Today is the 293rd day of 2016 and the 28th day of autumn.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1781, Lord Charles Cornwallis' British troops surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, heralding an imminent victory for the Continental Army.
In 1960, the United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for medical supplies and certain foods.
In 1987, "Black Monday" set a new Wall Street record for a single-day decline when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points.
In 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Auguste Lumiere (1862-1954), inventor/filmmaker; Charles Merrill (1885-1956), investment banker; Jack Anderson (1922-2005), columnist; John le Carre (1931- ), author; John Lithgow (1945- ), actor; Jennifer Holliday (1960- ), singer/actress; Evander Holyfield (1962- ), boxer; Ty Pennington (1965- ), TV host/carpenter; Jon Favreau (1966- ), actor/director; Trey Parker (1969- ), TV producer/writer; Chris Kattan (1970- ), actor/comedian; Jason Reitman (1977- ), filmmaker.
TODAY'S FACT: Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere, inventors of the Cinematographe camera that helped kick-start the motion-picture era, once declared cinema "an invention without any future."
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL player to score 500 goals.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal." -- John le Carre, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
TODAY'S NUMBER: 5 -- Emmy wins for Trey Parker and Matt Stone's "South Park." The mature-audiences animated sitcom has been nominated for the Outstanding Animated Program award 15 times in its 20 seasons.
TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Oct. 15) and last quarter moon (Oct. 22).