Oct. 25
On this date in 1861, the Toronto Stock Exchange was created by 24 men at the Masonic Hall. However, the exchange wasn’t formally incorporated until 1878 when the act of the Legislative Assembly of Toronto was signed.
TSX is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America, and the seventh largest in the world. Like the American Stock exchange in New York City, the Canadian stock exchange is located in Canada’s largest city and it is owned and operated as a subsidiary of the TMX Group for the trading of senior equities.
Businessmen from Canada, Europe, and the United States represent the exchange and the business takes care of listing a variety of different exchange-traded funds, split share corporations, income trusts, and investment funds.
The stock exchange is currently operated by President Kevin Cowan. Other notable people include Chairman Wayne Fox and CEO Tom Kloet. As of April 30, 2013, the market cap of the stock exchange sits at $2.125 trillion and there are 1,559 listings as well.
Oct. 26
On this date in 1774, the first Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia, Pa at Carpenter’s Hall. The 56 delegates who formed the Continental Congress became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution. Notable names include George Washington, Patrick Henry, and John Adams, and Samuel Adams.
The Congress met from 1774-1989 in three incarnations. The first Continental Congress met to discuss terms of the Intolerable Acts which penalized Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. In 1775, the second Continental Congress met to establish the Continental Army with George Washington as their leader and they met again in 1776 to sign and pass the Declaration of Independence.
The government dispersed in 1789 after being replaced by the U.S. Constitution that still runs today. Also, George Washington took on a new responsibility that same year as he was inaugurated as the first President of the United States, a position that he would hold until his death on Dec. 14, 1799.
Oct. 27
On this date in 1682, the city of Philadelphia was founded in Pennsylvania by William Penn and he said that it would serve as the capital of the Pennsylvania Colony. However, the city was not incorporated until Oct. 25, 1701.
By the 1750’s, Philadelphia surpassed Boston as the largest city in British America. It is currently the second largest city on the East Coast and it is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States with 1,547,607 people. The city is located in the Northeastern part of the country at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers.
The city includes the Philadelphia Stock Exchange as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. Philadelphia is also known for arts and culture and it is also famous for its prominent cuisine of cheese steaks’ and soft pretzels. The professional sports teams include the Eagles (NFL), the Phillies (MLB), the Flyers (NHL), the Sixers (NBA), the Soul (Arena Football), the Wings (Indoor Lacrosse), and the Union (MLS).
Oct. 28
On this date in 1886, United States President Grover Cleveland, who was known as the only U.S. President to serve two separate terms, dedicated the Statue of Liberty which is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in Manhattan. The statue represents Libertas, who is known as the goddess of freedom and she is draped in a robe while holding a torch.
The statue was sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and the height of it is 151 feet and one inch, but from the ground all the way up to the torch, is 305 feet and one inch. In 2009, about 3.2 million people visited the statue and it has been maintained by the National Park Service since 1933.
Over the course of its existence, the Statue of Liberty has been designated under different labels. On Oct. 15, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated it as a U.S. National Monument. On the same date in 1966, it was designated as a U.S. National Register of Historic Places and on Sept. 14, 1976, it was designated as a Landmark of New York City.
Oct. 29
Also on this date in 1886, another memorable event took place the very next day to honor the Statue of Liberty as office workers started a ticker-tape parade by throwing the item into the streets of New York City. This was also the first of 204 ticker-tape parades to take place in the city. The last parade occurred on Feb. 7, 2012, when the New York Giants players and coaches took a ride through the streets to celebrate their Super Bowl XLVI victory.
