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Made for the 250thOn this day › October 19
What happened on October 19 in American history
October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (the 293rd in leap years). Patriot Compass has published 6 stories from October 19 spanning 1781 to 1987. Among them: in 1781, Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown; he sends a stand-in rather than face Washington; and in 1789, John Jay takes the oath as the nation's first Chief Justice.
1781
Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown; he sends a stand-in rather than face Washington
Eight thousand British and German troops lay down arms as a band reportedly played "The World Turned Upside Down."
1789Member story · 1776 Club
John Jay takes the oath as the nation's first Chief Justice
A New York judge, not Washington himself, administers the oath that opens the federal bench.
1948
Truman stands on Union Square to honor three presidents North Carolina gave the nation
A sitting president stood before bronze and granite to mark where Jackson, Johnson and Polk were born.
1950
Pyongyang falls to UN troops; by nightfall, China's army is already crossing the border
Church bells rang over the North Korean capital hours before Beijing's soldiers began wading the Yalu.
1973Member story · 1776 Club
Nixon rejects the court order; he offers a senator's summary instead of the tapes
Archibald Cox has three days to accept Stennis's word for what's on the recordings, or else.
1987Member story · 1776 Club
Four U.S. destroyers open fire on Iranian oil platforms in the Gulf
Three days after a Silkworm missile blinded an American tanker captain, Reagan sends four destroyers to answer.
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