October 17
1777
British Gen. Burgoyne surrendered in Saratoga, N.Y. during the American Revolution.
1931
Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
1933
Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
1979
Mother Theresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Calcutta, India.
1989
An earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude killed 67 and injured over 3,000 in San Francisco.
2011
Occupy Wall Street, an organized protest in New York’s financial district, expands to other cities across the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Occupy Wall Street defines itself as a group of activists who stand against corporate greed, social inequality, and the disproportion between the rich and poor.
Birthdays
Mae C. Jemison
1956—, physician, astronaut. Birthplace: Decatur, Ala.
Nathanael West
novelist (1903)
Arthur Miller
playwright (1915)
Rita Hayworth
actress (1918)
Montgomery Clift
actor (1920)
Evel Knievel
daredevil (1938)
Margot Kidder
actress (1948)
Ernie Els
golfer (1969)
Eminem
rapper (1972)