On October 19, 1985, the first Blockbuster video-rental store 
opened in Dallas, Texas. At a time when most video stores
were small-scale operations featuring a limited selection of
titles, Blockbuster opened with some 8,000 tapes displayed
on shelves around the store and a computerized check-out
process.

The first store was a success and Blockbuster expanded
rapidly, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest
providers of in-home movies and game entertainment,
before eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2010.

Blockbuster was founded by David Cook (below), who had
previously owned a business that provided computer
software services to the oil and gas industry in Texas.

TIM MAGUIRE

The lead singer of the band Ronnie Van Zant, vocalist and guitarist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassier Gaines,
and the managing crew including assistant road manager
Dean Kilpatrick, died in the crash.

Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General
Lord Cornwallis surrendered 8,000 British soldiers and
seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively
bringing an end to the American Revolution.

PORTLAND, Ore. —According to his family, Len Bergstein died
Monday night. He was 76 years old.

223rd and S.E. Stark in Gresham.  (1954)

1963

Carl and Ada Zimmerman leased a one-room country store
(above) from Edward and Minnie Aylsworth in 1938 and purchased it in 1943, remodeling and expanding it into the
area’s first supermarket.
 

The store closed in 2001 and the building was demolished
in 2005 when Weston Buick Pontiac GMC and Kia built a
new showroom and dealership in its place (below).