On Oct. 31, 1950, Earl Lloyd of the Washington Capitols became the first African-American to play in an NBA game; Lloyd would go on to play for nine seasons, winning an NBA championship in 1955 with the Syracuse Nationals. Also on this date: In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation making Nevada the 36th state, eight days before the presidential election.
On Oct. 23, 2001, Apple released the iPod. An estimated 450 million iPod devices were sold before the line was discontinued in 2022. Also on this date: In 1915, an estimated 25,000 women marched on Fifth Avenue in New York City in support of women's suffrage. In 1942, during World War II, Britain launched a major offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein (el ah-lah-MAYN') in Egypt, resulting in an Allied forces victory.
Today is Friday, Oct. 17, the 290th day of 2025. There are 75 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 17,1933, Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Also on this date: In 1777, British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American troops in Saratoga, New York, in a turning point of the Revolutionary War.
Also on this date: In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam (an-TEE'-tum) in Maryland. In 1944, during World War II, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands.