November 21 - This day in History

November 21: General Interest
1980: Millions tune in to find out who shot J.R.

On this day in 1980, 350 million people around the world tune in to television's popular primetime drama "Dallas" to find out who shot J.R. Ewing, the character fans loved to hate. J.R. had been shot on the season-ending episode the previous March 21, which now stands as one of television's most famous cliffhangers... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Washington orders General Lee to New Jersey
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-orders-general-lee-to-new-jersey


Automotive
1927 : Holland Tunnel appears on the cover of Time
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/holland-tunnel-appears-on-the-cover-of-time


Civil War
1861 : Judah Benjamin becomes Confederate secretary of war
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-judah-benjamin-becomes-confederate-secretary-of-war


Cold War
1975 : Congressional report charges U.S. involvement in assassination plots
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congressional-report-charges-us-involvement-in-assassination-plots


Crime
1986 : Oliver North starts feeding documents into the shredding machine
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oliver-north-starts-feeding-documents-into-the-shredding-machine


Disaster
1916 : Britannic sinks in Aegean Sea
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britannic-sinks-in-aegean-sea


General Interest
1783 : Men fly over Paris
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/verdis-first-opera-opens

1877 : Edison's first great invention
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edisons-first-great-invention

1985 : Israeli spy arrested in United States
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/israeli-spy-arrested-in-united-states


Hollywood
1976 : Rocky premieres
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rocky-premieres


Literary
1694 : Voltaire's birthday
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/voltaires-birthday


Music
1934 : Ella Fitzgerald wins Amateur Night at Harlem's Apollo Theater
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ella-fitzgerald-wins-amateur-night-at-harlem39s-apollo-theater


Old West
1860 : Tom Horn is born in Missouri
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tom-horn-is-born-in-missouri


Presidential
1864 : Lincoln allegedly writes to mother of Civil War casualties
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-allegedly-writes-to-mother-of-civil-war-casualties


Sports
1931 : USC ends Notre Dame winning streak
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/usc-ends-notre-dame-winning-streak


Vietnam War
1967 : Westmoreland tells media the communists are losing
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/westmoreland-tells-media-the-communists-are-losing

1970 : U.S. force raids Son Tay prison camp
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-force-raids-son-tay-prison-camp


World War I
1916 : Emperor Franz Josef of Austria dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/emperor-franz-josef-of-austria-dies


World War II
1941 : Nazi chief architect requests POWs to labor for a new Berlin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazi-chief-architect-requests-pows-to-labor-for-a-new-berlin

November 19 - This day in History

November 19: General Interest
1863: Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address

On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Congress pleads for soldiers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-pleads-for-soldiers


Automotive
1993 : Chevy Cavalier heads to Japan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chevy-cavalier-heads-to-japan


Civil War
1863 : President Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincolns-gettysburg-address


Cold War
1985 : Reagan and Gorbachev hold their first summit meeting
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reagan-and-gorbachev-hold-their-first-summit-meeting


Crime
1976 : Patty Hearst out on bail
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patty-hearst-out-on-bail


Disaster
1824 : Thousands perish in St. Petersburg flood
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thousands-perish-in-st-petersburg-flood


General Interest
1942 : Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-counterattack-at-stalingrad

1969 : Pele scores 1,000th goal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pele-scores-1000th-goal

1977 : Sadat visits Israel
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sadat-visits-israel


Hollywood
1975 : One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-debuts


Literary
1899 : Poet and critic Allen Tate is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/poet-and-critic-allen-tate-is-born


Music
2003 : An arrest warrant is issued for Michael Jackson
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/an-arrest-warrant-is-issued-for-michael-jackson


Old West
1907 : Shane author Jack Schaefer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/shane-author-jack-schaefer-is-born


Presidential
1831 : James A. Garfield is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-a-garfield-is-born


Sports
1966 : Notre Dame and MSU play to a classic tie
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/notre-dame-and-msu-play-to-a-classic-tie


Vietnam War
1967 : Chaplain Charles Watters receives Medal of Honor
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chaplain-charles-watters-receives-medal-of-honor

1971 : Cambodians appeal for help
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cambodians-appeal-for-help


World War I
1915 : British pilot makes heroic rescue
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-pilot-makes-heroic-rescue


