On this day: October 12
POSTED: 10:50 AM PDT Oct 11, 2012
UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Oct 11, 2012
Christopher Columbus lands in the New World, Oktoberfest finds its roots, Sid is arrested for allegedly killing Nancy, and Matthew Shepard dies, all on this day.
University of Virginia
1928: An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Children's Hospital in Boston. The subject was an 8-year-old girl who was nearly dead as a result of respiratory failure due to poliomyelitis (often called polio or infantile paralysis). Her dramatic recovery, within less than a minute of being placed in the chamber, helped popularize the new device.
