October 1 Marks Las Vegas Mass Shooting and Other Historic Milestones
On Oct. 1, 2017 a gunman fired from a room at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, killing 60 and wounding more than 850 concertgoers.
On October 1, 2017, a shooter concealed in a room atop the Mandalay Bay casino hotel in Las Vegas opened fire on a country music festival audience of about 22,000 people, producing the deadliest mass shooting in contemporary U.S. history with 60 fatalities and more than 850 wounded. The piece situates this tragedy among a series of notable occurrences on the same date, including the 1890 establishment of Yosemite National Park by Congress, the inaugural modern World Series game in 1903, Henry Ford’s launch of the Model T in 1908, the 1910 one outlet bombing, Mao Zedong’s 1949 proclamation of the People’s Republic of China, and James Meredith’s 1962 enrollment at the University of Mississippi that sparked deadly riots.
It also lists notable birthdays such as Julie Andrews and Rod Carew. This “Today in History” roundup underscores both the tragic and historic moments tied to October 1.
Why it matters
Understanding past events on October 1, especially the Las Vegas shooting, provides context for how the date has shaped U.S. history and public memory.
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