Oct. 7. 1879: Birth of Joe Hill, I.W.W. songwriter and organizer. 1989:"Housing Now" march draws 200,000. Washington D.C.

Oct. 8. 1967: Revolutionary leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara is captured and summarily executed in Bolivia. Look for the Ken Burns miniseries soon, made possible in part by a grant from Mobil.

Oct. 9. 1776: San Francisco de Assisi mission started at the present site of San Francisco, Calif. We oppose them. 1989: 80,000 in a nonviolent march for freedom, Leipzig, East Germany. 1992: Women in Black begin regular vigils against war, Belgrade, Serbia.

Oct. 10. 1967: Treaty demilitarizing outer space comes into force. Remember this, and Star Wars, when watching (and holding your breath during) the Cassini launch. If it happens. Disney World: We're All Ears! 1994: For the second year in a row, Denver, Colorado cancels its traditional Columbus Day parade due to fears of "radical elements" among the Native American community. Sorta like the "radical elements" in the Jewish community that might oppose a Hitler Day parade.

Oct. 11. 1908: Suffragists hold a mass meeting in Trafalgar Square, London, inviting public to future demonstrations. 1972: Roberto Maestes leads Chicano/a activists in occupying the abandoned Beacon Hill School, which they propose converting into a community center, El Centro de la Raza. 1987: Over 500,000 gays and lesbians (organizers specifically excluded bisexuals and transgendered from their demands) descend upon Washington, D.C. for a march to demand civil rights. Now celebrated annually as National Coming Out Day.

Oct. 12, 1492: Christopher Columbus, lost and confused, runs aground. Subsequent career opportunities include mass torture, slave export, and an unprecedented genocide of native Dominicans. 1958: Reform Jewish Temple in Atlanta is firebombed in retaliation for its support of local black civil rights activists.