October is the 10th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Under the old Roman calendar this was the eighth month and retained its name. October in the Northern Hemisphere begins the full transition to Autumn while in the Southern Hemisphere it is Spring.
Autumn harvests are underway this month with apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins becoming widely available in many areas. Pumpkins are important this time of year as decorations and the source for pumpkin pie and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. Octoberfest is a major event in Munich, Germany but has spread into Europe, the United States and South America. It began in 1810 to honor a Bavarian royal wedding and now is in many places like a carnival with rides, lots of German themed food and of course beer. Beer of all kinds, especially craft beers find their ways to such events to be judged. Oktoberfest usually goes from mid-September to October (it used to end on the first Sunday in October) but it usually goes on later these days. One figure estimates the consumption of beer to be around 1.85 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer. Now that is a lot of beer!
Daylight Savings Time comes to an end in Australia and Europe this month. In the United States, that will on the first Sunday in November. Though legislation was passed in the U.S. Senate to change to Daylight Savings Time for the entire year, the House of Representatives did not pass it due to multiple objections. So the United States will remain on using both Standard and Daylight Savings Time.
Of course, the big event in October is Halloween or more properly All Hallows Eve on October 31. What used to be a day to prepare for the feast of All Saints Day now has morphed into an event primarily for children to put on masks and ask neighbors for a treat. Haunted House exhibits are open, hayrides through a haunted landscape, and of course scary movies to watch. We get the obligatory Halloween themed commercials and lots of scary themed promos. Many parents opt to have simpler old fashioned celebration with friends and children assembling for food, entertainment, and of course hearing very spooky stories.
And now for some Titanic news:
A Movie About the Titan Submersible Tragedy Is in the Works
JPost.com, 30 Sept. 2023
www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-761146
A film about the Titan incident is already in the works. It is currently titled ‘Salvaged’ and is set to be produced by E. Brian Dobbins and MindRiot Entertainment – a company also making a docuseries about Kyle Bingham, the former mission director of OceanGate. MindRiot’s Justin MacGregor and Jonathan Keasey will co-write the film. “The Titan tragedy is reminiscent of the space shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986: it’s a tragedy I’ll never forget,” said MacGregor. According to Deadline, the film will cover periods before, during, and after the five-day tragedy.
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Inside Eerie ‘ghost Ship’ Built by Company Who Made Titanic Left Frozen in Time
Dailystar.co.uk, 1 Oct. 2023
www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/inside-eerie-ghost-ship-built-31052511
Eerie pictures have been captured inside the abandoned TSS Duke of Lancaster described as a “ghost ship frozen in time.” Only echoes remain of the vessel’s past when the 1950s cruise ship treated passengers to silver service as they sailed from Ireland, Scotland and Europe. The first-class quarters were called “the best around” during its first decade on the sea.
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Titanic Sub Disaster Highlights ‘Need for Search and Rescue Upgrade.
TradeWinds , 28 Sept. 2023
www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/titanic-sub-disaster-highlights-need-for-search-and-rescue-upgrade-/2-1-1525905
Maritime search-and-rescue teams should receive more psychological support for stress and mental exhaustion after shortcomings were highlighted by the deaths of five people on a submersible diving down to the wreck of the Titanic, according to documents lodged at the International Maritime Organization. The international hunt for the Titan submersible exposed limitations in search-and-rescue planning, and have prompted efforts to improve the response to potential disasters beneath the sea, according to a paper submitted by Chile.
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It Really Is a Collector’s Collectable’: Titanic Key Sells for $177,000 at Auction
Atlantic, 28 Sept. 2023
atlantic.ctvnews.ca/it-really-is-a-collector-s-collectable-titanic-key-sells-for-177-000-at-auction-1.6581078
A remarkable, historic artifact with a strong Halifax connection sold at auction over the weekend for nearly $180,000. The final price on a special key(opens in a new tab) assigned to a first class steward on the Titanic was USD $151,250. Buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery(opens in a new tab) in Halifax, Alfred Deeble was entrusted with the key to the saloon liquor cabinet — a “Pantryman” key as it was known then. Recovered with his body after the sinking, the key was carefully catalogued in Halifax with his other possessions, and sent to his grieving sister at her request.
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Edinburgh Hotel Hosting ‘immersive Theatre’ Based on Final 24 Hours of Titanic
Edinburgh Live, 25 Sept. 2023
www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/edinburgh-hotel-hosting-immersive-theatre-27782102
A unique event is being held at one of Edinburgh’s city centre hotels, with an “immersive dining experience”. The evening, which will include a three course meal and performance, is all based on the final hours onboard the Titanic. Guests can expect an “elegant and opulent” evening, with a “heartfelt tribute” to the 1503 people who lost their lives. The event is being held on September 29 and 30, and again on October 1.
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Titanic Exhibition Coming to Carnegie Science Center
weirtondailytimes.com 24 Sept. 2023, www.weirtondailytimes.com/news/community/2023/09/titanic-exhibition-coming-to-carnegie-science-center
Carnegie Science Center will host Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition from Oct. 21 through April 15. Visitors will experience the grandeur of the RMS Titanic through full-scale room re-creations and 154 authentic artifacts on display within the Science Center’s PPG Science Pavilion. This must-see exhibition, viewed by more than 30 million people worldwide, takes visitors on a chronological journey through life on the Titanic, with a replica boarding pass featuring a real passenger’s name, from the ship’s construction to life on board, the fated sinking, and modern-day recovery efforts.
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Newfoundland University Threw Open Its Doors to Titanic Dive Operator, Emails Show
Toronto Star, 20 Sept. 2023
www.thestar.com/news/canada/newfoundland-university-threw-open-its-doors-to-titanic-dive-operator-emails-show/article_9d861d60-7324-5f39-a4a0-88839be0cf41.html
Emails obtained by The Canadian Press show officials with Memorial’s Fisheries and Marine Institute signed an agreement with OceanGate in December allowing the company to store equipment with the university and promising that students and faculty would have opportunities “to join OceanGate expeditions to support research endeavours.” The memorandum of understanding also says the marine institute would show off OceanGate’s submersible to visitors, in an effort to promote ocean literacy and the “blue economy.”
