On This Date October 16,1863, 1940, 1962, 1969-Commands, Crisis & Wins

October 16, 1863 – General Ulysses S Grant is given command of Union forces in West

October 16, 1940 – Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. is promoted to brigadier general, the first
African-American person to become a general in the US military.

October 16, 1962 – Cuban missile crisis begins as President John F. Kennedy is shown photos
confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

October 16, 1969 – In one of the most amazing upsets in baseball history, the 100-1 shot New
York Mets beat the favored Baltimore Orioles 5-3 and win 66th World Series in 5 games.