October 9 in History: Rewind to 2005

Good morning! Today’s trail stretches from a mine disaster and a nation’s independence to a meteorite’s very expensive parking spot—then settles into a 2005 ballpark where one postseason afternoon refused to end.

October 9 is World Post Day. The date marks the founding of the Universal Postal Union in Bern in 1874—a reminder that long before messages traveled at internet speed, nations were already building a system to help letters cross borders.

1910 — A coal-dust explosion tore through the Starkville Mine in Colorado, killing 56 miners.

1962 — Uganda gained independence from British rule.

1963 — A mountainside collapsed into the reservoir behind Italy’s Vajont Dam. The resulting wave swept into the valley and killed approximately 2,000 people.

1967 — Argentine-born revolutionary leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara was executed by the Bolivian army, one day after his capture.

1985 — Strawberry Fields, the Central Park memorial to John Lennon, was dedicated on what would have been his 45th birthday.

1992 — The Peekskill Meteorite streaked over the northeastern United States before a fragment punched into a parked Chevrolet Malibu in Peekskill, New York.

NOW, LET’S REWIND.

On Sunday, October 9, 2005, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves played the equivalent of two full baseball games—and used nearly every ounce of daylight doing it. Game 4 of their National League Division Series lasted 18 innings and 5 hours, 50 minutes.

Atlanta led 6–1 entering the bottom of the eighth. Lance Berkman pulled Houston close with a grand slam. With two outs in the ninth, Brad Ausmus tied the game with a home run that barely cleared the wall. Then came nine scoreless extra innings, a parade of pitchers and the strange late-game sight of Roger Clemens working in relief.

Finally, in the bottom of the 18th, Chris Burke drove a pitch into the left-field seats. Houston won 7–6 and advanced to the National League Championship Series. At the time, it was the longest postseason game in both innings and elapsed time. It also became the first postseason game in which both teams hit grand slams.

Baseball is designed to keep going until somebody settles it. On that October afternoon, it took one comeback, 18 innings and a utility player’s swing to do the settling.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit opened at No. 1. The stop-motion adventure earned $16,025,987 at the domestic box office for the October 7–9 weekend, turning a vegetable competition, a mysterious beast and an extraordinary amount of clay into the weekend’s biggest ticket.

Flightplan, with Jodie Foster searching a transatlantic airliner for her missing daughter, moved to second place.

“Gold Digger” by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated October 8, 2005. Its chopped Ray Charles reference, sharp beat and instantly recognizable hook were part of a 10-week run at No. 1.

Chicago staged a different kind of endurance test that same day. Felix Limo won the men’s Chicago Marathon in 2:07:02, while Deena Kastor took the women’s title in 2:21:25.

In Anaheim, Fox carried Game 4 of the American League Division Series between the Yankees and Angels. New York’s victory forced a deciding Game 5 the following night.

Sunday night offered a revealing snapshot of 2005 network television.

ABC — Desperate Housewives aired “You’ll Never Get Away from Me.”

CBS — Cold Case aired “Bad Night.”

NBC — The West Wing aired “Message of the Week.”

FOX — Postseason baseball: Yankees–Angels in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

Little Einsteins premiered on Disney Channel with two episodes in a special presentation. The preschool series sent four young friends and their rocket on missions shaped by music, art and landmarks, turning each adventure into a miniature cultural field trip.

The premiere also reflected Disney’s growing interest in educational television for its youngest viewers, pairing familiar classical works and famous art with an invitation to clap, pat and help the characters complete the mission.

Give handwashing the full 20 seconds.

CDC guidance recommends five steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry. Scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. It is a small routine, but doing it thoroughly matters more than doing it hurriedly.

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Today’s birthday table brings together songwriting, screen comedy, gothic imagination, a famous musical family and fashion’s modern runway.

Know someone born on October 9? Share this issue with them and discover the stories their date carries.

From a letter crossing borders to a baseball game stretching through 18 innings, October 9 is full of stories about distance—and the patience required to reach the other side.

Thanks for spending part of your Friday with Yesterday Today. If today’s issue reminded you of a favorite ballpark, song or Sunday-night show, share it with someone who would enjoy the trip.

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