Today In History

Today is Saturday, Oct. 19, the 292nd day of 2019. There are 73 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1987: The stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6% 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

› 1765: The Stamp Act Congress, meeting in New York, adopted a declaration of rights and liberties which the British Parliament ignored.

› 1814: The first documented public performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” took place at the Holliday Street Theater in Baltimore.

› 1944: The U.S. Navy began accepting black women into WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

› 1960: The United States began a limited embargo against Cuba covering all commodities except medical supplies and certain food products.

› 1977: The supersonic Concorde made its first landing in New York City.

› 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, calling him a “transformational figure” during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Author John le Carre is

88. Actor Tony Lo Bianco is 83. Artist Peter Max is 82. Author and critic Renata Adler is 82. Actor Michael Gambon is 79. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is

74. Rock singer-musician Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) is 71. Actress Annie Golden is 68. Talk show host Charlie Chase is 67. Rock singer-musician Karl Wallinger (World Party) is 62. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 59. Retired boxer Evander Holyfield is 57. Host Ty Pennington (TV: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) is

55. Rock singer-musician Todd Park Mohr (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 54. Actor Jon Favreau is 53. Amy Carter is 52. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 50. Actor Omar Gooding is

43. Writer-director Jason Reitman is 42. Actor Benjamin Salisbury is 39. Rock singer Zac Barnett (American Authors) is

33. Singer-actress Ciara Renee (TV: “Legends of Tomorrow”) is 29. Actress Hunter King is 26.