World War II
1940 : Hitler urges Spain to grab Gibraltar
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-urges-spain-to-grab-gibraltar

November 18 - This day in History

November 18: General Interest
1991: Terry Waite released

Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon free Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite after more than four years of captivity. Waite, looking thinner and his hair grayer, was freed along with American educator Thomas M. Sutherland after intense negotiations by the United Nations... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Fort Washington becomes Fort Knyphausen
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fort-washington-becomes-fort-knyphausen


Automotive
1996 : Volkswagen's "Dream Factory" opens in Resende, Brazil
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/volkswagens-dream-factory-opens-in-resende-brazil


Civil War
1863 : President Lincoln travels to Gettysburg
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-lincoln-travels-to-gettysburg


Cold War
1987 : Congress issues final report on Iran-Contra scandal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-issues-final-report-on-iran-contra-scandal


Crime
1996 : High-profile expert on exotic birds is sentenced for smuggling parrots
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/high-profile-expert-on-exotic-birds-is-sentenced-for-smuggling-parrots


Disaster
1987 : Commuters die in subway fire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/commuters-die-in-subway-fire


General Interest
1916 : Haig ends Battle of Somme
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/haig-ends-battle-of-somme

1978 : Mass suicide at Jonestown
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mass-suicide-at-jonestown


Hollywood
2006 : Tom Cruise weds, again
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tom-cruise-weds-again


Literary
1998 : Alice McDermott wins the National Book Award
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/alice-mcdermott-wins-the-national-book-award


Music
1978 : Billy Joel earns his first #1 album when 52nd Street tops the Billboard pop chart
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/billy-joel-earns-his-first-1-album-when-52nd-street-tops-the-billboard-pop-chart


Old West
1883 : Railroads create the first time zones
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/railroads-create-the-first-time-zones


Presidential
1886 : Chester Arthur dies in New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chester-arthur-dies-in-new-york


Sports
1966 : Sandy Koufax retires
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sandy-koufax-retires


Vietnam War
1964 : South Vietnamese conduct largest air assault to date
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnamese-conduct-largest-air-assault-to-date

1969 : South Vietnamese fight first major battle after U.S. troops are withdrawn
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnamese-fight-first-major-battle-after-us-troops-are-withdrawn

1970 : Nixon appeals to Congress for funds for Cambodia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-appeals-to-congress-for-funds-for-cambodia


World War I
1916 : Battle of the Somme ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-somme-ends


World War II
1940 : Hitler furious over Italy's debacle in Greece
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-furious-over-italys-debacle-in-greece

November 17 - This day in History

November 17: General Interest
1558: Elizabethan Age begins

Queen Mary I, the monarch of England and Ireland since 1553, dies and is succeeded by her 25-year-old half-sister, Elizabeth. The two half-sisters, both daughters of King Henry VIII, had a stormy relationship during Mary's five-year reign... read more


American Revolution
1777 : Articles of Confederation submitted to the states
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/articles-of-confederation-submitted-to-the-states


Automotive
1998 : "Day One" for DaimlerChrysler on NYSE
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/day-one-for-daimlerchrysler-on-nyse


Civil War
1863 : The Siege of Knoxville begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-siege-of-knoxville-tennessee-begins


Cold War
1969 : SALT I negotiations begin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/salt-i-negotiations-begin


Crime
1972 : A wealthy heiress is murdered by her son
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-wealthy-heiress-is-murdered-by-her-son

2003 : Washington, D.C., sniper John Muhammad convicted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-dc-sniper-john-muhammad-convicted


Disaster
1421 : Thousands die in massive flood
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thousands-die-in-massive-flood


General Interest
1839 : Verdi's first opera opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/verdis-first-opera-opens

1869 : Suez Canal opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/suez-canal-opens


Hollywood
2003 : "The Terminator" becomes "The Governator" of California
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-terminator-becomes-the-governator-of-california


Literary
1993 : The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx, wins the National Book Award
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-shipping-news-by-annie-proulx-wins-the-national-book-award


Music
1958 : The Kingston Trio brings folk music to the top of the U.S. pop charts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-kingston-trio-brings-folk-music-to-the-top-of-the-us-pop-charts


Old West
1856 : U.S. establishes Fort Buchanan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-establishes-fort-buchanan


