Here’s the October, 2016 Special Days list! It’s filled with holidays, observances, food themes, awareness days , historic figures and authors birthdays, science and historic based anniversaries, and even some spooky stuff! I you’re looking for something special to add to your lesson plans, a day for a celebration, or something different to add to your menu, this list will give you some awesome ideas!
October’s Themes, Awareness, and Observances
- Adopt a Shelter Dog
- AIDS Awareness
- Animal Safety and Protection
- Audiology Awareness
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Bat Appreciation
- Birds of Prey
- Bilingual Child
- Blindness Awareness
- Book
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- Bullying Prevention
- Children’s Magazine
- Class Reunion
- Clocks
- Computer Learning
- Co-op Awareness
- Crime Prevention
- Cut Out Dissection
- Cyber Security Awareness
- Dental Hygiene
- Depression Education and Awareness
- Domestic Violence Awareness
- Down Syndrome Awareness
- Drum
- Dyslexia Awareness
- Emotional Intelligence Awareness
- Emotional Wellness
- Energy Management
- Ergonomics
- Eye Safety
- Fair Trade
- Financial Planning
- Free Thought
- German-American Heritage
- Global Diversity
- Go On A Field Trip
- Halloween Safety
- Health Literacy
- Improve Your Home
- International Dinosaur
- Liver Awareness
- Kitchen and Bath
- Medical Librarian
- Menopause
- Orthodontic Health
- Pastor Appreciation Day
- Photographer Appreciation
- Physical Therapy
- Polish American Heritage
- Positive Attitude
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness
- Protect Your Hearing
- Raptor Month
- Reading Group
- Right Brainers Rule
- Roller Skating
- Sarcastic Awareness
- Self-Promotion
- Spina Bifida Awareness
- Squirrel Awareness
- Stamp Collecting Month
- Starman
- Strategic Planning
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness
- Walk To School
- Window Covering Safety
- Work and Family
October’s Food Themes
- Apple
- Apple Jack
- Bake and Decorate
- Caramel
- Cheese
- Chili
- Cookie
- Country Ham
- Cranberry
- Eat Better, Eat Together
- Eatable Roots
- Farm to School
- Pasta
- Persimmons
- Pizza
- Popcorn Poppin’
- Pork
- Pumpkins
- Rhizomes
- Rhubarb
- Sausage
- Seafood
- Spinach Lovers
- Tackling Hunger
- Vegetarian Awareness
Daily Specials for October, 2016 (the * means that the special day does not fall on the same date each year)
Oct. 1
- CD Player Day
- Card Making Day *(1st Sat.)
- President Jimmy Carter born 1924
- Fire Pup Day
- Frugal Fun Day *(1st Sat.)
- Homemade Cookies Day
- International Day of Older Persons
- Less Than Perfect Day
- Model T Ford introduced 1908
- Lace Day
- Vegetarian Day
Oct. 2
- Carry a Tune Week begins * (week with the 7th)
- Change A Light Day * (1st Sun.)
- Farm Animals Day
- Mahatma Gandhi born 1869
- Get Organized Week begins * (1st full week)
- Great Books Week begins * (1st full week)
- Guardian Angels Day
- Inter-generation Day *(1st Sun.)
- International Day of Non-violence
- Comic Julius “Groucho” Marx born 1895
- Mystery Series Week begins *(1st full week)
- Name Your Car Day
- Peanuts Comic first published 1950
- Work From Home Week begins *(1st full week)
- World Communion Day *(1st Sun.)
Oct. 3
- Captain Kangaroo premier 1955
- Child Health Day *(1st Mon.)
- Arthur James Herriot born 1916
- Kids’ Goal Setting Day
- Richard the Lionheart crowned King 1189
- No Salt Week begins
- Rosh Hashana *
- SOS (distress code) established 1906
- Spinning and Weaving Week begins * (Mon. of first full week)
- Techie’s Day
- Virus Appreciation Day
- World Day of Bullying Prevention/Blue Shirt Day *(1st Mon.)
- World Habitat Day *(1st Mon.)
