This Day in History - October 19

[USA1]

1781 - British General Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown, Va., bringing an end to the last major battle of the American Revolution.

1812 - French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte began their retreat from Moscow.

1960 - The United States imposes a partial embargo on goods exported to Cuba.

1983 - The Senate passed a bill (178–22) making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, birthday a public holiday.

1987 - The stock market crashed on what came to be known as "Black Monday." Stocks dropped a record 508 points, or 22.6%, topping the drops on October 28 and 29 in 1929 that ushered in the Great Depression.

[seamusTX]

The French defeat at the siege of Moscow was one of the worst military debacles of history. One curious result was a graph that is now considered a classic of technical illustration. You can see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_inv ... and_losses" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



- Jim