1989: Berlin Wall opens
East Germany opened its borders today, allowing citizens to freely cross into the West for the first time since the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. "Near Brandenburg Gate, East Germans raced through streams of police water cannon and were pulled up the wall by the young West Germans atop it," described the Daily Herald on November 10, 1989. "Some Germans used hammers to chip away at the barrier for keepsakes or in their own small way try to destroy the infamous symbol of East-West division. About 100 East Berliners at the Brandenburg Gate chanted 'Open the gate' 'Open the gate.'"
“[Angela] Ebertus, 22, a bookstore clerk and her husband, Oliver, also 22, were among the first East Germans to cross through the Berlin Wall successfully without border guards shooting at them or any other challenge,” reported The Post-Standard on November 10, 1989. “'Can you believe this is happening?' she exclaimed, nudging her husband as they strolled through Checkpoint Charlie early Friday morning. 'No,' he replied. 'No, this must be a dream.'”
NOTE: Though citizens of both East and West Berlin chipped off portions of the wall as souvenirs or to damage the structure, the official dismantling of the Berlin Wall began June 13, 1990.
The Post-Standard
November 10, 1989
Shooting at Fort Hood
A sole gunman has survived a shoot-out with authorities after killing 13 and wounding dozens more at Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday. Military experts are now calling this the worst mass shooting at a military base in America's history. Unfortunately, this is not the first time there has been a mass shooting in Killeen.
A Historical Perspective
On October 16, 1991, George Jo Hennard drove through the front window of Luby's Cafeteria and opened fire on patrons and staff. "Diners screamed in terror and cowered behind counters as a man with a high-powered pistol methodically moved through a crowded cafeteria Wednesday and killed 22 people in the nation's deadliest shooting rampage," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on October 17, 1991. "The killer, a 35-year-old loner who had expressed bitterness toward women, drove his pickup through a window at a crowded Killeen cafeteria shortly before 1 p.m. and began shooting. When police closed in, he hid in a bathroom and took his own life, authorities said. He died with 28 rounds still in his gun, police said."
It was the deadliest shooting in America until the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.
The Fort Hood massacre also brings to mind the "Fort Dix Six" when six armed gunman plotted to kill as many Fort Dix soldiers as possible. "Six Islamic radicals, four of them from Cherry Hill [New Jersey] and one from Philadelphia, have been arrested and charged with planning a heavily armed attack against soldiers at Fort Dix," explained the Bucks County Courier Times on May 9, 2007. "The men planned to 'kill as many soldiers as possible' in the attack, which was described as motivated by a religious jihad, or 'holy war,' but has not been connected to any international terror organizations such as al-Qaida." Five of the men were found guilty on charges of conspiracy to harm US military personnel and acquitted on the charge of attempted murder.
Syracuse Herald Journal
October 17, 1991
1970: Charles de Gaulle dies
Former president of the French Republic, General Charles de Gaulle, passed away today at his country home. "The 6-foot-4 general who led France back from the ashes of World War II defeat and then saved it again from the chaos of 1958, succumbed Monday night to a ruptured aneurism, a circulatory ailment. His death did not become known until today and France plunged into mourning," reported The Sheboygan Press on November 10, 1970. De Gaulle's funeral was very intimate and low-key, according to his wishes. "'I do not wish a national funeral,' he said in a document dated 1952. 'No president, no ministers, no parliamentary committees, no representatives of government organs. Only the French military service may take part officially...No speech will be pronounced.'" These were De Gaulle's funeral wishes, as reported in The Sheboygan Press.
The Sheboygan Press
November 10, 1970
1965: Blackout affects Northeast US, Ontario
Ontario, Canada, and seven states within the Northeastern portion of the U.S. were without electricity for up to 13 hours today. The blackout affected an estimated 30 million people, covering 80,000 square miles. "Lights flashed on in New York early today and transportation systems began to move, signaling the end to a massive and frightening power blackout that crippled the teeming northeast," informed the The Fresno Bee Republican on November 10, 1965. "Hospitals treated scores of persons for bone breaks suffered in falls, for heart attacks and for traffic injuries. In all, the blackout affected 30 million persons. The effect, however, continued into the bright daylight, long after electricity was restored. And the city joined with federal and state agencies in seeking some explanation for the emergency, unmatched in scope outside of a war or disaster area."
The Fresno Bee Republican
November 10, 1965