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The Dow Jones had its second-largest percentage drop in history in 1987, known as Black Monday. Saddam Hussein was tried for crimes against humanity in 2005 and later executed. The US imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1960. Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American forces in 1781, ending the American Revolutionary War. The first Blockbuster video rental store opened in 1985. The Guildford Four were released from prison in 1989. John Jay was appointed as the first Chief Justice of the United States in 1789. The first code of rules for American football was drawn up in 1873. Streptomycin, the first antibiotic to fight tuberculosis bacteria, was discovered in 1943. The first legal nightclub in the world opened in Aachen, Germany in 1959.
The Dow Jones recorded its second-largest percentage drop in history. (1987) Called Black Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22.61%, or 508 points. The crash was part of a domino effect of world market crashes, all of which started with the collapse of Hong Kong markets. The Dow Jones’s largest percentage drop occurred on December 12, 1914, when it fell 24.39%.
Trial of Saddam Hussein begins. (2005) Hussein was tried by Iraq’s special court along with seven others for crimes against humanity, including genocide. He was later sentenced to death by hanging and was executed on December 30, 2006.
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower placed an embargo on all exports to Cuba. (1960) The embargo was imposed because Cuba took over US property and business in Cuba and was becoming increasingly cooperative with the Union Soviet. The embargo lasted in some variation for several years.
The British Army commander, Lord Cornwallis, officially surrendered to American forces, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War. (1781) Charles O’Hara, a general in the service of Lord Cornwallis, surrendered the commander’s sword in surrender. Peace negotiations began soon after in 1782.
The first Blockbuster video rental store opened in the United States. (1985) First store opened in Dallas, Texas with an inventory of 8,000 VHS movie tapes available for rent.
After 15 years in prison, the “Guildford Four” were found innocent and released from prison. (1989) The Court of Appeal in England overturned the convictions of Patrick Armstrong, Gerard Conlon, Carole Richardson and Paul Hill for pub bombings in Guildford, England. The wrongful convictions are regarded as one of the worst mistrials in England’s history.
The first Chief Justice of the United States was sworn in. (1789) John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States, was appointed by US President George Washington.
The first code of rules for American football was drawn up. (1873) The rules were drawn up not by an official sports organization, but by four universities: Columbia, Princeton, Rutgers and Yale.
Discovered the first antibiotic to fight tuberculosis bacteria. (1943) The drug, streptomycin, was discovered by Albert Schatz, a graduate research student at Rutgers University.
The first legal nightclub in the world has opened its doors. (1959) Nightclubs had appeared in the worlds of underground entertainment in France during the 1940s after the Nazis banned American music and dancing, but the first to legally open occurred when a band failed to show up for its concert . To keep the Scotch-Club in Aachen, Germany open, club owner Klaus Quirini grabbed a record player and started spinning tunes, effectively becoming the club’s first official DJ as well. The format was popular and quickly spread to other places.
