the original 24 defendants in the Nürnberg Trials

Oct. 1, 1949 – Mao Zedong proclaims the establishment of the People’s Republic of China

Oct. 2, 1967 – Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African American member of the U. S. Supreme Court

Oct. 3, 1990 – After 40 years of division, East and West Germany are reunited as one nation

Oct. 3, 1995 – The sensational trial of O. J. Simpson ends as the jury finds him not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and her friend

Oct. 4, 1957 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth

Oct. 4, 1582 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced

Oct. 5, 1970 – The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) begins broadcasting on American television

Oct. 6, 1927 – The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, premiers in New York City, introducing the sound era of motion pictures

Oct. 7, 2001 – The Afghanistan War begins, triggered by the September 11 attacks