ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 292nd day of 2017 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 (1964- ), TV host/carpenter; Jon Favreau (1966- ), actor/director; Trey Parker (1969- ), TV producer/writer; Jason Reitman (1977- ), filmmaker; Gillian Jacobs (1982- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States, was sworn in on this day in 1789.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL player to score 500 goals.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Peace, gentlemen, ... does not come of its own accord, and neither does freedom. Peace has enemies. Peace must be won by the sword." -- John le Carre, "The Mission Song"

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 16 times in its 21 seasons.

TODAY'S MOON: New moon (Oct. 19).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 291st day of 2017 and the 27th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1767, the boundary between Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania (the Mason-Dixon Line) was established.

In 1962, Drs. James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in medicine/physiology for uncovering the double-helix structure of DNA.

In 2001, four al-Qaida members were sentenced to life in prison for bombing the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Pierre Trudeau (1919-2000), Canadian prime minister; Jesse Helms (1921-2008), U.S. senator; Chuck Berry (1926-2017), singer-songwriter; George C. Scott (1927-1999), actor; Peter Boyle (1935-2006), actor; Mike Ditka (1939- ), football coach/player; Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006), playwright; Martina Navratilova (1956- ), tennis player; Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960- ), actor; Wynton Marsalis (1961- ), jazz musician; Josh Gracin (1980- ), singer; Zac Efron (1987- ), actor.

TODAY'S FACT: The Mason-Dixon Line surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in 1767 left a "wedge" of land in dispute between Delaware and Pennsylvania until 1921.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1977, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three consecutive swings against three different Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers, leading his team to an 8-4 win (and the series win) in Game 6 of the World Series.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "A country, after all, is not something you build as the pharaohs built the pyramids, and then leave standing there to defy eternity. A country is something that is built every day out of certain basic shared values." -- Pierre Elliott Trudeau

TODAY'S NUMBER: $556.37 -- Herman Melville's total earnings from the 3,715 copies of "Moby-Dick" that sold during his lifetime. The now-classic novel was first published as a three-volume edition titled "The Whale" on this day in 1851.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Oct. 12) and new moon (Oct. 19).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 290th day of 2017 and the 26th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1931, Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

In 1933, German refugee Albert Einstein immigrated to the United States, where he would live and work for the rest of his life.

In 1989, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Northern California, killing more than 60 people.

In 2006, the U.S. population topped 300 million for the first time.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Jean Arthur (1900-1991), actress; Jerry Siegel (1914-1996), writer/illustrator; Arthur Miller (1915-2005), playwright/novelist; Rita Hayworth (1918-1987), actress; Beverly Garland (1926-2008), actress; Evel Knievel (1938-2007), stunt performer; Michael McKean (1947- ), actor; Mae Jemison (1956- ), scientist/astronaut; Mike Judge (1962- ), animator/writer/director; Norm Macdonald (1963- ), actor/comedian; Ernie Els (1969- ), golfer; Wyclef Jean (1969- ), rapper/producer; Eminem (1972- ), rapper; Felicity Jones (1983- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: In 1952, Albert Einstein was offered the post of Israeli president, which he politely declined.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, the International Olympic Committee expelled American Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos from further participation in the Games for raising their fists in protest against racial discrimination during the victory ceremony the previous day.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Death is a funny thing. Not funny haha, like a Woody Allen movie, but funny strange, like a Woody Allen marriage." -- Norm Macdonald, "Based on a True Story"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 4 -- performances in 1944 of Arthur Miller's first play, "The Man Who Had All the Luck," before it closed to poor reviews.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Oct. 12) and new moon (Oct. 19).