Summary of the Day ✨ 19 October (19/10)
Major events around the world included the theft of French Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum, while UK Parliament held its first Saturday session in decades to discuss Brexit. Elsewhere, a train crash in Buenos Aires injured 105 people, a bomb in Lebanon killed eight and injured 110 more, and Saddam Hussein went on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.
Historical Events 📜
- 2025: Pieces of the French Crown Jewels are successfully stolen during a heist on the Louvre Museum in Paris..
- 2019: Members of Parliament met at the House of Lords to discuss the United Kingdom’s Brexit deal, this was the first Saturday sitting in Parliament since 3 April 1982 during the Falklands War.
- 2013: One hundred and five people are injured in a train crash in Buenos Aires.
- 2012: A bomb explosion kills eight people and injures 110 more in Lebanon.
- 2005: Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.
- 2005: Hurricane Wilma becomes the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.
- 2004: Thirteen people are killed when Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashes in Adair County, Missouri, while on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport.
- 2003: Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II.
- 2001: SIEV X, an Indonesian fishing boat en route to Christmas Island, carrying over 400 migrants, sinks in international waters with the loss of 353 people.
- 1989: The convictions of the Guildford Four are quashed by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, after they had spent 15 years in prison.
- 1988: The British government imposes a broadcasting ban on television and radio interviews with members of Sinn Féin and eleven Irish republican and Ulster loyalist paramilitary groups.
- 1987: The United States Navy conducts Operation Nimble Archer, an attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf.
- 1987: Black Monday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%, 508 points.
- 1986: The president of Mozambique and a prominent leader of FRELIMO, along with 33 others, die when their aircraft crashes into the Lebombo Mountains.
- 1974: Niue becomes a self-governing colony of New Zealand.
Famous Births 👶
- 1999: Carlotta Truman, German singer-songwriter
- 1998: Noof Al Maadeed, Qatari women’s rights activist
- 1996: Chance Perdomo, American-British actor (died 2024)
- 1996: Bernadeth Pons, Filipino volleyball athlete
- 1995: Sammis Reyes, Chilean-American football and basketball player
- 1994: Cal Petersen, American ice hockey player
- 1994: Anthony Santander, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1994: Agnė Sereikaitė, Lithuanian speed skater
- 1993: Hunter King, American actress
- 1993: Abby Sunderland, American sailor
- 1992: Lil Durk, American rapper
- 1992: Shiho, Japanese actress and model
- 1991: Colton Dixon, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1990: Tom Kilbey, English footballer
- 1990: Janet Leon, Swedish singer-songwriter and dancer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Daniel Naroditsky, American chess grandmaster (born 1995)
- 2023: Atsushi Sakurai, singer from Japanese rock band Buck-Tick (born 1966)
- 2021: Jack Angel, American voice actor (born 1930)
- 2019: Deborah Orr, Scottish journalist (born 1962)
- 2017: Umberto Lenzi, Italian film director (born 1931)
- 2016: Phil Chess, Czech-American record producer, co-founded Chess Records (born 1921)
- 2016: Giovanni Steffè, Italian rower (born 1928)
- 2015: Bill Daley, American football player and sportscaster (born 1919)
- 2015: Fleming Mackell, Canadian ice hockey player and singer (born 1929)
- 2015: Ali Treki, Libyan politician and diplomat, Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1938)
- 2014: John Holt, Jamaican singer-songwriter (born 1947)
- 2014: Stephen Paulus, American composer (born 1949)
- 2014: Raphael Ravenscroft, English saxophonist and composer (born 1954)
- 2014: Serena Shim, Lebanese-American journalist (born 1984)
- 2013: John Bergamo, American drummer and composer (born 1940)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Aaron (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria) - Christian feast day:
Aquilinus of Évreux - Christian feast day:
Desiderius (Didier) of Auxerre - Christian feast day:
Frideswide - Christian feast day:
Henry Martyn (Anglican Communion) - Christian feast day:
Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions - Christian feast day:
Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko - Christian feast day:
Paul of the Cross - Christian feast day:
Ptolemaeus and Lucius - Christian feast day:
Varus - Christian feast day:
Veranus of Cavaillon - Christian feast day:
William Carey (Episcopal Church) - Christian feast day:
October 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Constitution Day, in honor of the country’s independence (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) in 1974. (Niue)
- Oxfordshire Day