This week, one of the most representative chapters of the crimes committed by the military dictatorship in Brazil turns 50 years old: the murder of Vladimir Herzog, known as Vlado, on the DOI-CODI premises in São Paulo, on October 25, 1975. The journalist, at the time director of TV Cultura, was arrested on suspicion of links to the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), tortured and killed. The military even set up a false scene to claim that Vlado had hanged himself with a belt in his cell. This year, the Brazilian State took important steps to repair the crime. He recognized Vladimir Herzog as a post-mortem political amnesty, as highlighted in this report from Brazil Agencyand signed an agreement to compensate the journalist’s family, as shown in this report from Gov Agencythis other one National Radio Agencyand this one Brazil Afternoon Reporterfrom the TV Brasil.
King of football
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the eternal king Pelé, would turn 85 this week, if he were alive. The star was born on October 23, 1940. The only player to win three World Cups (the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups), Pelé made Brazilians proud, was an inspiration for generations of young people and helped build Brazil’s image as a “country of football”. THE Brazil Agency paid homage to him in this text published in 2024. National Radio Agency also paid tribute in this 2022 report and in this other one here2023. TV Brasil highlighted the legacy of the King of Football a year after his death, in editions of Reporter Brazil and the Brazil Afternoon Reportershown in 2023.
Fighting prejudice
THE World Day to Combat the Pathologization of Transsexuality It is celebrated on a mobile date in the month of October. This year, it falls on the 21st of this month. The anniversary refers to the exclusion of the definition of transsexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the North American Psychiatric Association, and the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO). This achievement was discussed on the program Plural Stationshown by TV Brasil in 2017. Brazil Agency addressed the reality of black trans people, who suffer double prejudice and difficulties in accessing public policies, in this year’s report. And the National Radio Agency highlighted the problem of violence against transgender people, in a 2023 report.
Health
THE World Osteoporosis Day It is celebrated on October 20th. The date was created in the United Kingdom in 1996. Around ten million people have the disease in Brazil, which is characterized by reduced bone density, leaving the patient more susceptible to fractures. The disease affects women more, but it can also affect men, as shown by Brazil Agencyin 2014. As osteoporosis has no cure, it is important to prevent it, as highlighted by the Reporter Brazilfrom the TV Brasilin 2019, and the National Afternoonfrom the National Radioin 2023 edition.
18 years of EBC
Created in 2007 to promote the construction of citizenship, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) completes 18 years of operation on October 24th. In these almost two decades of existence, the company has consolidated its mission of bringing knowledge, information and culture to the population of all ages, inside and outside Brazil, through the communication vehicles under its management:
By establishing a focus on the citizen, EBC expands access to topics of public interest that benefit all segments of Brazilian society. THE Brazil Agency highlighted the company’s role in 15 year anniversaryin 2022, and when he turned 17in 2024.
Computer and IT professionals
On October 19th we have the IT Professional’s Day and the IT Professional Daycelebrations created to honor these increasingly essential workers in the context of technological advancement that we are experiencing. The demand for professionals in the area is so great that jobs linked to technology grew 95% in ten years (from 2012 to 2022), as revealed by a report from Brazil Agency2024. And even so, companies have difficulty finding staff, as shown by the Reporter Brazilin terms of 2019, and the Brazil Afternoon Reporterin 2022. Both are newspapers from TV Brasil.
Father of aviation
The memory of Santos Dumont, the father of aviation, is celebrated this week. THE Aviator’s Daycelebrated on October 23, is a tribute to the first flight in an airplane in history. On this date, in 1906, the Brazilian flew in the skies of Paris aboard the 14-Bis. Due to Dumont’s pioneering spirit, October 23rd is also the Brazilian Air Force Day (FAB). The program On the Trail of Historyfrom the National Radiospoke about the trajectory of Santos Dumont, in a 2017 edition. Aviator’s Day was also highlighted in a newspaper report Brazil in Dayfrom the TV Brasilin 2020.
Fighting racism
This week, the death of the black American seamstress and activist Rosa Louise McCauley, aka Rosa Parks, turns 20 on October 24th. She became a symbol of the anti-racist struggle in the United States after refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, and was arrested for doing so. The event occurred in December 1955 and became the trigger for the movement called the “Montgomery bus boycott”, which would later mark the beginning of the anti-segregationist struggle in the USA. The episode was remembered in the Reporter Brazilfrom the TV Brasil2015, and in History Todayfrom the National Radioin 2021 edition.
Check out the complete list of Today is Day dates from October 19th to 25th, 2025*
October 2025
10/19
IT Professional’s Day
IT Professional Day
National Innovation Day
10/20
Poet’s Day
Archivist’s Day – celebrated in Brazil to mark the date of founding of the Association of Brazilian Archivists, which was established on October 20, 1971 in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro
World Osteoporosis Day – international celebration that was established in 1996 by the British Osteoporosis Society and which, from 1997, was adopted by the International Osteoporosis Foundation
10/21
Ferdinand Magellan sees the now-known Strait of Magellan (505 years) – the largest and most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Podcast Day
World Day to Fight the Pathologization of Transsexuality – mobile celebration (Saturday between October 17th and 23rd) of the LGBTQIAPN+ community, which is related to the fight for the exclusion of the definition of transsexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the North American Psychiatric Association, and the WHO International Classification of Diseases
10/23
Birth of former Minas Gerais footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé (85 years old)
Referendum on the Prohibition of Arms and Ammunition Trade in Brazil (20 years)
Brazilian Air Force Day
Aviator’s Day – celebrated by Brazilians, according to Law No. 218, of July 4, 1936, of the then Republic of the United States of Brazil, to mark the date of what is considered to be the first airplane flight in the history of world aviation, carried out in the French city of Paris on October 23, 1906 by Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos Dumont, while pilot of the “14 BIS”
10/24
Death of black American activist Rosa Louise McCauley, aka Rosa Parks (20 years old) – became famous, on December 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, becoming the trigger for the movement that was called the Montgomery bus boycott, and would later mark the beginning of the anti-segregationist struggle in the United States
Salvador Allende becomes president of the republic through the Congress of Chile, becoming the world’s first democratically elected Marxist head of state (55 years old)
A coup d’état in Brazil ends the First Republic, replacing it with the Vargas Era (95 years)
The United Nations Charter comes into force (80 years old)
International Development Information Day – commemoration established by the 27th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in Resolution A/Res or NRES/3038, of December 19, 1972, with the aim of drawing the attention of global public opinion to development problems and the need to reinforce international cooperation to solve these problems every year
United Nations Day – international celebration that aims to mark the date of entry into force of the “Charter of the United Nations”, which came into force on October 24, 1945, with the ratification of the five countries of the UN Security Council, represented by the United States of America, France, United Kingdom, Republic of China (later replaced by the People’s Republic of China), and the then Socialist Union of Soviet Republics (USSR)
Listing of Casa das Rosas by the Council for the Defense of Historical, Artistic, Architectural and Tourist Heritage (CONDEPHAAT) of São Paulo (40 years)
Creation of the Brazilian Communication Company (EBC) by Decree No. 6,246, of October 24, 2007 (18 years)
10/25
Death of Yugoslav journalist and naturalized Brazilian Vladimir Herzog, known as Vlado (50 years old)
Birthday of Samambaia, administrative region of the Federal District (36 years)
Birthday of Paranoá, administrative region of the Federal District (68 years)
*The dates are selected by the team of researchers from the Efemérides Project, from the Collection Management of the Brazilian Communication Company (EBC)which brings themes related to culture, history, science and personalities, always highlighting national and regional landmarks. The Collection Management also responds to research requests from the external public. Just send an email to [email protected].
