Human Race

Filed

Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher, who gained fame and the nickname Joe the Plumber after he confronted Barack Obama while the then-senator campaigned during the 2008 presidential race, has filed to run as a Republican candidate in Ohio's 9th Congressional District. The district was already poised to have an interesting primary battle after state redistricting merged the districts of long-time Democrats Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich into one, pitting them against each other in November's Democratic primary. Wurzelbacher, 37, will face Cuyahoga County Republican Chairman Rob Frost in the primary.

Wed

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan celebrated the marriage of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, to commoner and childhood friend Jetsun Perma, 21, on Oct. 13. Wangchuck is well-loved by his 700,000 people, having worked since 2006 to usher in democratic reforms while preserving the region's culture. The Oxford graduate has vowed that he will have only one wife, diverging from his father's legacy, which included four wives-all sisters.

Escaped

One of convicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs' 85 wives escaped from the Arizona compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last month. The unidentified 25-year-old woman is reportedly receiving counseling and psychiatric care at a women's shelter.

Backtracked

Exodus International President Alan Chambers has backtracked from his original criticism of the pro-homosexual campaign "It Gets Better." The initiative, which launched last year on the heels of several suicides among homosexual youth, features U.S. leaders and celebrities offering support to LGBT youth who are victims of bullying. Chambers had initially criticized the campaign's use of Toy Story character Woody, but now says, "I was wrong to question their marketing strategy without expressing my full support for what is the heart of their campaign-encouraging LGBT teens to choose life."

Resigned

Brian Harrison, CEO of California-based solar panel company Solyndra, resigned Oct. 7. The embattled company had received more than half a billion dollars in federal loan guarantees before closing its doors in late August and filing for bankruptcy protection. During a congressional hearing in September, Harrison had invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions regarding the scandal.

Died

Wheaton College professor Arthur Holmes, who penned All Truth Is God's Truth and The Idea of a Christian College, died Oct. 8 at age 87. Holmes spent his entire career at Wheaton where he promoted Christian scholarship and the integration of faith and learning.