October 1922

October 1, 1922 (Sunday)

Fascists in Italy marched on Bolzano demanding the resignation of its German-speaking mayor, the introduction of Italian into schools and public offices, and bilingaulism on all public signs and notices. By October 3 they had complete control of the city.

American-born dancer Isadora Duncan and her husband the Russian poet Sergei Yesenin were detained trying to enter the United States. They were not allowed to enter until authorities were satisfied that they had not come for the purposes of spreading communist propaganda.

Born: Burke Marshall, civil rights lawyer, in Plainfield, New Jersey (d. 2003); Chen-Ning Yang, Chinese-born American physicist and Nobel laureate, in Hefei

October 2, 1922 (Monday)

Soviet Russia introduced conscription for all male citizens upon reaching the age of 20.

Isadora Duncan and Sergei Yesenin were permitted to enter the United States after being detained at Ellis Island for twenty-four hours.

October 3, 1922 (Tuesday)

The Convention of Mudanya began as representatives of the Allied Powers and Turkey met to negotiate an end to the Chanak Crisis.

Died: Gregory (Orologas) of Kydonies, 57 or 58, Greek Orthodox bishop (executed)

October 4, 1922 (Wednesday)

The Austrian government signed the Geneva Protocol, securing a major loan in exchange for renouncing a political alliance with Germany.

Ireland offered an amnesty to all irregulars who voluntarily surrendered their arms and ceased to engage in rebellious activities before October 15.

The Allied and Turkish representatives at Mudanya agreed to allow Turkey to have all of Thrace and to place Constantinople under joint control.

Fascists seized control of Trento.

October 5, 1922 (Thursday)

Forest fires in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec killed over 30 people.

The congress of the Italian Socialist Party in Rome descended into fistfights over the question of whether a communist revolution in Italy was still possible or desirable. This conference was the catalyst for the creation of the splinter party called the United Socialist Party.

Game 2 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and New York Giants ended in a 3-3, 10-inning tie. Umpire George Hildebrand called the game due to darkness at 4:43 p.m. even though the sun did not set that day for another 50 minutes. Thousands of fans surrounded the field box of commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis shouting threats and jeers at the decision. That night after a conference with the owners of both ballclubs, Landis announced that the $120,554 in gate receipts would be donated to disabled soldiers and sailors and New York charities.

Born: José Froilán González, racing driver, in Arrecifes, Argentina (d. 2013)

October 6, 1922 (Friday)

U.S. Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty ordered liquor off of all American ships throughout the world and prohibited foreign ships carrying liquor from entering American waters. A Supreme Court decision in April 1923 would allow American ships three miles outside of American waters to sell liquor.

Frank "Home Run" Baker of the New York Yankees made his final major league appearance during Game 3 of the World Series, grounding out as a pinch-hitter.

October 7, 1922 (Saturday)

Antonín Švehla became Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia.

Died: Marie Lloyd, 52, English music hall singer

October 8, 1922 (Sunday)

The New York Giants defeated the New York Yankees 5-3 to win their second straight World Series, four games to none with one tie.

October 9, 1922 (Monday)

Nineteen-year-old Clifford Hayes was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the Hall-Mills case. He would be released a month later and his accuser charged with perjury.

Born: Fyvush Finkel, actor, in Brooklyn, New York (d.2016); Olga Guillot, singer, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (d. 2010)

October 10, 1922 (Tuesday)

Great Britain and Iraq signed an alliance.

Born: Merv Pregulman, American football player, businessman and philanthropist, in Lansing, Michigan (d. 2012)

Died: Luisa Capetillo, 42, Puerto Rican labor organizer

October 11, 1922 (Wednesday)

The Armistice of Mudanya was signed. Greece was to recognize Turkish claims to Smyrna and eastern Thrace and was given 15 days to withdraw west of the Maritsa River.

A mass exodus began in Thrace, as Greeks and Armenians who feared living under the Turks fled westward.

Fascists invaded the offices of the Housing Commissioner in Rome and had all the women clerks dismissed and replaced with ex-service men. The Fascists sent a letter to Prime Minister Facta stating they had taken justice into their own hands.

October 12, 1922 (Thursday)

Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear became 20th President of Argentina.

The steamship City of Honolulu caught fire 670 miles southwest of San Pedro, California. All aboard were rescued and the ship was abandoned to sink.

October 13, 1922 (Friday)

France released its last German prisoners of war.

Born: Nathaniel Clifton, multi-sport athlete, in Little Rock, Arkansas (d. 1990)

October 14, 1922 (Saturday)

The conspirators in the Walther Rathenau assassination who were still alive were given sentences of up to 15 years in prison. Ernst Werner Techow received the maximum penalty.

Timpanogos Cave in Utah was made a National Monument.

October 15, 1922 (Sunday)

Ferdinand was formally crowned King of the Romanians in an elaborate ceremony in Alba Iulia.

Born: Luigi Giussani, Catholic priest, in Desio, Italy (d. 2005)

October 16, 1922 (Monday)

Ambassador Auckland Geddes informed the United States that Britain rejected the American proposal to be given the right to search British ships up to twelve miles from American shores.

