TODAY IN HISTORY

SUNDAY OCT 17, 2021 1777

British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American troops in Saratoga, New York, in a turning point of the Revolutionary War.

1919

Radio Corp. of America was chartered.

1931

Mobster Al Capone was convicted in Chicago of income tax evasion.

1933

Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.

1957

The movie “Jailhouse Rock,” starring Elvis Presley, had its world premiere in Memphis, Tennessee.

1966

12New York City firefighters were killed while battling a blaze in lower Manhattan. The TV game show “The Hollywood Squares” premiered on NBC.

1967

Puyi, the last emperor of China, died in Beijing at age 61.

1973

Arab oil-producing nations announced they would begin cutting back oil exports to Western nations and Japan; the result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974.

1978

President Carter signed a bill restoring U.S. citizenship to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

1979

Mother Teresa of India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1989

An earthquake measuring 6.9 in magnitude struck northern California, killing 63 people and causing $6billion worth of damage.

2014

The World Health Organization acknowledged it had botched attempts to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, blaming factors including incompetent staff, lack of information and budget cuts.