5 Things You Need To Know For October 21, 2026

October 21, 2026 5:55 am Published by Chris McLeod

_{October 21st is the 294th day of the year. There are 71 days remaining until the end of the year.}

It’s Movie Night at the Capitol Theatre.

Stop by tonight at 7 p.m. to see The Librarians, celebrating Ontario Public Library Week.

Tonight’s movie is free – thanks to the Chatham-Kent Public Library. Check here for more info.

Fall colours are here, but the best of the autumn colours may still be ahead.

Southwestern Ontario is sitting at around 40% colour change, with the area typically seeing its leaves turn later than areas farther north. Sunny days and cooler nights have helped produce vibrant reds, oranges and yellows, while a mild, storm-free season has allowed more leaves to stay on the trees. With limited leaf drop so far, there’s still some time to enjoy the fall colours across the region.

The NBA’s 81st season started on Tuesday.

The season tipped off with the Detroit Pistons rallying to beat the Boston Celtics 121-113.

The Raptors host the Chicago Bulls at Scotiabank Arena tonight, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30. You can catch the game on Sportsnet.

The annual Orionid meteor shower peak tonight, into the early morning hours of Thursday.

The Orionid meteor shower occurs every October when Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by Halley’s Comet. As these tiny particles enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, creating bright streaks of light in the sky.

For the best chance of seeing the shower, head to a dark location away from city lights and look up after midnight. The hours before dawn may offer the best viewing opportunity this year, once the Moon sets and the sky becomes darker.

Under ideal dark-sky conditions, observers could see around 10 to 20 meteors per hour.

The iconic Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone celebrates 65 years today since being introduced.

The classic pull-along toy, with its smiling face, rolling eyes and rotary dial, was originally called the Talk Back Phon” before being renamed the Chatter Telephone in 1962.

October 21st is the unofficial anniversary because Fisher Priced released a wildly popular 60th Anniversary Bluetooth Edition five years ago. The fully functional, smartphone-compatible version for adults hit shelves at Best Buy stores on October 21, 2021.

The exact calendar day and month the original “Talk Back Phone” debuted in 1961 were never officially recorded, so we’ll celebrate today.