October 19

1899 - Robert Goddard finds inspiration while trimming the dead branches from the top of a cherry tree; 27 years later, his dreams are realized when he builds and launches the world's first liquid-fueled rocket.
1910 - Birth of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Indian-born astrophysicist, who was awarded the Nobel prize in physics for his studies on the physical processes important to the structure and evolution of stars.