1. On October 20, 1882, the New York Giants played their first game at the newly constructed Polo Grounds stadium in Upper Manhattan. The team would go on to win the National League pennant that year, marking the beginning of a successful era for the franchise.

2. In 1944, on October 20, a horrific fire broke out at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut. Many of the performers and animals were trapped inside the tent, resulting in a tragic loss of life. However, the New York City Fire Department, among other emergency response teams from the surrounding areas, quickly arrived to assist in the rescue efforts.

3. On October 20, 1987, the New York Stock Exchange witnessed its largest single-day decline in history. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 500 points, resulting in a loss of more than 22% of the market's value in a single day. It would take years for the market to recover from the fallout.

4. October 20, 1835, marks the beginning of the Great Fire of New York, which destroyed more than 600 buildings in the lower part of Manhattan. Though firefighters from throughout the city worked tirelessly to contain the flames, the fire gained steam and raged for two full days.

5. On October 20, 1968, a group of Black activists known as the "October 21st Movement" staged a sit-in at Columbia University in protest of the school's treatment of Black students and faculty. The demonstration escalated into a violent confrontation with police, leading to dozens of arrests and widespread media attention. The incident raised important questions about the state of the Civil Rights movement and the role of activism in the fight for social justice.