Presidential
1973 : Nixon insists that he is not a crook
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-insists-that-he-is-not-a-crook


Sports
1968 : The Heidi Bowl
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-heidi-bowl


Vietnam War
1965 : 1st Cavalry unit ambushed in the Ia Drang Valley
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/1st-cavalry-unit-ambushed-in-the-ia-drang-valley

1970 : My Lai trial begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/my-lai-trial-begins


World War I
1914 : Germans make last stab at Ypres
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-make-last-stab-at-ypres


World War II
1887 : Monty is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/monty-is-born

November 16 - This day in History

November 16: General Interest
1532: Pizarro traps Incan emperor Atahualpa

On November 16, 1532, Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish explorer and conquistador, springs a trap on the Incan emperor, Atahualpa. With fewer than 200 men against several thousand, Pizarro lures Atahualpa to a feast in the emperor's honor... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Fort Washington Is Captured
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fort-washington-is-captured


Automotive
1901 : Riker Torpedo Racer sets the world speed record for electric cars
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/riker-torpedo-racer-sets-the-world-speed-record-for-electric-cars


Civil War
1863 : Rebels fail to defeat Yankees at the Battle of Campbell Station
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-battle-of-campbell-station-tennessee


Cold War
1945 : German scientists brought to United States to work on rocket technology
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-scientists-brought-to-united-states-to-work-on-rocket-technology


Crime
1957 : Ed Gein kills final victim Bernice Worden
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ed-gein-kills-final-victim-bernice-worden


Disaster
1999 : Construction begins on deadly bonfire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/construction-begins-on-deadly-bonfire


General Interest
1776 : Hessians capture Fort Washington
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hessians-capture-fort-washington

1907 : Oklahoma enters the Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oklahoma-enters-the-union

1988 : Benazir Bhutto elected leader of Pakistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/benazir-bhutto-elected-leader-of-pakistan


Hollywood
2001 : First Harry Potter film opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-harry-potter-film-opens


Literary
1849 : Fyodor Dostoevsky is sentenced to death
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fyodor-dostoevsky-is-sentenced-to-death


Music
1959 : The Sound of Music premieres on Broadway
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-sound-of-music-premieres-on-broadway


Old West
1821 : Becknell opens trade on the Santa Fe Trail
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/becknell-opens-trade-on-the-santa-fe-trail


Presidential
1973 : Nixon supports construction of the Alaskan oil pipeline
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-supports-construction-of-the-alaskan-oil-pipeline


Sports
1957 : Notre Dame ends Oklahoma record winning streak
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/notre-dame-ends-oklahoma-record-winning-streak


Vietnam War
1961 : Kennedy decides to increase military aid to Saigon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-decides-to-increase-military-aid-to-saigon

1970 : Ky defends South Vietnamese operations in Cambodia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ky-defends-south-vietnamese-operations-in-cambodia

1971 : U.S. provides support to beleaguered Cambodians
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-provides-support-to-beleaguered-cambodians

World War I
1914 : New Fatherland League launched in Germany
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-fatherland-league-launched-in-germany


World War II
1941 : Goebbels publishes his screed of hate
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/goebbels-publishes-his-screed-of-hate

November 15 - This day in History

November 15: General Interest
1867: First stock ticker debuts

On this day in 1867, the first stock ticker is unveiled in New York City. The advent of the ticker ultimately revolutionized the stock market by making up-to-the-minute prices available to investors around the... read more


American Revolution
1777 : Articles of Confederation adopted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/articles-of-confederation-adopted


Automotive
1965 : Craig Breedlove sets new land-speed record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/craig-breedlove-sets-new-land-speed-record


Civil War
1864 : Sherman's March to the Sea begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-march-to-the-sea-begins


Cold War
1957 : Nikita Khrushchev challenges United States to a missile "shooting match"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nikita-khrushchev-challenges-united-states-to-a-missile-shooting-match


Crime
1923 : Accused of rape, James Montgomery's struggle for justice begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/accused-of-rape-james-montgomerys-struggle-for-justice-begins


Disaster
1978 : Plane crashes into Sri Lankan plantation
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/plane-crashes-into-sri-lankan-plantation


General Interest
1889 : Brazil's last emperor deposed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brazils-last-emperor-deposed

