On Oct. 19, 1216, John, King of England, died, more than a year after affixing his royal seal to Magna Carta (“The Great Charter”).

Ten years ago

Gunmen ambushed a car carrying Afghan civilians working for a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, killing eight of them execution-style. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 12,000 for the first time, ending at 12,011.73. The St. Louis Cardinals won the NL pennant, beating the New York Mets 3-1 in Game 7 of their championship series.

Five years ago

Authorities in the Zanesville, Ohio, area started wrapping up their hunt for wild animals unleashed by a private farm owner who’d taken his own life; sheriff ’s deputies shot and killed a total of 48 animals. In Greece, hundreds of youths smashed and looted stores in central Athens and clashed with riot police during a massive anti-government rally against painful new austerity measures. The St. Louis Cardinals won Game 1 of the World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers 3-2.

One year ago

Canadians voted for a sharp change in their government as the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister, won a landslide victory to end Conservative Stephen Harper’s near decade in office. Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teenager arrested after a homemade clock he’d brought to school was mistaken for a bomb, capped a whirlwind month with a visit to the White House, where he met with President Barack Obama for “Astronomy Night.”

— By The Associated Press