October
On this day in October:
- 1st October 2001; first phase of the Alnwick Garden opened to the public.
- 2nd October 1951; birth of Gordon Sumner in Wallsend, known as the musician Sting
- 4th October 1968: Led Zeppelin's first UK gig - held at The Mayfair in Newcastle.
- 5th October 1928; first meeting of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society
- 5th October 1907; opening of Stannington Sanatorium, the UK's first tuberculosis sanatorium especially for children.
- 5th October 1936; start of the Jarrow Crusade, protesters began their march from Jarrow to London.
- 6th October 1854; Great Fire of Gateshead and Newcastle.
- 8th October 1753; opening of the Infirmary on Forth Banks, Newcastle.
- 9th October 1910: opening of the new Whitley Bay Railway Station.
- 10th October 1843: death of John Buddle, the famous North East mining engineer.
- 10th October 1928; official opening of the Tyne Bridge by King George V and Queen Mary.
- 12th October 1859; death of Robert Stephenson, the prominent railway and civil engineer.
- 13th October 1904: The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle first opened to the public.
- 14th October 1906; an explosion at Wingate Grange Colliery led to the deaths of 26 miners.
- 14th October 2005; first gig at the Newcastle Academy, Westgate Road, Newcastle.
- 16th October 1803; birth of Robert Stephenson, one of the greatest engineer of the 19th century.
- 16th October 1888: consecration of the new St Georges Church, Jesmond, Newcastle
- 17th October 1346; Battle of Neville's Cross, Anglo-Scottish battle fought near Durham.
- 17th October 1879; Sunderland Association Football Club founded by schoolmaster James Allan.
- 17th October 1911; opening of the Tees Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough, by Prince Arthur of Connaught.
- 19th October 1869; first competition at the newly established Alnmouth Golf Club.
- 20th October 1880: the Lit & Phil society’s lecture theatre was the 1st public room to be lit by electric light, during a lecture by Sir Joseph Swan.
- 21st October 1805; Newcastle born Lord Collingwood took command at the Battle of Trafalgar following the death of Nelson.
- 21st October 2011; Turner Prize exhibition, hosted at the Baltic in Gateshead, opens to the public.
- 22nd October 1835; banquet to celebrate the completion of the Grainger Market in Newcastle.
- 22nd October 1957: Middlesbrough Theatre in Linthorpe, opened on by Sir John Gielgud.
- 22nd October 2004: the National Railway Museum Shildon opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair
- 23rd October 1998 - The National Glass Centre, Sunderland was officially opened by Prince Charles.
- 24th October 1835; the Grainger Market in Newcastle was opened to the public for the first time.
- 26th October 1929: end of the North East Coast Exhibition which had 4 million visitors.
- 28th October 1978: opening of the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Marton, Middlesbrough.
- 31st October 1828; Joseaph Swan, inventor of the electric lightbulb, born in Bishopwearmouth.
- 31st October 1927; opening of the 1870 seater New Westgate Cinema, Newcastle (now O2 Academy).
- 31st October 2005; National Dance Agency for the North East of England Dance City opened.
