More than you ever wanted to know about October

From Wikipedia:

 In common years, January starts on the same day of the week as October, but no other month starts on the same day of the week as October in leap years.

October ends on the same day of the week as February every year and January in common years only.

 In common years, October starts on the same day of the week as May of the previous year while in leap years, October starts on the same day of the week as August of the previous year.

 In common years, October ends on the same day of the week as May of the previous year while in leap years, October ends on the same day of the week as August and November of the previous year.

 In years immediately before common years, October starts on the same day as April and July of the following year while in years immediately before leap years, October starts on the same day of the week as September and December of the following year.

 In years immediately before common years, October ends on the same day of the week as July of the previous year while years immediately before leap years, October ends on the same day of the week as April and December of the following year.

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The last week in October is the only time of the year when all four major North American Sports leagues schedule games. The National Hockey League is about one month into its 6½ month regular season.

The National Football League is either exactly halfway through its season or within a week of being exactly halfway, the National Basketball Association (?) generally begins its regular season this week.

 Major League Baseball concludes its postseason with the World Series, which last from about a week up to nine days.

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 The month of October is dedicated to the devotion of the rosary in the Roman Catholic church.

Eric Whitacre composed a piece based on this month, titled “October.” Neil Gaiman wrote a story personifying the month in his collection Fragile Things entitled “October in the Chair.” Ray Bradbury published a collection of short stories titled The October Country in 1955.

          October's birthstones are pink tourmaline and opal. Its birth flower is the calendula.  Zodiac signs for October are Libra (until October 22) or Scorpio (October 23 onwards).

           And finally, a poem: “It Was One of Those Fine October Days” -- It was one of those fine October days / free from summer’s heat and haze/ but not yet gripped by autumn chill. //
            It was one of those fine October days / when the sky’s so clear / you can see the moon /
through the atmosphere / at midday. //
             It was one of those fine October days / when the trees sport yellow and red / instead of everyday summer green. //
             It was one of those fine October days / when one draws a deep breath / and is grateful /
to be resident on Earth. --- Richard Greene (via poemhunter.com)