This Month In YesterYear History - October

It's time for the October 2023 edition of This Month in YesterYear History!

In this series, we stop to look back at the big pop culture moments from the past 20 (2003), 25 (1998), and 30 (1993) years ago!   

Below, you'll find a little time capsule of what was significant in our lives back then.  Hopefully, as you read these brief synopses of the past, you'll begin to remember the who, when, and where of your memories from those years.  That's why I created this site, after all! 

POINTS OF REFERENCE

2003:  On October 3rd, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy was attacked by one of his show's tigers.  The show is then canceled for good.  On the 5th, the Chicago Cubs win their first post-season series since 1908, defeating the Atlanta Braves in 5 games.  On the 7th, Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected the new Governor of California during a recall election, defeating sitting Governor Gray Davis.  On the 14th, Cubs fan Steven Bartman deflects the ball away from Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, allowing the Cubs to eventually give up 8 runs to the Marlins in an 8-2 loss.  Similar to the Jeffrey Maier incident with the Yankees in 1996, it was viewed as the turning point in the series. October 15th sees China launch its first manned space mission.  Also, on the 15th, the Staten Island Ferry collides with the pier and kills 11.  On the 16th, the Yankees defeat the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.  On October 19th, Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II.  On the 24th, Concorde makes its final commercial flight.  I was standing out in the cold early morning on this day to cheer on her final departure from JFK Airport in person.  On the 22nd, the Florida Marlins defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series. October 30th sees "Wicked" open on Broadway, starring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.  It's still running 20 years later.  On the 31st, Bethany Hamilton, age 13, has her arm bitten off by a shark while surfing in Hawaii.

1998:  Vladimir Putin became a permanent member of the Russian Security Council on the 1st.  Farm Aid 11 was held in Illinois, starring Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and Phish.  On the 8th, the US House of Representatives votes to begin impeachment hearings for President Bill Clinton.  On the 11th, a Congo Airlines Boeing 727 was shot down by rebels, killing 40 people.  On the 13th, the New York Yankees defeat Cleveland in the ALCS 4 games to 2.  On the 14th, Eric Rudolph is charged with 6 bombings in relation to the Atlanta Olympics.  Also, on the 14th, the San Diego Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.  Also, on the 14th, the New York Islanders snap an 11-game losing streak by beating Tampa Bay.  On the 16th, former Chilean dictator Pinochet was arrested in London.  On the 20th, Richard Pryor is awarded the 1st ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for humor.  On the 21st, the Yankees defeat the Padres to win their 2nd World Series in 3 years.  On October 23rd, Britney Spears released "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time."  On the 29, Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off with 77-year-old John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, returning to space as the oldest human to space travel.  On the 31st, the Iraq disarmament crisis began when they declared they would no longer work with the United Nations inspectors.

1993:  In his first WBC Heavyweight Title defense, Lennox Lewis defeats Frank Bruno by TKO on the 1st.  On October 3rd, Boris Yeltsin declared a state of emergency in Moscow.  On the 4th, troops and tanks of President Boris Yeltsin shelled and occupied the Russian White House in Moscow, the House of Government for the Russian Federation.  On October 6th, Michael Jordan announces his retirement from the NBA.  He'd return two years later in 1995.  Howard Stern releases his book "Private Parts" on October 8th.  On the 12th, the Toronto Blue Jays win the ALCS.  The next day, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks won their first NHL game.  Also, on the 13th, the Philadelphia Phillies won the NLCS.  On October 16th, the FOX late-night talk show "The Chevy Chase Show" is canceled after 6 weeks.  On the 20th, the highest scoring, longest lasting World Series game, the Toronto Blue Jays scored 6 runs in the 8th inning to defeat Philadelphia 15-14 in a 4-hour and 14-minute slugfest.  The Blue Jays would win the World Series on the 23rd.  On the 26th, the NFL announces a new expansion team:  The Carolina Panthers.  On the 31st, rapper Tupac was arrested on aggravated assault charges.  

TOP MOVIES

2003: "Scary Movie 3" -  Scary Movie 3 is a parody film that parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres.  It is a sequel to Scary Movie 2 and stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall, who reprise their roles as Cindy and Brenda, respectively.  New cast members include Charlie Sheen, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, and Leslie Nielsen.  It is the first in the series to not involve the Wayans family.  

