George Cornwallis surrendered to the American Forces at Yorktown today in 1781. They re-enact the moment for tourists every year, except that there are a few things missing ... like the colonists' German allies, the troops of the Marquis de Lafayette, a lot of Dutch and Spanish cash to by weapons and mercenaries. Oh, and half the French navy.
Apart from that, of course, Yorktown was a fair fight.
In other news ...
Auguste Lumiere, inventor of the cinematograph, was born today in 1862. His eldest boy was know as Son of Lumiere.