1891 : Erwin Rommel is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erwin-rommel-is-born

1984 : Baby Fae dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/baby-fae-dies


Hollywood
1956 : Elvis makes movie debut in Love Me Tender
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elvis-makes-movie-debut-in-love-me-tender


Literary
1859 : Final installment of A Tale of Two Cities is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/final-installment-of-a-tale-of-two-cities-is-published


Music
1943 : Leonard Bernstein's Philharmonic debut makes front-page news
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/leonard-bernstein39s-philharmonic-debut-makes-front-page-news


Old West
1806 : Zebulon Pike spots an imposing mountain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/zebulon-pike-spots-an-imposing-mountain


Presidential
1977 : President Carter hosts shah of Iran
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-carter-hosts-shah-of-iran


Sports
1965 : Craig Breedlove sets new land-speed record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/breedlove-sets-new-land-speed-record


Vietnam War
1966 : Chairman of the Joint Chiefs heckled at university
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-heckled-at-university

1969 : Second moratorium against the war held
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/second-moratorium-against-the-war-held


World War I
1917 : Georges Clemenceau named French prime minister
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/georges-clemenceau-named-french-prime-minister


World War II
1943 : Himmler orders Gypsies to concentration camps
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/himmler-orders-gypsies-to-concentration-camps

November 14 - This day in History

November 14: General Interest
1851: Moby-Dick published

On this day in 1851, Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville about the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod, is published by Harper & Brothers in New York. Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: "Call me Ishmael"... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Benjamin Franklin takes sides
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/benjamin-franklin-takes-sides


Automotive
2006 : Last day for Texas' celebrated drive-in Pig Stands
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/last-day-for-texas-celebrated-drive-in-pig-stands


Civil War
1862 : Lincoln approves Burnside's plan to capture Richmond
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-approves-burnsides-plan


Cold War
1951 : United States gives military and economic aid to communist Yugoslavia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-gives-military-and-economic-aid-to-communist-yugoslavia


Crime
1986 : Ivan Boesky confesses to illegal stock trading activity
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ivan-boesky-confesses-to-illegal-stock-trading-activity


Disaster
1985 : Volcano erupts in Colombia and buries nearby towns
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/volcano-erupts-in-colombia-and-buries-nearby-towns


General Interest
1969 : Apollo 12 lifts off
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iapollo-12i-lifts-off

1982 : Walesa released from jail
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/walesa-released-from-jail


Hollywood
1941 : Cary Grant stars in Hitchcock's Suspicion
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cary-grant-stars-in-hitchcocks-suspicion


Literary
1851 : Moby-Dick is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/moby-dick-is-published


Music
1900 : American classical composer Aaron Copland is born in Brooklyn, New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-classical-composer-aaron-copland-is-born-in-brooklyn-new-york


Old West
1882 : Franklin Leslie kills Billy "The Kid" Claiborne
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/franklin-leslie-kills-billy-the-kid-claiborne


Presidential
1959 : Kennedy publishes article on television and American politics
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-publishes-article-on-television-and-american-politics


Sports
1970 : Plane crash devastates Marshall University
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/plane-crash-devastates-marshall-university


Vietnam War
1965 : Major battle erupts in the Ia Drang Valley
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/major-battle-erupts-in-the-ia-drang-valley

1967 : Marine general killed in Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marine-general-killed-in-vietnam

1972 : Nixon promises Thieu that U.S. will continue to support South Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-promises-thieu-that-us-will-continue-to-support-south-vietnam


World War I
1914 : Ottoman Empire declares a holy war
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ottoman-empire-declares-a-holy-war


World War II
1940 : Germans bomb Coventry
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-bomb-coventry

November 13 - This day in History

November 13: General Interest
1982: Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated

Near the end of a weeklong national salute to Americans who served in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington after a march to its site by thousands of veterans of the conflict... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Patriots take Montreal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriots-take-montreal


Civil War
1861 : Union General McClellan snubs President Lincoln
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mcclellan-snubs-lincoln


Cold War
1953 : Indiana Textbook Commission member charges that Robin Hood is communistic
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indiana-textbook-commission-member-charges-that-robin-hood-is-communistic


Crime
1955 : Police search John Graham's home and find bomb-making materials
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/police-search-john-grahams-home-and-find-bomb-making-materials


