RMA Meeting: Friday, OCTOBER 9, 2026 10:00 AM; 

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION BY: TBA

TOPIC: “

“Walking and experiencing the Camino de Santiago, an experience of a lifetime”

The Camino de Santiago, or “Way of St. James”, is a walk, hike, or pilgrimage commonly done from various locations through northern Spain to the Cathedral where St. James is buried in Santiago. 

SPEAKER:

David Anderson

SPEAKER BIO: 

David Anderson – trail name “Hammer,” is a seasoned hiker who has experienced many trails and mountains from Denali to Patagonia. He is a resident of Framingham and continues to explore the ends of the earth in his retirement from IBM with his wife Anne, 5 sons, various grandchildren, and hiking buddies. Hammer chose to hike the Camino de Frances from France through northern Spain to the Cathedral in Santiago with a West Point classmate in April of 2024.
The Camino de Santiago, or “Way of St. James”, is a walk, hike, or pilgrimage commonly done from various locations through northern Spain to the Cathedral where St. James is buried in Santiago. David Anderson, at 69, was one of the half-million pilgrims in 2024 and completed the 500-mile trek in around 35 days.

 

Starts 9:45 for coffee/socializing at the First Baptist Church of Sudbury, 162 Landham Rd, Sudbury, MA

Invite a Guest to this meeting.

 

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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SUMMARY BY GROK FROM THE HISTORY PLACE OCTOBER LINK

**Most Significant Events in October** 
(Selected for global historical impact, lasting consequences, and transformative effect)

### Foundational / Civilizational Turning Points
– **October 12, 1492** – Christopher Columbus makes landfall in the Bahamas, beginning sustained European contact with the Americas.
– **October 14, 1066** – Battle of Hastings: William of Normandy defeats King Harold II, beginning the Norman Conquest of England.
– **October 31, 1517** – Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, launching the Protestant Reformation.
– **October 4, 1582** – Gregorian Calendar takes effect in Catholic countries, correcting the Julian calendar’s accumulated error.

### American Revolutionary & Early U.S. History
– **October 13, 1775** – Continental Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Navy.
– **October 17, 1777** – British General Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga — the first major American victory of the Revolutionary War and a turning point that helped secure French alliance.
– **October 19, 1781** – British surrender at Yorktown effectively ends the American Revolutionary War.

### 19th–Early 20th Century Transformations
– **October 8, 1871** – Great Chicago Fire destroys large parts of the city, killing hundreds and leaving ~90,000 homeless.
– **October 1, 1908** – Henry Ford’s Model T goes on sale, making the automobile accessible to the masses and transforming modern life.
– **October 24 & 29, 1929** – “Black Thursday” and “Black Tuesday”: the Wall Street Crash that triggered the Great Depression.

### World War II & Immediate Aftermath
– **October 1, 1938** – German troops occupy the Sudetenland after the Munich Agreement.
– **October 6, 1973** – Yom Kippur War begins (Egypt and Syria attack Israel).
– **October 16, 1946** – Ten major Nazi leaders are hanged after the Nuremberg Trials (sentences announced October 1).
– **October 24, 1945** – United Nations is formally founded.

### Cold War & Modern Era
– **October 4, 1957** – Soviet Union launches Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite, inaugurating the Space Age and the Space Race.
– **October 1, 1949** – People’s Republic of China is proclaimed under Mao Zedong.
– **October 22, 1962** – President Kennedy announces the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba, beginning the Cuban Missile Crisis (resolved October 28).
– **October 3, 1990** – East and West Germany are reunified after 45 years of division.
– **October 14, 1947** – Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to break the sound barrier.
– **October 14, 1964** – Martin Luther King Jr. becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

These events stand out for their scale of impact — political realignments, technological leaps, wars that reshaped nations, and cultural or scientific breakthroughs that still influence the world today.