Glancing Backward 10/29

Today is Thursday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2009. There are 63 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 29, 1929 - known as "Black Tuesday" - Wall Street crashed, heralding the beginning of the Great Depression.

Glancing Backward Locally:

25 years ago - 1984

In the Towanda Halloween Parade, a float called "Care Bear's Birthday Party," made by the McNeal and Pousen families of Towanda, won first prize in the Class B float category and won the Charles Roof Memorial Award for best float.

In the 28th annual Valley Halloween Parade, Heritage Nursing Home placed first in the best theme category, Brownie Troop 367-Lynch Bustin Elementary School of Athens placed first in the funniest float category, and St. James School of Waverly placed first in most original float.

The Sayre United Methodist Women held a covered dish dinner and invited as guests the first year students of the Robert Packer Hospital School of Nursing.

50 years ago - 1959

At the Wyalusing Halloween Parade, which was held despite heave rain, the first prize float was done by the Wyalusing Boy Scouts.

Advertisement for trick-or-treat candies at Boyle's: "Candy corn, 29 cents/lb; 30 candy packs, 29 cents; 40-piece party pack, 49 cents; 60 cello packs, 59 cents; 20 Baby Ruths, 39 cents; masks, 5 cents and up; costumes, $1 and up."

Miss Aloma Wood of Towanda has been named to the executive committee of the Rochester Business Institute Student Council.

75 years ago - 1934

Towanda schools Superintendent W. Milton Roy was named president of the Bradford County Education Association.

Celebrating her seventh birthday today is Mary Helen Morrow, youngest daughter of Superintendent and Mrs. J. Andrew Morrow.

Today, rural carriers William Stephens and Joseph Proof are being honored at a party in Rummerfield for 30 years of faithful and efficient service.

Elsewhere on this date:

In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh, the English courtier, military adventurer and poet, was executed in London.

Ten years ago: A panel of European Union scientists ruled that British beef was safe for export, rejecting French scientific arguments to continue a ban because of fears of mad cow disease.

Five years ago: Osama bin Laden, in a videotaped statement, directly admitted for the first time that he'd ordered the Sept. 11th attacks and told America "the best way to avoid another Manhattan" was to stop threatening Muslims' security.

One year ago: A 6.4-magnitude earthquake in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 215 people.

Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Sonny Osborne (The Osborne Brothers) is 72. Country singer Lee Clayton is 67.

Rock musician Denny Laine is 65. Singer Melba Moore is 64. Musician Peter Green is 63. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 62. Actress Kate Jackson is 61. The president of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, is 59. Actor Dan Castellaneta ("The Simpsons") is 52. Country musician Steve Kellough (Wild Horses) is 52. Comic strip artist Tom Wilson ("Ziggy") is 52. Actress Finola Hughes is 50. Singer Randy Jackson is 48. Rock musician Peter Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 44. Actress Joely Fisher is 42. Rapper Paris is 42. Actor Rufus Sewell is 42. Rock singer SA Martinez (311) is 40. Musician Toby Smith is 39. Actress Winona Ryder is 38. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is 37. Actor Trevor Lissauer is 36. Actress Gabrielle Union is 36. Olympic gold medal bobsledder Vonetta Flowers is 36. Actress Milena Govich is 33. Actor Jon Abrahams is 32. Actor Brendan Fehr is 32. Actor Ben Foster is 29. Rock musician Chris Baio (Vampire Weekend) is 25.