October 24, 1946: The Bihar Riots take place in Bihar, West Bengal, India. They are in response to the Calcutta Killings the previous August 16, and the Noakhali Riots on October 10, both actions by Muslims against Hindus.
There was wide variation in estimates of the number of casualties. A statement given to the British Parliament put the death toll at 5,000. The Indian National Congress put it at 2,000. Mohammed Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League stated that 30,000 people had been killed. Another estimate stated that 35,000 had fled the fighting.
The riots were severe enough that Jawaharlal Nehru, then the head of the interim government, set up to assist the transition to independence, threatened to bombard rioters from the air. On November 5, Nehru issued a statement, saying, "We must put an end to this madness. We can argue later," and adding "What has happened and what is happening in certain parts of Bihar province is terrible, and I can hardly believe that human beings can behave in such a manner."
That same day, Mohandas Gandhi, who was in Calcutta (now named Kolkata) visiting riot-stricken areas, stated that he would fast unto death if the violence in Bihar did not stop within 24 hours. His statement was broadcast nationally. The violence finally stopped on November 11 -- just as it did in World War I.
Independence took place on August 15, 1947, but Muslims get their separate nation of Pakistan, with Jinnah becoming its 1st Prime Minister. But there was new violence, and, to this day, with religion being the key, the two nations still hate each other's guts.
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October 24, 1946 was a Thursday. Baseball season was over. Football was in midweek. The 1st season of the league that would become the NBA was 8 days away. And while the NHL season was underway, there were no games scheduled. So there were no scores on this historic day.
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