Here’s the October 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! If you’re looking for something seasonal and fun to include in your lesson plans, a day to celebrate, or special foods to add to your menu, this list will give you some awesome ideas!
Resources for teaching through October, including a PDF of October’s Special Days, can be found at the end of this list.
October’s Themes, Awareness, and Observances
- Adopt a Shelter Dog
- AIDS Awareness
- Animal Safety and Protection
- Arts and Crafts
- Arts and Humanities
- Audiology Awareness
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Bat Appreciation
- Birds of Prey
- Bilingual Child
- Blindness Awareness
- Book
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- Bullying Prevention
- Children’s Magazine
- Chiropractic
- Church Library
- 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
- Feral Hog
- 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
- Prescription Errors Education and Awareness
- 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
- World Animal
October’s Food Themes
- Apple
- Apple Jack
- Bake and Decorate
- Caramel
- Cheese
- Chili
- Cookie
- Country Ham
- Cranberry
- Eat Better, Eat Together
- Eatable Roots
- English Pudding
- Farm to School
- Pasta
- Persimmons
- Pizza
- Popcorn Poppin’
- Pork
- Pumpkins
- Rhizomes
- Rhubarb
- Sausage
- Seafood
- Spinach Lovers
- Tackling Hunger
- Vegetarian Awareness
Special Days Without Set Dates
World Habitat Day – 1st Mon.
● Balloons Around the World Day – 1st Wed.
● Denim Day – 1st Fri.
● Diversity Day- 1st Fri.
● Story Telling Weekend – 1st Fri.
● World Smile Day- 1st Fri.
● Chestnut Week – 2nd full week
● School Lunch Week – 2nd full week
● Wolf Awareness Week – 2nd full week
● Clergy Appreciation Day – 2nd Sun.
● Fire Prevention Week begins – week with the 9th
● Metric Week – week with the 10th
● Canadian Thanksgiving – 2nd Mon.
● Columbus Day – 2nd Mon.
● Native American Day – 2nd Mon.
● Face Your Fears Day – 2nd Tues.
● Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School Day – 2nd Wed.
● Emergency Nurses Day – 2nd Wed.
● International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction – 2nd Wed.
● Top Spinning Day – 2nd Wed.
● World Sight Day – 2nd Thurs.
● Egg Day – 2nd Fri.
● Universal Music Day – 2nd Sat.
● Boss’ Day – Closest weekday to the 16th
● Bullying Bystanders Unite Week – 3rd full week
● Food Bank Week – the week of the 16th
● Character Counts Week – 3rd full week
● Chemistry Week – 3rd full week
● Freedom of Speech Week – 3rd full week
● Friends of the Library Week – 3rd full week
● School Bus Safety Week – Mon. of 3rd full week
● Forest Products Week – 3rd Sun.
● Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day – 3rd Mon.
● Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity – 3rd Tues.
● Hagfish Day – 3rd Wed.
● Medical Assistants Recognition Day – Wed. of 3rd full week
● Get Smart About Credit Day – 3rd Thurs.
- Great American Shake Out – 3rd Thurs.
- ● Sweetest Day – 3rd Sat.
● Bridge Day – 3rd Sat.
● Massage Therapy Week – last full week
● Peace, Friendship, & Goodwill Week – last full week
● Mother-In-Law Day – 4th Sun.
● Punky Night – last Thurs.
● Frankenstein Day – last Fri.
● Make a Difference Day – 4th Fri.& Sat.
Daily Specials for October With Set Dates
Oct. 1
- CD Player Day
- President Jimmy Carter born 1924
- Fire Pup Day
- Homemade Cookies Day
- International Day of Older Persons
- Lace Day
- Less Than Perfect Day
- Model T Ford introduced 1908
- Nigeria Independence Day 1960
- People’s Republic of China National Day 1949
- Raccoon Appreciation Day
- Vegetarian Day
Oct. 2
- Custodial Workers Day
- Farm Animals Day
- Phileas Fogg Win a Wager Day
- Mahatma Gandhi born 1869
- Guardian Angels Day
- Guinea Independence Day 1958
- International Day of Non-violence
- Comic Julius “Groucho” Marx born 1895
- Name Your Car Day
- Peanuts Comic first published 1950
Oct. 3
- Butterfly and Hummingbird Day
- Captain Kangaroo premier 1955
- East and West Germany Re-unification 1990
- Arthur James Herriot born 1916
- Kids’ Goal Setting Day
- Richard the Lionheart crowned King 1189
- No Salt Week begins
- SOS (distress code) established 1906
- Techie’s Day
- Blues Musician Stevie Ray Vaughn born 1954
- Virus Appreciation Day
Oct. 4
- Blessing of the Animals Day
- Cinnamon Roll Day
- Frappe Day
- Golf Day
- President Rutherford Hayes born 1822
- Improve Your Office Day
- St. Francis Day
- Lesotho Independence Day 1966
- 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
- Do Something Nice Day
- Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend
- Physicist Robert Hutchings Goddard born 1882
- Jarrow March 1936
- Stop Bullying Day
- World Teachers Day
Oct. 6
- Come and Take It Day
- German-American Day
- Mad Hatter Day
- William Tyndale martyred 1536
- Inventor George Westinghouse born 1846
Oct. 7
- First “American Bandstand” Broadcast 1952
- Physicist Niels Bohrs born 1885
- Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered Catalina Island 1542
Oct. 8
- Cephalopod Awareness Days (8-10)
- Great Chicago Fire 1871
- Activist Jesse Jackson born 1941
- Pierogy Day
- Touch Tag Day
- Alvin C. York Day
Oct. 9
- Chess Day
- Cupcake Day
- Curious Events Day
- Leif Erikson Day
- Fire Prevention Day
- First 2-way Telephone Conversation 1876
- Musician John Lennon born 1940
- Moldy Cheese Day
- Pro-Life Cupcake Day
- Uganda Independence Day 1962
- Washington Monument opened 1888
- World Post Day
Oct. 10
- Angel Food Cake Day
- Cake Decorating Day
- Fiji Independence Day 1970
- Author James Marshall born 1942
- Metric Day
- Republic of China/Taiwan National Day 1949
- World Mental Health Day
Oct. 11
- Apollo 7 launched 1968
- Boer War Began 1880
- Coming Out Day
- It’s My Party Day
- Remember Forever Day
- Eleanor Roosevelt born 1884
Oct. 12
- Cookbook Launch Day
- Fossil Day
- Freethought Day
- Moment of Frustration Day
- Old Farmer’s Day
- Star Spangled Banner First Sung 1814
Oct. 13
- Earth Science Week begins
- English Language Day
- Greenwich Mean Time established 1884
- Patriot Molly Pitcher born 1754
- Skeptics Day
- Margaret Thatcher born 1925
- White House Construction began 1792
- US Navy Established 1775
Oct. 14
- Battle of Hastings 1066
- Be Bald and Free Day
- Dessert Day
- President Dwight Eisenhower born 1890
- William Penn born 1644
- Photographic Film patented 1884
Oct. 15
- 1st Manned Balloon Flight (tethered), 1783
- Grouch Day
- Handwashing Day
- I Love Lucy Premier 1951
- International Day of Rural Women
- Poetry Day
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
- Veterinary Technician Week begins
- White Cane Safety Day
Oct. 16
- Marie Antoinette executed 1793
- Dictionary Day
- Learn A Word Day
- Noah Webster born 1758
- World Food Day
Oct. 17
- African American Poetry Day
- Eradication of Poverty Day
- Author Arthur Miller born 1915
- Mulligan Day
- Wear Something Gaudy Day
Oct. 18
- Alternative Fuel Day
- Chocolate Cupcake Day
- No Beard Day
- Saint Luke’s Day
- World Menopause Day
Oct. 19
- Cave Painting discovered in Verona, Italy 2000
- Author/Illustrator Ed Emberly born 1931
- Evaluate Your Life Day
- Electric Light Bulb Introduced 1879
- Revolutionary War ends 1781
Oct. 20
- Baseball’s Mickey Mantle born 193
- Information Overload Day
- Monster Mash Day
- Sloth Day
- Architect Sir Christopher Wren born 1632
Oct. 21
- Apple Day
- Babbling Day
- Battle of Trafalgar 1805
- 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
- Everyone Writes Day
- Nut Day
- Stuttering Awareness Day
Oct. 23
- Battle of Edgehill 1642
- Capistrano Day
- iPod Day
- Mole Day
- Pele (soccer champion) born 1940
- Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day
- TV Talk Show Host Day
Oct. 24
- Bologna Day
- Disarmament Week begins (UN)
- Food Day
- United Nations Day
- World Development Information Day
- Zambia Independence Day 1964
Oct. 25
- Charge of the Light Brigade 1854
- Saint Crispin’s Day
- 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
- National Pumpkin Day
- Red Cross Founded 1836
Oct. 27
- Explorer James Cook born 1728
- Cranky Co-Workers Day
- Navy Day
- President Theodore Roosevelt born 1858
- St Vincent and Grenadines Independence Day 1979
- Tell A Story Day
Oct. 28
- Chocolates Day
- 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
- Psoriasis Day
- Turkey Independence Day 1923
- Visit a Cemetery Day
Oct. 30
- President John Adams born 1735
- Ball Point Pen patented 1888
- Candy Corn Day
- Create a Great Funeral Day
- 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
Special Days With Varying Dates:
● Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend
● Rosh Hashana (sometimes Sept.)
● Fall Astronomy Day (sometimes Sept.)
● Ashura (sometimes Sept.)
● Yom Kippur (sometimes Sept.)
● Nuclear Science Week
● Sukkot (sometimes Sept,)
● Prescription Errors Education and Awareness Week
● Save For Retirement Week
Free Printable – Special Days in October
October Special Days Learning Resources https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/10/01/learning-resources-for-special-days-in-october-2016/
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/
Special Days and Special Days Resource Lists Archive https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2018/01/05/special-days-archive/
How I use Special Days lists in our homeschool blog series :
Special Days and the Evolution of Morning Calendar Time
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.html
http://www.se7en.org.za/se7ens-october
http://food.unl.edu/october-food-calendar
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/october.htm
https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/animal-holidays-celebrations/
http://projectbritain.com/calendars/oct.html
http://aglobalworld.com/international-independence-days/country-independence-day.php
Happy October!
betty jo
Still Learning Something New 