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Updated October 18, 2012, 2:28 pm
On Oct. 19, 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent in value – its second biggest percentage drop.
On Oct. 19, 1885, Charles E. Merrill, the American investment banker who helped create the largest brokerage firm in the United States, was born. Following his death on Oct. 6, 1956, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
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. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor John Lithgow turns 67 years old today.
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Actress Gillian Jacobs (“Community”) turns 30 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
1918 Robert S. Strauss, Former U.S. ambassador to Russia, turns 94 1931 John le Carre, Author, turns 81 1945 Patricia Ireland, Feminist activist, turns 67 1962 Evander Holyfield, Boxer, turns 50 1964 Ty Pennington, TV host (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”), turns 48 1966 Jon Favreau, Actor, director, turns 46 1967 Amy Carter, Daughter of former President Jimmy Carter, turns 45 1969 Trey Parker, TV producer (“South Park”), turns 43 1970 Chris Kattan, Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), turns 42 1976 Michael Young, Baseball player, turns 36 1977 Jason Reitman, Writer, director (“Thank You for Smoking,” “Juno”), turns 35 Historic Birthdays
Charles E. Merrill 10/19/1885 – 10/6/1956 American financier.Go to obituary »
77 Sir Thomas Browne 10/19/1605 – 10/19/1682
English physican and author33 Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson 10/19/1748 – 9/6/1782
American wife of Thomas Jefferson74 (James Henry) Leigh Hunt 10/19/1784 – 8/28/1859
English essayist, critic, journalist and poet82 Edmund Beecher Wilson 10/19/1856 – 3/3/1939
American biologist75 Alfred Dreyfus 10/19/1859 – 7/12/1935
French army officer tried for treason in famous trial91 Auguste Lumiere 10/19/1862 – 4/10/1954
French inventor
