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Oct. 9, 1780: The Great Hurricane of 1780 kicks up off the island of Barbados. Over the next two weeks, the storm leaves a wake of human misery that arguably makes it the most destructive Atlantic hurricane in history. At least 22,000 die, mostly in the Lesser Antilles. Several British and French warships, battling for control of the Caribbean during the American Revolution, are also destroyed.

 

Oct. 9, 1983: U.S. Interior Secretary James Watt (at right) resigns in the wake of criticism over an awkward joke he made about members of an Interior advisory panel. "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent," he said.

 

Oct. 9, 1992: "A River Runs Through It" is released. The tale of two brothers growing up in Montana is wrapped around a wild river, and spurs a boom in fly fishing.

 

Oct. 9, 2012:  The AVX Corporation agreed to settle with the U.S. Government for the largest payout in the history of the Superfund program.  AVX’s predecessor company had contaminated New Bedford, Mass. Harbor with PCB’s.  AVX owes $366 million to fund a cleanup.

 

Photo: Wikipedia

 

This feature is compiled by Peter Dykstra, an MNN contributor and publisher of Environmental Health News and The Daily Climate.