October 4

1821: John Rennie, designer of the London Bridge, died. 1895: The first U.S. Open golf tournament took place in Newport, RI, with Horace Rawlins, 21 years old, as the winner. 1903: John Atanasoff, who was belatedly credited as the builder of the first electronic digital computer (the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, ABC), was born. 1947: Max Planck, who introduced quantum theory to the world, died. 1957: The Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, into orbit. 1958: The first trans-Atlantic passenger jetliner service was begun by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) with Comet 4 flights between Heathrow airport and Idlewild (now JFK). 1976: British Rail began its new 125 mph High Speed Train (HST) service. 1983: The first Hooters restaurant opened, in Clearwater, FL. 1995: Edward Lowe, inventor of kitty litter, died.