October 27 Birthday
On October 27, 1904, the first section of the New York City subway opened — from City Hall to 145th Street. The fare was a nickel. The system now has 472 stations and 248 miles of route. 4.6 million people ride it on an average weekday. The first train was driven by Mayor George McClellan, who refused to relinquish the controls until the train reached 103rd Street. The system was built by the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit Company), a private company. Theodore Roosevelt, born this day in 1858, became president at forty-two — the youngest ever — after McKinley's assassination. He had been a New York assemblyman, a police commissioner, and a Rough Rider. As president, he broke up trusts, built the Panama Canal, and conserved 230 million acres of land. People born on October 27 fall under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. The birthstone is Opal and the birth flower is Marigold. Historical events on October 27 include 1904: First section of New York City subway opens (IRT Broadway line), 1938: DuPont announces the invention of nylon, 2004: Boston Red Sox win World Series, breaking 86-year "Curse of the Bambino". Famous people born on October 27 include Theodore Roosevelt (1858), John Cleese (1939), Rubén Blades (1948).