Today we celebrate Frankenstein Friday, observed annually on the last Friday of October of each year.
Since Halloween is coming close, the last Friday of October has been always Frankenstein Friday which was created by Ryan MacCloskey of Westfield, New Jersey in 1997, celebrating the birth of the famous monster and Dr. Victor Frankenstein, his creator, the characters from the novel written by Mary Shelley.
Frankenstein was the hideous sapient creature who was created by Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, creating unorthodox scientific experiments. Mary Shelley started writing the story when she was only 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on January 1, 1818, when she was 20. Her name only appeared in the second edition in 1823.
The novel Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. Since the novel’s publication, the name “Frankenstein” has often been used to refer to the monster itself.
So, today, you can celebrate this day by creating things for Halloween that has the image of Frankenstein or watch a Frankenstein movie. You can also make some cookies with different creature images including Frankenstein to give as treats for Halloween Trick or Treat nights. Make some cupcakes or cakes in Frankenstein’s image for parties if you are holding a Halloween party or better yet dress like Frankenstein. Share on social media some interesting photos using #FrankensteinFriday.
1983 United States invades Grenada
President Ronald Reagan, citing the threat posed to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation’s Marxist regime, orders the Marines to invade and secure their safety. There were nearly 1,000 Americans in Grenada at the time, many of them students at the island’s medical school. In little more than a week, Grenada’s government was overthrown.
The situation on Grenada had been of concern to American officials since 1979 when the leftist Maurice Bishop seized power and began to develop close relations with Cuba. In 1983, another Marxist, Bernard Coard, had Bishop assassinated and took control of the government. Protesters clashed with the new government and violence escalated. Citing the danger to the U.S. citizens in Grenada, Reagan ordered nearly 2,000 U.S. troops into the island, where they soon found themselves facing opposition from Grenadan armed forces and groups of Cuban military engineers, in Grenada to repair and expand the island’s airport. Matters were not helped by the fact that U.S. forces had to rely on minimal intelligence about the situation. (The maps used by many of them were, in fact, old tourist maps of the island.) Reagan ordered in more troops, and by the time the fighting was done, nearly 6,000 U.S. troops were in Grenada. Nearly 20 of these troops were killed and over a hundred wounded; over 60 Grenadan and Cuban troops were killed. Coard’s government collapsed and was replaced by one acceptable to the United States.
(excerpted from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-invades-grenada)