The construction of the 30 cm Irving Porter Church Memorial Telescope was completed at Cornell University's Fuertes Observatory.

October 17, 1922 (Tuesday)

The first Los Angeles County Fair opened.

October 18, 1922 (Wednesday)

The BBC was founded.

The film Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks premiered in Chicago.

Died: August Gaul, 52, German sculptor

October 19, 1922 (Thursday)

The Conservative Party of the United Kingdom held the Carlton Club meeting to discuss whether to continue in a coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister David Lloyd George. Conservative Commons leader Austen Chamberlain favoured continuing, but the party voted 187-87 to end it.

David Lloyd George handed his resignation as Prime Minister to King George V.

David Lloyd George issued the 1922 Dissolution Honours List.

Born: Jack Anderson, newspaper journalist, in Long Beach, California (d. 2005)

Died: Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane, 71, Scottish nobleman and politician

October 20, 1922 (Friday)

Harold R. Harris became the first pilot to escape an aircraft by bailing out in a free-fall parachute. He was subsequently made the inaugural member of the Caterpillar Club established by the Irvin Parachute Company.

Died: Stovepipe Johnson, 88, American frontiersman and Confederate Army officer

October 21, 1922 (Saturday)

Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos became the provisional president of the Dominican Republic as the U.S. administration of the country formally ended.

October 22, 1922 (Sunday)

Brazil won the South American Championship of football with a 3–0 win over Paraguay.

Born: John Chafee, politician, in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1999)

October 23, 1922 (Monday)

Bonar Law was unanimously elected leader of the Conservative Party and then went to Buckingham Palace where he accepted the invitation of George V to take over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Italy and Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of Santa Margherita, which reaffirmed the Treaty of Rapello and the independence of the Free State of Fiume.

Chancellor Wirth submitted a question for cabinet council discussion asking whether Germany should declare bankruptcy.

The census of Palestine was carried out.

The mystery film One Exciting Night premiered at New York City's Apollo.

Born: Coleen Gray, actress, in Staplehurst, Nebraska

October 24, 1922 (Tuesday)

Mussolini made a speech to his Blackshirt followers in Naples declaring, "Either we are allowed to govern, or we will seize power by marching on Rome."

Former German chancellor Bernhard von Bülow gave his first interview in seven years, in which he said there was no chance for the monarchy to be restored in Germany because "The republican majority is stronger than the nationalists." Of the country's economic problems he said that they "may lead to local riots, but from all I know of the German people I can say that they are too fond of quiet and order to allow bolshevism to sway the country."

Born: George Miller, politician, in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2014)

Died: George Cadbury, 83, British businessman and philanthropist

October 25, 1922 (Wednesday)

The Fascists delivered an ultimatum demanding that the Italian government surrender all its powers to them or else they would enter Rome.

Died: Oscar Hertwig, 73, German zoologist and professor

October 26, 1922 (Thursday)

King George V dissolved parliament and called new elections for November 15.

Born: Madelyn Dunham, maternal grandmother of Barack Obama, in Peru, Kansas (d. 2008)

October 27, 1922 (Friday)

Fascists in Italy mobilized and took possession of various cities around the country as the March on Rome truly began, though Mussolini remained in Milan. Prime Minister Luigi Facta and his ministers formally turned in their resignations to King Victor Emmanuel III.

Southern Rhodesia held a referendum on its status. 59% voted in favor of establishing responsible government instead of joining the Union of South Africa.

Born: Poul Bundgaard, actor and singer, in Hellerup, Denmark (d. 1998); Ruby Dee, actress, poet, activist and journalist, in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2014); Ralph Kiner, baseball player, in Santa Rita, New Mexico (d. 2014)

October 28, 1922 (Saturday)

King Victor Emmanuel III refused to grant the request of the still-acting Prime Minister Luigi Facta to declare martial law, on advice from generals who warned that the army might not obey orders to fire on the Fascists. The king instead invited Mussolini to come to Rome to discuss the political situation.

Born: Butch van Breda Kolff, basketball player and coach, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey (d. 2007)

October 29, 1922 (Sunday)

Mussolini departed Milan for Rome on an overnight train.

Born: Neal Hefti, jazz trumpeter, composer, songwriter and arranger, in Hastings, Nebraska (d. 2008)

October 30, 1922 (Monday)

Mussolini arrived in Rome at 10:50 a.m., spoke with the king for an hour and then went to a hotel where he made a speech from the balcony, saying, "The Fascisti are completely victorious. I have come to Rome not only to give Italy a ministry but a true government. In a few hours you will have such a government. Long live King Victor Emmanuel! Long live victorious Italy! Long live the Fascisti!" By 3 p.m. the members of the coalition cabinet had been chosen, and at 7 p.m. Mussolini and his ministers were sworn in.

The Frank Lloyd-directed film Oliver Twist starring Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney was released.

Died: Géza Gárdonyi, 59, Hungarian writer and journalist

October 31, 1922 (Tuesday)

The Trial of the Six began in Greece.

100,000 Fascists paraded in Rome, reviewed by Mussolini and the king.

Born: Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh (d. 2012); Barbara Bel Geddes, actress, artist and children's author, in New York City (d. 2005)