Today in History: October 26: This day is marked by three peaceful events in American history, three notorious acts of violence, and two events that highlight the undermining of human rights and the people’s will in the United States. In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia. In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River. In 1881, four lawmen, including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, exchanged gunfire with five outlaws, killing three of them, at the “Shootout at the O.K. Corral.” In 1861, the legendary Pony Express officially ceased operations, giving way to the transcontinental telegraph. In 1979, South Korean President Park Chung-hee was shot to death by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Kim Jae-kyu. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA Patriot Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists. In 2002, a hostage siege by Chechen rebels at a Moscow theater ended with 129 of the 800-plus captives dead. In 2020, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a deeply divided Senate.