Associated Press
On Oct. 19, 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent – its biggest one-day percentage drop in history.
1765- The Stamp Act Congress, meeting in New York, drew up a declaration of rights and liberties.
1781- British troops under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., as the American Revolution neared its end.
1812- French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte began a retreat from Moscow.
1950- United Nations forces entered the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
1960- The United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba.
1969- Vice President Spiro T. Agnew referred to anti-Vietnam War protesters “an effete corps of impudent snobs.”
2001- Two Army Rangers were killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan in the first combat-related American deaths of the military campaign in Afghanistan.
2003- Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square.
2005- A defiant Saddam Hussein pleaded innocent to charges of premeditated murder and torture at his trial in Baghdad.
2006- The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 12,000 for the first time, finishing the day at 12,011.73.
2008- Retired Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican who was President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state, broke with the party and endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.
2011- In Greece, hundreds of youths smashed and looted stores in central Athens and clashed with riot police during a massive anti-government rally against painful new austerity measures.
Today’s Birthdays:
Actor John Lithgow turns 70 years old today.
John le Carre, Author, 84
Patricia Ireland, Feminist activist, 70
Evander Holyfield, Boxer, 53
Ty Pennington, TV host (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”), 51
Jon Favreau, Actor, director, 49
Amy Carter, Daughter of former President Jimmy Carter, 48
Trey Parker, TV producer (“South Park”), 46
Chris Kattan, Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), 45
Jason Reitman, Writer, director (“Thank You for Smoking,” “Juno”), 38
Actress Gillian Jacobs (“Community”) turns 33 years old today.