October 10 Birthday
On October 10, 1973, Spiro Agnew became the second vice president to resign (after John Calhoun in 1832). Agnew had been under investigation for corruption — accepting bribes while governor of Maryland and as vice president. He pleaded no contest to a single charge of tax evasion and was fined $10,000 and given three years' probation. Gerald Ford replaced him as vice president — and became president ten months later when Nixon resigned. Agnew was the first vice president to resign in disgrace. Giuseppe Verdi, born this day in 1813, composed twenty-eight operas. Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida, and Otello are performed constantly. His "Va, pensiero" (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco became an unofficial anthem of the Italian unification movement. Verdi was also a politician — he served in the first Italian parliament. His name was used as an acronym: VIVA VERDI stood for "Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia" — Long Live Victor Emmanuel King of Italy. People born on October 10 fall under the zodiac sign of Libra. The birthstone is Opal and the birth flower is Marigold. Historical events on October 10 include 1973: Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns after pleading no contest to tax evasion, 1944: 800 Gypsy children gassed at Auschwitz, 1780: Great Hurricane kills 20,000 in the Caribbean (deadliest Atlantic hurricane). Famous people born on October 10 include Giuseppe Verdi (1813), Thelonious Monk (1917), David Lee Roth (1954).