THURSDAY IN HISTORY

Today is Thursday, Oct. 19, the 292nd day of 2017. There are 73 days left in the year.

Highlight in History:

On Oct. 19, 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent in value (its biggest daily percentage loss), to close at 1,738.74 in what came to be known as “Black Monday.”

On this date:

In 1216, John, King of England, died, more than a year after affixing his royal seal to Magna Carta (“The Great Charter”).

In 1781, British troops under Gen. Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., as the American Revolution neared its end.

In 1864, Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s soldiers attacked Union forces at Cedar Creek, Va.; the Union troops were able to rally and defeat the Confederates.

In 1914, the First Battle of Ypres began during World War I.

In 1936, H.R. Ekins of the New York World-Telegram beat out Dorothy Kilgallen of the New York Journal and Leo Kieran of The New York Times in a round-the-world race on commercial flights that lasted 18 1/2 days.

In1944, the U.S. Navy began accepting black women into WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

In 1967, the U.S. space probe Mariner 5 flew past Venus.

In 1994, 22 people were killed as a terrorist bomb shattered a bus in the heart of Tel Aviv’s shopping district.

Ten years ago: A three-year global man hunt for a Canadian schoolteacher suspected of sexually ab using Asian boys ended when police in northeastern Thailand arrested Christopher PaulNeil.

Five years ago: The Dow Jones industrial average had its worst day in four months, sinking 205.43 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 13,343.51.

One year ago: In the third and final 2016 presidential debate, Republican Donald Trump stunned the forum in Las Vegas by refusing to say he would accept the results of the election if he were to lose.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor John Lithgow is 72. Talk show host Charlie Chase is 65. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 57. Boxer Evander Holyfield is 55. Host Ty Pennington is 53. Actor Jon Favreauis 51. Amy Carteris 50. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 48. Actor Omar Gooding is 41. Writer-director Jason Reitman is 40.

Thought for Today: “It takes a clever man to turn cynic and a wise man to be clever enough not to.” — Fannie Hurst, American author (born this date in 1885, died 1968).