October 19 in history — What Happened Today in History

Black Monday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%, 508 points.

The president of Mozambique and a prominent leader of FRELIMO, along with 33 others, die when their aircraft crashes into the Lebombo Mountains.

Niue becomes a self-governing colony of New Zealand.

President Nixon rejects an Appeals Court decision that he turn over the Watergate tapes.

The United States imposes a near-total trade embargo against Cuba.

The Soviet Union and Japan sign a Joint Declaration, officially ending the state of war between the two countries that had existed since August 1945.

The General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union approves the staging of the first Eurovision Song Contest.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is published.

China defeats the Tibetan Army at Chambo.

Korean War: The Battle of Pyongyang ends in a United Nations victory. Hours later, the Chinese Army begins crossing the border into Korea.

Iran becomes the first country to accept technical assistance from the United States under the Point Four Program.

Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation, a monument honoring three presidents of the United States, was dedicated at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina.

United States forces land in the Philippines.

A coup is launched against Juan Federico Ponce Vaides, beginning the ten-year Guatemalan Revolution.

The cargo vessel Sinfra is attacked by Allied aircraft at Crete and sunk. Two thousand and ninety-eight Italian prisoners of war drown with it.

Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, is isolated by researchers at Rutgers University.

New York World-Telegram reporter Herbert Ekins won a race against two other New York newspaper journalists to travel around the world on commercial airline flights. He accomplished the feat in 18 ½ days. His opponents were New York Evening Journal reporter Dorothy Kilgallen, who finished in second place, and New York Times reporter Leo Kieran.

The League of Nations places economic sanctions on Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia.

British Conservative MPs vote to terminate the coalition government with the Liberal Party.

The Portuguese Prime Minister and several officials are murdered in the Bloody Night coup.

World War I: The First Battle of Ypres begins.

Italo-Turkish War: Italy takes possession of what is now Libya from the Ottoman Empire.

Max Planck discovers Planck's law of black-body radiation.

In accordance with the Treaty of Vienna, Austria cedes Veneto and Mantua to France, which immediately awards them to Italy in exchange for the earlier Italian acquiescence to the French annexation of Savoy and Nice.

American Civil War: The Battle of Cedar Creek ends the last Confederate threat to Washington, DC.

American Civil War: Confederate agents based in Canada rob three banks in Saint Albans, Vermont.

The novel Jane Eyre is published in London.

War of the Sixth Coalition: Napoleon is forced to retreat from Germany after the Battle of Leipzig.

Shiho, Japanese actress and model

Colton Dixon, American singer-songwriter and pianist

Tom Kilbey, English footballer

Janet Leon, Swedish singer-songwriter and dancer

Ciara Renée, American actress and singer

Endō Shōta, Japanese sumo wrestler

James Gavet, New Zealand rugby league player

Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Lithuanian basketball player

Miroslav Stoch, Slovak footballer

Rakuto Tochihara, Japanese actor

Janine Tugonon, Filipino model and television host

Zeph Ellis, English rapper and producer (died 2026)

Markiyan Kamysh, Ukrainian writer

Raphael Ravenscroft, English saxophonist and composer (born 1954)

Serena Shim, Lebanese-American journalist (born 1984)

John Bergamo, American drummer and composer (born 1940)

Noel Harrison, English singer, actor, and skier (born 1934)

Ronald Shannon Jackson, American drummer and composer (born 1940)

Mikihiko Renjō, Japanese author (born 1948)

Mahmoud Zoufonoun, Iranian-American violinist and composer (born 1920)

Lincoln Alexander, Canadian lawyer and politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (born 1922)

Wissam al-Hassan, Lebanese general (born 1965)

Wiyogo Atmodarminto, Indonesian general and politician, 10th Governor of Jakarta (born 1922)

Mike Graham, American wrestler (born 1951)

Fiorenzo Magni, Italian cyclist (born 1920)

Kakkanadan, Indian author (born 1935)