1765 – Stamp Act Congress meets in New York City, writes the Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
1781 – British forces under General Charles Cornwallis sign terms of surrender to George Washington and comte de Rochambeau at Yorktown at 2 pm; US Revolutionary War ends.
1870 – 1st African Americans (4) elected to US House of Representatives.
1914 – US Post Office 1st used an automobile to collect and deliver mail.
1915 – US bankers arrange a $500 million loan to the British and French.
1926 – John C Garand patents semi-automatic rifle.
1932 – Henry Ford gives his 1st radio speech.
1932 – Jimmie Foxx wins AL MVP and Chuck Klein wins NL MVP.
1944 – US forces land in Philippines.
1951 – US President Harry Truman formally ends state of war with Germany.
1953 – 1st jet transcontinental nonstop scheduled service.
1959 – William Gibson’s “Miracle Worker” premieres in NYC.
1960 – US imposes embargo on exports to Cuba.
1971 – Last issue of “Look” magazine is published.
1976 – US President Gerald Ford signs 1st major revision of copyright law since 1909.
1983 – Senate establishes Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday.
1987 – Black Monday: Dow Jones stock index falls 508.32 points (22%), 4 1/2 times the previous daily record.
2004 – Care International aid worker Margaret Hassan is kidnapped in Iraq.
2014 – A working human intestine is generated in a laboratory from stem cells in the United States.
2015 – US scientists from University of California find evidence life on earth may have begun 4.1 billion years ago, 300 million earlier than previously thought.
2016 – Third US Presidential debate: Donald Trump notably refuses to say if he will accept the result of election during debate with Hillary Clinton at Nevada University, Las Vegas.