249 years ago today
British General Burgoyne Surrenders at Saratoga
On October 17, 1777, British General John Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of nearly 6,000 men to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York — one of the most consequential moments of the American Revolutionary War. The defeat shattered Britain's strategy of splitting the colonies along the Hudson River and proved to France that the Continental Army could actually win in the field. France's subsequent entry into the war as an American ally transformed a colonial rebellion into a global conflict that Britain could not win. Historians widely regard Saratoga as the turning point of the Revolution, accelerating the path to American independence.
On the record: George Washington
This day, across time
- 1586DiedPhilip Sidney
- 1604EventKepler's Supernova Observed
- 1662EventCharles II Sells Dunkirk to France
- 1777FeaturedBritish General Burgoyne Surrenders at Saratoga
- 1781EventCornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown
- 1814EventThe Great London Beer Flood
- 1849DiedFrédéric Chopin
- 1907EventMarconi Opens First Transatlantic Wireless Service
- 1915BornArthur Miller
- 1918BornRita Hayworth
- 1920BornMontgomery Clift
- 1931EventAl Capone Convicted of Tax Evasion
- 1933EventAlbert Einstein Arrives in America
- 1956BornMae Jemison
- 1972BornEminem
- 1973EventOPEC Oil Embargo Begins
- 1979EventMother Teresa Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
- 1989EventLoma Prieta Earthquake Strikes San Francisco
Alive in 1777
OverlapSame years; not influence
George Washingtonturned 45 this year
Adam Smithturned 54 this year
Andrew Jacksonturned 10 this year
Benjamin Franklinturned 71 this year
Catherine II of Russiaturned 48 this year
Immanuel Kantturned 53 this year
James Cookturned 49 this year
James Madisonturned 26 this year
Jane Austenturned 2 this year
John Adamsturned 42 this year
10 more figures were alive that year
On This Day in History
10 EventsKepler's Supernova Observed
Astronomer Johannes Kepler observed a new star in Ophiuchus — the last supernova seen with the naked eye in the Milky Way. The explosion challenged Aristotle's doctrine of the immutable heavens and helped fuel the Scientific Revolution.
Charles II Sells Dunkirk to France
King Charles II of England sold the port of Dunkirk to Louis XIV of France for 40,000 pounds, widely condemned as a national humiliation reflecting England's chronic financial weakness.
Cornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown
General Charles Cornwallis formally surrendered his 8,000-strong British army to General Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending major combat operations in the American Revolutionary War.
The Great London Beer Flood
A massive vat at the Meux and Company Brewery burst open, releasing approximately 100,000 gallons of beer into the surrounding St Giles slum, killing eight people in the resulting flood.
Marconi Opens First Transatlantic Wireless Service
Guglielmo Marconi launched the first commercial transatlantic wireless telegraphy service between Ireland and Canada, opening a new era of intercontinental communication.
Al Capone Convicted of Tax Evasion
Chicago gangster Al Capone was found guilty on five counts of income tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, brought down not by murder charges but by meticulous financial records.
Albert Einstein Arrives in America
Fleeing Nazi persecution, Albert Einstein arrived in the United States and accepted a permanent position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He would never return to Germany.
OPEC Oil Embargo Begins
Arab petroleum exporting countries announced an oil embargo against the United States and other Western nations supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Oil prices quadrupled, triggering global recession.
Mother Teresa Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong work serving the poorest of the poor. She asked that the customary Nobel banquet be cancelled and its cost donated to the hungry.
Loma Prieta Earthquake Strikes San Francisco
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area just as Game 3 of the World Series was about to begin, killing 63 people, collapsing a section of the Bay Bridge, and exposing the region's seismic vulnerability.
Born on This Day
Arthur Miller
American Playwright
Author of "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible," widely considered the greatest American playwright of the 20th century. His work explored the moral contradictions of American life and the cost of the American Dream.
Rita Hayworth
American Actress
One of Hollywood's most iconic stars of the 1940s, Hayworth became a symbol of wartime glamour through films like "Gilda." She was among the first major stars to fight for creative control over her own image.
Montgomery Clift
American Actor
A pioneer of Method acting, Clift brought searing psychological depth to films like "A Place in the Sun" and "From Here to Eternity," influencing generations of dramatic actors.
Mae Jemison
American Physician & Astronaut
Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space when she flew aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992, embodying the intersection of science, medicine, and human exploration.
Eminem
American Rapper & Producer
Born Marshall Mathers, Eminem is one of the best-selling music artists in history and widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers ever. Albums like "The Slim Shady LP" and "The Marshall Mathers LP" broke racial barriers in hip-hop.
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Philip Sidney
English Poet & Soldier
One of the Elizabethan era's greatest poets and courtiers, Sidney died of a musket wound sustained at the Battle of Zutphen fighting for Protestant Europe against Spain. His death was mourned across the continent.
Frédéric Chopin
Polish-French Composer & Pianist
The master of the Romantic piano, whose nocturnes, études, and mazurkas remain among the most loved works in the classical repertoire. He died of tuberculosis in Paris at 39, still at the height of his powers.
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