Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Oct. 19, the 292nd day of 2017. There are 73 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 19, 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."

On this date:

In 1216, John, King of England, died, more than a year after affixing his royal seal to Magna Carta ("The Great Charter").

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

In 1789, John Jay was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States.

In 1864, Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early's soldiers attacked Union forces at Cedar Creek, Virginia; the Union troops were able to rally and defeat the Confederates.

In 1914, the U.S. Post Office began delivering mail with government-owned cars, as opposed to using contracted vehicles. The First Battle of Ypres began during World War I.

In 1936, H.R. Ekins of the New York World-Telegram beat out Dorothy Kilgallen of the New York Journal and Leo Kieran of The New York Times in a round-the-world race on commercial flights that lasted 18 1/2 days.

In 1944, the U.S. Navy began accepting black women into WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). The play "I Remember Mama" by John Van Druten opened at the Music Box Theater on Broadway.

In 1953, the Ray Bradbury novel "Fahrenheit 451," set in a dystopian future where books are banned and burned by the government, was first published by Ballantine Books.

In 1967, the U.S. space probe Mariner 5 flew past Venus.

In 1977, the supersonic Concorde made its first landing in New York City. The body of West German industrialist Hanns Martin Schleyer, who had been kidnapped by left-wing extremists, was found in Mulhouse, France.

In 1982, automaker John Z. DeLorean was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, accused of conspiring to sell $24 million of cocaine to salvage his business. (DeLorean was acquitted at trial on grounds of entrapment.)

In 1994, 22 people were killed as a terrorist bomb shattered a bus in the heart of Tel Aviv's shopping district. Entertainer Martha Raye died in Los Angeles at age 78.

Ten years ago: A three-year global manhunt for a Canadian schoolteacher suspected of sexually abusing Asian boys ended when police in northeastern Thailand arrested Christopher Paul Neil. (Neil later pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy and was sentenced to three years and three months in jail; he was later convicted of holding the boy's 9-year-old brother against his will, and was sentenced to five years; he was released and returned to Canada in 2012.)

Five years ago: The Dow Jones industrial average had its worst day in four months, sinking 205.43 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 13,343.51. The San Francisco Giants cut the Cardinals' lead in the National League Championship Series to 3-2 with a 5-0 victory over St. Louis.

One year ago: In the third and final 2016 presidential debate, Republican Donald Trump stunned the forum in Las Vegas by refusing to say he would accept the results of the election if he were to lose; Democrat Hillary Clinton declared Trump's resistance "horrifying." A man convicted of killing an Atlanta police officer and wounding a second officer with an AR-15 rifle was executed in Georgia. The Cleveland Indians won their first pennant since 1997, blanking Toronto 3-0 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series. The Chicago Cubs routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-2 to even the NL Championship Series at 2-all.

Today's Birthdays: Author John le Carre is 86. Artist Peter Max is 80. Author and critic Renata Adler is 80. Actor Michael Gambon is 77. Actor John Lithgow is 72. Feminist activist Patricia Ireland is 72. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is 72. Rock singer-musician Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) is 69. Talk show host Charlie Chase is 65. Rock singer-musician Karl Wallinger (World Party) is 60. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is 59. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 57. Boxer Evander Holyfield is 55. Host Ty Pennington (TV: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition") is 53. Rock singer-musician Todd Park Mohr (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 52. Actor Jon Favreau is 51. Amy Carter is 50. "South Park" co-creator Trey Parker is 48. Comedian Chris Kattan is 47. Rock singer Pras Michel (The Fugees) is 45. Actor Omar Gooding is 41. Country singer Cyndi Thomson is 41. Writer-director Jason Reitman is 40. Actor Benjamin Salisbury is 37. Actress Gillian Jacobs is 35. Actress Rebecca Ferguson is 34. Rock singer Zac Barnett (American Authors) is 31. Singer-actress Ciara Renee (TV: "Legends of Tomorrow") is 27. Actress Hunter King is 24.

Thought for Today: "It takes a clever man to turn cynic and a wise man to be clever enough not to." -- Fannie Hurst, American author (both this date in 1885, died 1968).