On this day: 19 October

Selected events and births on 19 October, from Wikipedia’s “On this day”.

Events

• 1579 – A ceremony was held in Edinburgh marking the coming of age of James VI of Scotland as an adult ruler. Read more: Entry of James VI into Edinburgh James VI and I
• 1596 – The Spanish ship San Felipe was shipwrecked on the Japanese island of Shikoku, and its cargo confiscated by the local daimyo. Read more: San Felipe incident (1596) Shikoku Daimyo
• 1752 – The Pennsylvania Gazette published a statement by Benjamin Franklin describing a kite experiment to determine the electrical nature of lightning. Read more: The Pennsylvania Gazette Benjamin Franklin Kite experiment
• 1955 – At a meeting of its general assembly, the European Broadcasting Union approved the staging of the first Eurovision Song Contest. Read more: European Broadcasting Union History of the Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest
• 2013 – British YouTube collective the Sidemen were formed as a Rockstar Games Social Club group in Grand Theft Auto Online. Read more: YouTube Sidemen Rockstar Games
• 2017 – Canadian astronomer Robert Weryk discovered ʻOumuamua, the first known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System. Read more: Robert Weryk 1I/ʻOumuamua Interstellar object

Born on this day

• 1939 – David Clark, Baron Clark of Windermere, Scottish academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office Read more: David Clark, Baron Clark of Windermere Minister for the Cabinet Office
• 1941 – Peter Thornley, English professional wrestler best known for the ring character Kendo Nagasaki Read more: Peter Thornley Kendo Nagasaki
• 1945 – Angus Deaton, Scottish-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Read more: Angus Deaton Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
• 1956 – Grover Norquist, American activist, founded Americans for Tax Reform Read more: Grover Norquist Americans for Tax Reform
• 1958 – Carolyn Browne, English diplomat, British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Read more: Carolyn Browne List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Kazakhstan
• 1958 – Michael Steele, American journalist and politician, 7th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Read more: Michael Steele Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• 1994 – Cal Petersen, American ice hockey player Read more: Cal Petersen
• 1995 – Sammis Reyes, Chilean-American football and basketball player Read more: Sammis Reyes
• 1996 – Bernadeth Pons, Filipino volleyball athlete Read more: Bernadeth Pons
• 1998 – Noof Al Maadeed, Qatari women's rights activist Read more: Noof Al Maadeed
• 1999 – Carlotta Truman, German singer-songwriter Read more: Carlotta Truman
• 2005 – Antonia Nocca, Italian singer-songwriter Read more: Antonia (Italian singer)

Text from Wikipedia: Selected anniversaries / October 19 and the linked articles, via the Wikimedia “On this day” feed, under CC BY-SA 4.0. We leave out entries about wars, violence and disasters to keep this page family-friendly.