Comment on Today in History: October 6, Pope John Paul II visits the White House

Today is Sunday, Oct. 6, the 280th day of 2024. There are 86 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 6, 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a weeklong U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter. Also on this date: In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, a feature film containing both silent and sound-synchronized sequences. In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday, starting a nearly three-week conflict that would become known as the Yom Kippur War. In 1976, President Gerald R.