History of 19 October
1914 – in the U.S., government-owned vehicles were first used to pick up mail in Washington, DC.
1915 – The U.S. recognized General Venustiano Carranza as the president of Mexico. The U.S. imposed an embargo on all parts of Mexico except where Carranza was in control.
1933 – Basketball was introduced to the 1936 Olympic Games by the Berlin Organization Committee.
1937 – “Woman’s Day” was published for the first time.
1937 – “Big Town” made its debut on CBS.
1943 – The Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers began in Russia during World War II. Delegates from the U.S.S.R., Great Britain, the U.S., and China met to discuss war aims and cooperation between the nations.
1944 – The play “I Remember Mama” opened on Broadway. Marlon Brando made his debut with his appearance.
1944 – The U.S. Navy announced that black women would be allowed into Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES).
1950 – The United Nations forces entered the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
1951 – U.S. President Truman signed an act officially ending the state of war with Germany.
1959 – Patty Duke, at the age of 12, made her Broadway debut in “The Miracle Worker.” The play lasted for 700 performances.
1960 – The United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba covering all commodities except medical supplies and certain food products.
1969 – U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew referred to anti-Vietnam War protesters “an effete corps of impudent snobs.”
1974 – The news program “Weekend” debuted on NBC.
1977 – The Concorde made its first landing in New York City.
1983 – The U.S. Senate approved a bill establishing a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
1984 – Four U.S. employees of the CIA were killed in El Salvador when their plane crashed.
1987 – The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 508 points. It was the worst one-day percentage decline, 22.6%, in history.
1989 – The U.S. Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that barred the desecration of the American flag.
1993 – Benazir Bhutto was returned to the premiership of Pakistan.
1998 – In Washington, DC, Microsoft went on trial to defend against an antitrust case.
1998 – Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson got his boxing license back after he had lost it for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight.
2003 – In London, magician David Blaine emerged from a clear plastic box that had been suspended by a crane over the banks of the Thames River. He survived only on water for 44 days. Blaine had entered the box on September 5.
2006 – The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day at 12,011.73. It was the first close above 12,000.
2009 – The international version of Amazon’s Kindle 2 was released.
2012 – A bomb explosion kills eight people and injures 110 more in Lebanon.
2013 – At least 105 people are injured in a train crash in Buenos Aires.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Leon Bott, Australian rugby league player
- 1981 – Heikki Kovalainen, Finnish race car driver
- 1982 – Atom Araullo, Filipino journalist
- 1982 – Gillian Jacobs, American actress, and director
- 1982 – Louis Oosthuizen, South African golfer
- 1982 – Gonzalo Pineda, Mexican footballer
- 1982 – Daan van Bunge, Dutch cricketer
- 1983 – Rebecca Ferguson, Swedish actress
- 1983 – Andy Lonergan, English footballer
- 1983 – Cara Santa Maria, American neuroscientist, and blogger
- 1984 – Danka Barteková, Slovak skeet shooter
- 1987 – Tsunenori Aoki, Japanese actor
- 1987 – Sam Groth, an Australian tennis player
- 1988 – Zeph Ellis, English rapper and producer
- 1988 – Markiyan Kamysh, Ukrainian writer
- 1988 – Chris Lawrence, Australian rugby league player
- 1989 – James Gavet, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1989 – Miroslav Stoch, Slovakian footballer
- 1989 – Rakuto Tochihara, Japanese actor
- 1989 – Janine Tugonon, Filipino model and television host
- 1990 – Tom Kilbey, English footballer
- 1990 – Endo Shota, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1990 – Janet Leon, Swedish singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1991 – Colton Dixon, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1992 – Shiho, Japanese actress, and model
- 1993 – Abby Sunderland, the American sailor
- 1994 – Agnė Sereikaitė, Lithuanian speed skater
- 1996 – Bernadeth Pons, Filipino volleyball athlete
- 1999 – Carlotta Truman, German singer-songwriter