On this Day... October 28

MANILA, Philippines –  In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated. Its full name was “The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World,” and it was erected by the citizens of France and the United States as a monument to democracy. The French paid for the statue, the United States for the pedestal. The frame was made by Charles Eiffel, who designed the famous tower, and Frederick Bartholdi created Liberty, which was shipped across the Atlantic in pieces in 214 packing cases. President Grover Cleveland performed the dedication, and it wasn’t long before the entire copper-covered monolith had oxidized and turned green. These days visitors can still climb to her crown, but they can no longer go up to the famous torch of liberty – because her arm is too weak to hold them! But it has since been repaired.

• In 1914, the pioneer of polio vaccine, Jonas Salk, was born in New York. He became a research microbiologist, and by 1952 had produced his first viable vaccine. But after three years of testing, some hastily made samples were used too soon and 11 people died. The Salk vaccine was shown to work, nevertheless, and within ten years it had reduced the incident of polio by a staggering 95 percent. Salk was rightly praised, and at one of many testimonial dinners he was heard to whisper ruefully, “I wish I’d discovered a preventative for chicken a la king.”

— from Today’s the Day! By Jeremy Beadle

In Christian history

• In 1871, At Ujiji, in modern Tanzania’s Kigoma province, Henry Morton Stanley located “missing” British missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone. Stanley’s first words: “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

— from This Day in Christian History

By William D. Blake

In the Philippines

• In 1701, Simon de Anda y Salazar, the Spanish governor general who sent a letter to the King of Spain complaining about the irregularities committed by the friars in the Philippines, was born. De Anda, who ruled the Philippines from 1762 to1764, and again from1770 to 1776, was also the Spanish governor during the British occupation of Manila. He engaged in negotiations with the British and received the governor’s position when the British withdrew in April 1764 in accordance with the Treaty of Paris of 1763. During his second term as governor general of the Philippines, De Anda continued reforming the army and engaging in public works, although confronted with problems with the Moros who never stopped from causing troubles during his governorship. De Anda died on October 30, 1776, in Cavite at the age of 76. A monument to his legacy was built on Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila. The municipalities of San Simon in Pampanga, Anda in Bohol and Anda in Pangasinan were also named in his honor.

— www.kahimyang.info

In Cebu

• In 1906, “Ang Bandila,” a San Nicolas, Cebu, newspaper published by Pantaleon del Rosario made its first appearance.

• In 1945, “Cebu Post,” published and edited by Cornello Faigao and Greg Mercado, came off the press.

— from Cebuano Studies Center, University of San Carlos