On This Day in History – October 19

Major Events

• 1781 – The Siege of Yorktown ended, effectively concluding the American Revolutionary War.
• 1812 – Napoleon began his retreat from Moscow.
• 1864 – The Battle of Cedar Creek took place during the U.S. Civil War, a Union victory.
• 1914 – The First Battle of Ypres began during World War I.
• 1960 – The U.S. imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba.
• 1987 – “Black Monday”: Stock markets crashed around the world.
• 2005 – Saddam Hussein’s trial began in Baghdad.

Famous Birthdays

• Auguste Lumière (1862–1954) – French film pioneer.
• Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910–1995) – Indian-American astrophysicist, Nobel laureate.
• John le Carré (1931–2020) – English novelist.
• Peter Tosh (1944–1987) – Jamaican reggae musician.
• Jeannie C. Riley (born 1945) – American country music singer.
• Michael Gambon (1940–2023) – Irish-English actor.
• Evander Holyfield (born 1962) – American boxer.
• Ty Pennington (born 1964) – American television host.

Notable Deaths

• Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) – Irish writer, author of Gulliver’s Travels.
• Thomas Browne (1605–1682) – English polymath.
• Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950) – American poet.
• Tom Petty (1950–2017) – American musician.

Holidays

• Mother Teresa Day (Albania)
• Constitution Day (Niue)

Fun Facts

• “Black Monday” in 1987 remains the largest single-day stock market percentage drop in history.
• Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow marked the downfall of his empire.
• The Siege of Yorktown’s conclusion effectively secured American independence.