On this day: October 19, 1781
Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.
On this Day: October 18, 1767
On this day in 1767, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon complete their survey of the boundary between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland
On this Day: October 17, 1931
Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000,