On This Day, Oct. 1: Yosemite National Park Is Established

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation creating Yosemite National Park, making it the nation's third national park. The designation helped formalize protections for a landscape already famous for its granite cliffs, waterfalls and giant sequoias. In 2016, a donation expanded the park by more than 400 acres, bringing its total to more than 750,000 acres.

In 1903, the first World Series opened in Boston. Played as a best-of-nine series, it ended with the Boston Pilgrims of the American League defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The matchup helped establish the championship as a defining American sports tradition.

In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T, priced at $825. The affordable, mass-produced automobile transformed how Americans traveled and accelerated the growth of suburbs, roads and a car-centered economy.

In 1918, Arab forces led by T. E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, captured Damascus. Lawrence played a key role in the creation of a provisional Arab government under Prince Faisal.

In 1936, the rebel Nationalist government in Spain named Gen. Francisco Franco its leader. He went on to rule as dictator from 1939 until his death in 1975.

In 1938, Nazi troops marched into the Sudetenland, annexing the German-speaking border regions of Czechoslovakia. The move was a pivotal step in Adolf Hitler's prewar expansion and followed the Munich Agreement's failed promise of peace.

In 1962, James Meredith enrolled at the University of Mississippi after a major riot left two people dead and at least 75 injured. His admission tore down segregation barriers at the 114-year-old school and became a landmark moment in the civil rights movement.

In 1988, Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Supreme Soviet, the Soviet Union's legislative body, after the forced resignation of Andrei Gromyko. The shift concentrated more power in Gorbachev's hands as he pursued perestroika and glasnost.

In 1992, Dallas billionaire Ross Perot announced his candidacy for president. He called his group the Reform Party. His independent campaign would become a notable force in the race, focusing on the federal deficit and government reform.

In 1995, 10 Muslim defendants were convicted of conspiring to conduct a terrorist campaign in the New York City area aimed at forcing the United States to drop its support of Egypt and Israel. The case was part of a broader crackdown on plots against New York landmarks.

In 2005, 36 people, mostly foreign tourists, died in explosions at two resort restaurants on the island of Bali. More than 100 others were injured. The bombings shook Indonesia's tourism industry and underscored the threat posed by militant networks in Southeast Asia.

In 2010, President Barack Obama announced that Rahm Emanuel would leave his post as White House chief of staff and be replaced by Pete Rouse. Emanuel later ran for mayor of Chicago and won.

In 2011, about 400 Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested by New York City police after they blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. The arrests became a flashpoint for the movement protesting economic inequality and corporate influence.

In 2013, a 16-day partial shutdown of the U.S. government began after Congress failed to approve a spending bill. The Office of Management and Budget later estimated the shutdown cost taxpayers $2 billion. The standoff reflected deepening partisan divisions over the federal budget and the Affordable Care Act.

In 2017, a gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas opened fire on a crowd attending a country music festival outside, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds of others. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

In 2024, Jimmy Carter became the first former U.S. president to celebrate his 100th birthday. He died nearly three months later at his home in Georgia.