Oct. 4
- Blessing of the Animals Day
- Cinnamon Roll Day
- Fall Astronomy Day *
- Frappe Day
- Golf Day
- President Rutherford Hayes born 1822
- Improve Your Office Day
- St. Francis Day
- Sputnik launched 1957
- Author, Edward Stratemeyer born 1862
- Ten-Four Day
- World Animal Day
- World Space Week begins
Oct. 5
- President Chester Arthur born 1829
- Balloons Around the World Day *(1st Wed.)
- Do Something Nice Day
- Physicist Robert Hutchings Goddard born 1882
- Stop Bullying Day
- Walk to School Day *
- World Teachers Day
Oct. 6
- Come and Take It Day
- German-American Day
- Mad Hatter Day
- Inventor George Westinghouse born 1846
Oct. 7
- Physicist Niels Bohrs born 1885
- Denim Day *(1st Fri.)
- Diversity Day *(1st Fri.)
- Story Telling Weekend begins *(1st Fri.)
- World Smile Day *(1st Fri.)
Oct. 8
- Face Your Fears Day
- Great Chicago Fire 1871
- Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend *
- Activist Jesse Jackson born 1941
- Pierogy Day
- Touch Tag Day
- Universal Music Day *(2nd Sat.)
- Alvin C. York Day
Oct. 9
- Chess Day
- Chestnut Week begins *(2nd full week)
- Clergy Appreciation Day * (2nd Sun.)
- Cupcake Day
- Curious Events Day
- Leif Erikson Day
- Fire Prevention Day
- Fire Prevention Week begins *
- First 2-way Telephone Conversation 1876
- Musician John Lennon born 1940
- Metric Week begins * (week with the 10th)
- Moldy Cheese Day
- Pro-Life Cupcake Day
- Washington Monument opened 1888
- World Post Day
Oct. 10
- Angel Food Cake Day
- Cake Decorating Day
- Canadian Thanksgiving * (2nd Mon.)
- Columbus Day *(2nd Mon.)
- Author James Marshall born 1942
- Metric Day
- Native American Day *(2nd Mon.)
- School Lunch Week begins *
- World Mental Health Day
Oct. 11
- Apollo 7 lauched 1968
- Ashura *
- Boer War Began 1880
- Face Your Fears Day *(2nd Tues.)
- Free Thought Day
- It’s My Party Day
- Remember Forever Day
- Eleanor Roosevelt born 1884
Oct. 12
- Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School Day *(2nd Wed.)
- Cookbook Launch Day
- Emergency Nurses Day *
- Fossil Day
- International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction *(2nd Wed.)
- Moment of Frustration Day
- Old Farmer’s Day
- Star Spangled Banner First Sung 1814
- Top Spinning Day * (2nd Wed.)
- Yom Kipper *
Oct. 13
- Earth Science Week begins
- English Language Day
- Molly Pitcher born 1754
- Skeptics Day
- Margaret Thatcher born 1925
- White House Construction began 1792
- World Sight Day *(2nd Thurs.)
- US Navy Established 1775
Oct. 14
- Battle of Hastings 1066
- Be Bald and Free Day
- Dessert Day
- Egg Day *(2nd Fri.)
- President Dwight Eisenhower born 1890
- William Penn born 1644
Oct. 15
- Bridge Day *(3rd Sat.)
- Get Smart About Credit Day *(3rd Thurs.)
- Grouch Day
- I Love Lucy Premier 1951
- International Day of Rural Women
- Poetry Day
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
- Sweetest Day * (3rd Sat.)
- White Cane Safety Day
Oct. 16
- Marie Antoinette executed 1793
- Boss’s Day
- Bullying Bystanders Unite Week * (3rd full week)
- Character Counts Week *(3rd full week)
- Chemistry Week * (3rd full week)
- Dictionary Day
- Food Bank Week begins *(the week of the 16th)
- Forest Products Week begins * (3rd Sun.)
- Freedom of Speech Week begins * (3rd full week)
- Friends of the Library Week begins * (3rd full week)
- Learn A Word Day
- Save for Retirement Week begins *
- Noah Webster born 1758
- World Food Week begins
Oct. 17
- African American Poetry Day
- Boss’s Day *
- Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day * (3rd Mon.)
