Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Oct. 19, the 293rd day of 2020. There are 73 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 19, 1781, British troops under Gen. Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, as the American Revolution neared its end.

On this date:

In 1765, the Stamp Act Congress, meeting in New York, adopted a declaration of rights and liberties, which the British Parliament ignored.

In 1812, French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte began their retreat from Moscow.

In 1944, the U.S. Navy began accepting Black women into WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

In 1960, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during a sit-down protest at a lunch counter in Atlanta. (Sent to prison for a parole violation over a traffic offense, King was released after three days following an appeal by Robert F. Kennedy.)

In 1977, the supersonic Concorde made its first landing in New York City.

In 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent in value (its biggest daily percentage loss), to close at 1,738.74 in what came to be known as “Black Monday.”

In 1994, 22 people were killed as a terrorist bomb shattered a bus in the heart of Tel Aviv’s shopping district.

In 2001, U.S. special forces began operations on the ground in Afghanistan, opening a significant new phase of the assault against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

In 2002, in York, Pa., former mayor Charlie Robertson was acquitted and two other men were convicted in the shotgun slaying of Lillie Belle Allen, a young Black woman, during race riots that tore the city apart in 1969.

In 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square.

In 2005, a defiant Saddam Hussein pleaded innocent to charges of premeditated murder and torture as his trial opened under heavy security in the former headquarters of his Baath Party in Baghdad.

In 2014, Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre’s NFL record of 508 career touchdown passes as he threw four TD passes in Denver’s 42-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. (The record would later be broken by Drew Brees and Tom Brady.)

Ten years ago: The Pentagon directed the military to accept openly gay recruits for the first time in the nation’s history. Hosam Smadi, a Jordanian man caught in an FBI sting trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper, was sentenced to 24 years in prison after telling the court he was ashamed of his actions and renouncing al-Qaida. “Happy Days” patriarch Tom Bosley died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 83.

Five years ago: Canadians voted for a sharp change in their government as the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister, won a landslide victory to end Conservative Stephen Harper’s near decade in office. Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teenager arrested after a homemade clock he’d brought to school was mistaken for a bomb, capped a whirlwind month with a visit to the White House, where he met with President Barack Obama for “Astronomy Night.” The Toronto Blue Jays roughed up Johnny Cueto for an 11-8 victory over the Royals that cut Kansas City’s AL Championship series lead to 2-1.

One year ago: The Houston Astros advanced to the World Series for the second time in three years, defeating the New York Yankees 6-4 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. (The Astros would lose the World Series to the Washington Nationals in seven games.) At a rally in New York, Bernie Sanders resumed his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, weeks after being sidelined by a heart attack. In the wake of stinging criticism, President Donald Trump reversed his plan to hold the next Group of Seven world leaders’ meeting at his Doral, Florida, golf resort.

Today’s Birthdays: Author John le Carre (luh kah-RAY’) is 89. Actor Tony Lo Bianco is 84. Artist Peter Max is 83. Author and critic Renata Adler is 83. Actor Michael Gambon is 80. Actor John Lithgow (LIHTH’-goh) is 75. Feminist activist Patricia Ireland is 75. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is 75. Rock singer-musician Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) is 72. Actor Annie Golden is 69. Talk show host Charlie Chase is 68. Rock singer-musician Karl Wallinger (World Party) is 63. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is 62. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 60. Retired boxer Evander Holyfield is 58. Host Ty Pennington (TV: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) is 56. Rock singer-musician Todd Park Mohr (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 55. Actor Jon Favreau is 54. Amy Carter is 53. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 51. Comedian Chris Kattan is 50. Rock singer Pras Michel (The Fugees) is 48. Actor Omar Gooding is 44. Country singer Cyndi Thomson is 44. Writer-director Jason Reitman is 43. Actor Benjamin Salisbury is 40. Actor Gillian Jacobs is 38. Actor Rebecca Ferguson is 37. Rock singer Zac Barnett (American Authors) is 34. Singer-actor Ciara Renee (TV: “Legends of Tomorrow”) is 30. Actor Hunter King is 27.