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October 19
5 moments across history
ʻOumuamua Is Discovered
On October 19, 2017, astronomer Robert Weryk detected ʻOumuamua in images from the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. Its strongly hyperbolic trajectory showed that it came from beyond the Solar System, making it the first confirmed interstellar object ever observed passing through it. The discovery opened a new era in the study of material from other planetary systems, preceding the identification of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.
ʻOumuamua Is Discovered
Saddam Hussein’s Trial Begins
Event 2
Year: 2005
On October 19, 2005, former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein went on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity related to the 1982 Dujail massacre. The proceedings marked a major effort to hold him accountable for abuses committed during his authoritarian rule. The trial followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Saddam’s capture; he was later convicted and executed in 2006.
Black Monday Shakes Global Markets
Black Monday Shakes Global Markets
Year: 1987
On October 19, 1987—“Black Monday”—stock markets worldwide plunged, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22.6%, its largest-ever one-day percentage decline. The crash erased enormous market value, shook investor confidence, and exposed risks linked to computerized program trading, market illiquidity, and weak coordination among exchanges. Occurring amid financial deregulation and increasingly interconnected global markets, it prompted reforms such as circuit breakers designed to pause trading during extreme declines.
Chinese Forces Enter the Korean War
Chinese Forces Enter the Korean War
Year: 1950
On October 19, 1950, units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu River into Korea to aid North Korea. Their intervention halted the UN advance toward China and transformed the conflict into a prolonged, larger-scale war. The crossing occurred during the Korean War, after UN forces had repelled North Korea’s invasion of South Korea and advanced northward.
First Battle of Ypres Begins
First Battle of Ypres Begins
Year: 1914
On October 19, 1914, Allied and German forces began fighting around Ypres, Belgium, in the First Battle of Ypres. The Allies held the city and blocked Germany’s advance toward the English Channel ports, helping stabilize the Western Front. The battle concluded the “Race to the Sea” and contributed to the entrenched stalemate that defined much of the First World War.