The film's plot significantly parodies the films The Ring, Signs, The Matrix Reloaded, and 8 Mile.  The film grossed over $220.7 million worldwide, becoming the 2nd highest grossing in the series.  It is the last film in the franchise to be released by Disney subsidiary Miramax Films.  A sequel, Scary Movie 4, was released in 2006.

1998: "Antz" -  Antz is a computer-animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation.  Antz serves as Dreamwork's debut film.  The film features the voices of Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Walken, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, and Gene Hackman.  Some main characters share facial similarities with the actors who voice them.

The film involves an anxious worker ant, Z (Tim Allen), who falls in love with Princess Bala (Sharon Stone).  When the treacherous scheming of the arrogant officer General Mandible (Gene Hackman) threatens to wipe out the entire worker population, Z must save the ant colony from the flooded tunnel and strive to make social inroads.

Development began in 1988 when Walt Disney Feature Animation pitched a film called Army Ants, about a pacifist worker ant teaching lessons of independent thinking to his militaristic colony.  When Jeffrey Katzenberg left the company in a feud with CEO Michael Eisner over the vacant president position, Katzenberg would go on to help co-found DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.  The three planned to rival Disney with the company's new animation division. 

Antz was released theatrically in the United States on October 2nd, 1998.  It grossed $171.8 million worldwide, with critics praising the voice cast, animation, humor, and its appeal to adults.

1993: "Cool Runnings" -  Cool Runnings is a sports comedy film loosely based on the debut of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics.  It stars John Candy, Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, and Malik Yoba.  In the film, former Olympian Irving Blitzer (Candy) coaches a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica led by sprinter Derice Bannock (Robinson).

Cool Runnings is Candy's final film released while he was alive.  The score was composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer.  

Cool Runnings was theatrically released by Buena Vista Pictures in the United States on October 1st, 1993.  It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its humor, tone, and cast performances.  The film grossed $154.9 million worldwide, and its theme song, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff, reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

TOP SONGS

2003:  "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down

1998:  "One Week" by the Bare Naked Ladies

1993:  "Dream Lover" by Mariah Carey

TOP TV NEWS

2003:  

October 1st - James Marsters joins the cast of Angel on The WB, bringing his Buffy the Vampire Slayer character, Spike, to the new series.  

October 4th - Kenan Thompson first appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.  Thompson would eventually be the longest-serving cast member in SNL history.

October 16th - The New York Yankees win Game 7 of the ALCS over the Boston Red Sox with a walk-off home run by Aaron Boone.

October 20th - Rod Roddy makes his final appearance as the announcer on The Price is Right.  Roddy passed away from colon cancer exactly a week later.

October 25th - Game 6 of the World Series airs on Fox, seeing the Florida Marlins make one of the biggest upsets in baseball history, defeating the New York Yankees for the Championship.  

1998:  

October 4th - UPN adds two additional nights of programming to its schedule with primetime series added to Friday nights, including a popular movie block on Thursdays.

October 15th - Plinko, the most popular pricing game, The Price is Right, increases its middle slot to $10,000, making the top prize $50,000.

October 19th - Fox Family Channel debuts its annual event, "13 Nights of Halloween."  

October 21st - Fox broadcasts Game 4 of the World Series as the Yankees defeat the San Diego Padres.  This marks the Yankee's 24th Championship and second in three years.

1993:  

October 1st - ESPN's secondary channel, ESPN2, "The Deuce" debuts.

October 15th - Jewelry TV debuts as the American Collectable Network, a new home shopping channel.

October 23rd - CBS's four-year broadcast relationship with Major League Baseball ends when Toronto defeats Philadelphia in the World Series.

October 25th - The Rocky Horror Picture Show makes its TV debut on Fox.  The broadcast spliced live cast performances into the film.  

October 27th - Paramount Pictures and Chris-Craft Industries announced the formation of the United Paramount Network (UPN).

October 29th - The first "Got Milk?" commercial is broadcast.  Directed by Michael Bay, a man obsessed with the history of the duel hears a voice on the radio asking a $10,000 question, "Who shot Alexander Hamilton in that famous duel?"  With a mouth full of peanut butter, he cannot clearly answer the question "Aaron Burr."  

October 30th - Michael J. Nelson debuts as host of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  Nelson replaced Joel Hodgson.