- Eradication of Poverty Day
- Author Arthur Miller born 1915
- Mulligan Day
- School Bus Safety Week begins * (Mon. of 3rd full week)
- Nuclear Science Week begins *
- Sukkot *
- Wear Something Gaudy Day
Oct. 18
- Alternative Fuel Day
- Chocolate Cupcake Day
- No Beard Day
- Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity * (3rd Tues.)
- World Menopause Day
Oct. 19
- Author/Illustrator Ed Emberly born 1931
- Evaluate Your Life Day
- Electric Light Bulb Introduced 1879
- Hagfish Day * (3rd Wed.)
- Medical Assistants Recognition Day * (Wed. of 3rd full week)
- Revolutionary War ends 1781
Oct. 20
- Get Smart About Credit Day * (3rd Thurs.)
- Information Overload Day
- Monster Mash Day
Oct. 21
- Apple Day
- Babbling Day
- Count Your Buttons Day
- Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day
- 1st Light Bulb 1879
- Inventor Alfred Nobel born 1833
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
- Reptile Awareness Day
Oct. 22
- Daniel Boone born 1734
- CAP LOCKS DAY
- Make a Difference Day * (4th Sat.)
- Nut Day
Oct. 23
- Capistrano Day
- iPod Day
- Massage Therapy Week begins * (last full week)
- Mole Day
- Mother-In-Law Day *(4th Sun.)
- Peace, Friendship, & Goodwill Week begins * (last full week)
- Pele (soccer champion) born 1940
- Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day
- TV Talk Show Host Day
Oct. 24
- Bologna Day
- Disarmament Week begins *
- Food Day
- Peace, Friendship, and Good Will Week begins
- Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week begins *
- United Nations Day
- World Development Information Day
Oct. 25
- Magic Week begins
- Pasta Day
- Artist Pablo Picasso born 1881
- Punk for a Day Day
- Sourest Day
Oct. 26
- Erie Canal opened 1825
- Gun Fight at the OK Corral 1881
- Hillary Clinton born 1947
- Mincemeat
- Mule Day
- Red Cross Founded 1836
Oct. 27
- Cranky Co-Workers Day
- Navy Day
- President Theodore Roosevelt born 1858
- Tell A Story Day
Oct. 28
- Chocolates Day
- Frankenstein Day * (Last Fri.)
- Make a Difference Day * (4th Fri.)
- Plush Animal Lover’s Day
- St. Jude’s Day
- Physician Jonas Salk born 1914
- Statue of Liberty dedicated 1886
Oct. 29
- Cat Day
- Gateway to the West (St. Louis Arch) completed 1965
- Hermit Day
- Internet Day
- Oatmeal Day
- The New York Stock Exchange crashed (beginning of The Great Depression) 1929
- Visit a Cemetery Day
Oct. 30
- President John Adams born 1735
- Ball Point Pen patented 1888
- Candy Corn Day
- Create a Great Funeral Day
- Diwali *
- Haunted Refrigerator Night
- Mischief Night (Devil’s Night)
- The National Organization for Women (NOW) founded 1966
- 1938 Radio Broadcast of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds
Oct. 31
- All Hollows Eve/Halloween
- Books for Treats Day
- Caramel Apple Day
- Carve a Pumpkin Day
- Day of the Dead
- Girl Scout Founder’s Day
- Knock Knock Jokes Day
- Magic Day
- Mount Rushmore Completed 1941
- Nevada Statehood 1864
- Reformation Day
- Samhain
Here’ is the collection of my favorite “go to” resources for special days studies https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/07/31/learning-resources-for-special-days/
My apologies, but I haven’t had the opportunity to update the Learning Resources list for October, 2016 (yet). However, most of the resources from 2015 will work just fine https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2015/10/01/learning-resources-for-october-2015/
I make my monthly special days calendars by using several sources including old calendars, holiday books, newspapers, and the web. If you know of a special day that I do not have listed, please comment and let me know what it is so I can add it in. Below are the links to my favorite online calendars.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/october-2016.html
http://www.se7en.org.za/se7ens-october
http://food.unl.edu/october-food-calendar
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/october.htm
Happy October!
betty jo
