This Day in History: Oct. 6

In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, a movie featuring both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

1683: Thirteen families from Krefeld, Germany, arrived in Philadelphia to begin Germantown, one of America's oldest settlements.

1884: The Naval War College was established in Newport, R.I.

1921: The musical “Bombo,” starring Al Jolson, opened on Broadway. 

1958: The nuclear submarine USS Seawolf surfaced after spending 60 days submerged.

1960: The historical drama “Spartacus,” starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in New York.

1973: War erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the Yom Kippur holiday.

1979: Pope John Paul II, on a week-long U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

1989: Actress Bette Davis died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at age 81.