October 31 brings together three very different kinds of public memory: religious upheaval, political violence and comic performance. In 1517, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses challenged church practices and helped set the Protestant Reformation in motion. The familiar story says he nailed the document to a church door in Wittenberg, though the precise circumstances of its posting are less certain than its lasting impact. Centuries later, Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 marked another rupture in public life; the killing by her Sikh bodyguards was followed by massive anti-Sikh riots.
The date also marks the 1950 birth of John Candy, whose warmth and comic timing made him a beloved presence in films including *Planes, Trains and Automobiles*, *Uncle Buck* and *Cool Runnings*, as well as on *SCTV*. Set beside upheaval and loss, his career is a reminder that cultural legacies can also offer delight and comfort. As October closes on Halloween, a day associated with masks and transformation, this list suggests another kind of change: ideas, leaders and entertainers can each leave a mark far beyond the moment that first brings them into view.