History for October 19

History for October 19 - On-This-Day.com

Thomas Browne 1605 - Physician, author

• 1765 - In the U.S., The Stamp Act Congress met and drew up a declaration of rights and liberties.
• 1781 - British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to U.S. General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. It was to be the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.
• 1814 - In Baltimore, MD, the first documented performance of "The Defence of Fort McHenry" with music took place at the Holliday Street Theatre. The work was later published under the title "The Star-Spangled Banner."
• 1983 - The U.S. Senate approved a bill establishing a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
• 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.
• 2006 - The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day at 12,011.73. It was the first close above 12,000. (slightly more than 6%/year. return)