Disaster
1970 : Tidal wave ravages East Pakistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tidal-wave-ravages-east-pakistan


General Interest
1789 : First presidential tour concludes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-presidential-tour-concludes

1970 : East Pakistan devastated by cylcone
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-pakistan-devastated-by-cylcone

1985 : The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-eruption-of-nevado-del-ruiz


Hollywood
1955 : Whoopi Goldberg born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/whoopi-goldberg-born


Literary
1850 : Robert Louis Stevenson is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-louis-stevenson-is-born


Music
1999 : "Chris Gaines," Garth Brooks' rock alter ego, performs on Saturday Night Live
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quotchris-gainesquot8212garth-brooks39-rock-alter-ego8212performs-on-saturday-night-live


Old West
1909 : Ballinger-Pinchot scandal erupts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ballinger-pinchot-scandal-erupts


Presidential
1945 : Truman announces inquiry into Jewish settlement in Palestine
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-announces-inquiry-into-jewish-settlement-in-palestine


Sports
1979 : Darryl Dawkins breaks his first backboard
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/darryl-dawkins-breaks-his-first-backboard


Vietnam War
1967 : President receives optimistic reports
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-receives-optimistic-reports

1969 : "March Against Death" commences in Washington, D.C.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-against-death-commences-in-washington-dc


World War I
1916 : British statesman expresses criticism of war effort
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-statesman-expresses-criticism-of-war-effort


World War II
1941 : Congress revises the Neutrality Act
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-revises-the-neutrality-act

November 12 - This day in History

November 12: General Interest
1799 : First meteor shower on record

On this day in 1799, Andrew Ellicott Douglass, an early American astronomer born in Vermont, witnesses the Leonids meteor shower from a ship off the Florida Keys... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Abigail Adams leads rhetorical charge against Britain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/abigail-adams-leads-rhetorical-charge-against-britain


Automotive
1965 : Goldenrod sets the land-speed record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/goldenrod-sets-the-land-speed-record


Civil War
1864 : The destruction of Atlanta begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-destruction-of-atlanta-begins


Cold War
1982 : Yuri Andropov assumes power in the Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yuri-andropov-assumes-power-in-the-soviet-union


Crime
1996 : High school sweethearts murder their newborn child
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/high-school-sweethearts-murder-their-newborn-child

2004 : Scott Peterson convicted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/scott-peterson-convicted


General Interest
1948 : Japanese war criminals sentenced
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japanese-war-criminals-sentenced

1980 : Voyager I flies near Saturn
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/voyager-i-flies-near-saturn

1990 : Akihito enthroned as emperor of Japan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/akihito-enthroned-as-emperor-of-japan



Hollywood
1981 : William Holden, star of Sunset Boulevard and Network, dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-holden-star-of-sunset-boulevard-and-network-dies


Literary
1889 : DeWitt Wallace, founder of Reader's Digest, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dewitt-wallace-founder-of-readers-digest-is-born


Music
2003 : Toby Keith has his third straight #1 country album with Shock'n Y'all
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/toby-keith-has-his-third-straight-1-country-album-with-shock39n-y39all


Old West
1867 : U.S. reconsiders war with Plains Indians
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-reconsiders-war-with-plains-indians


Presidential
1979 : Carter shuts down oil imports from Iran
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carter-shuts-down-oil-imports-from-iran


Sports
1892 : Pudge Heffelfinger becomes first pro football player
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pudge-heffelfinger-becomes-first-pro-football-player


Vietnam War
1969 : Seymour Hersh breaks My Lai story
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/seymour-hersh-breaks-my-lai-story

1971 : Nixon sets new deadline for next troop withdrawal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-sets-new-deadline-for-next-troop-withdrawal


World War I
1918 : Allied fleet enters Dardanelles
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allied-fleet-enters-dardanelles


World War II
1944 : Brits sink the battleship Tirpitz
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brits-sink-the-battleship-tirpitz

November 11 - This day in History

November 11: General Interest
1918: World War I ends

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion... read more


American Revolution
1778 : Poor leadership leads to Cherry Valley Massacre
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/poor-leadership-leads-to-cherry-valley-massacre


Automotive
1978 : The General Lee jumps into history
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-general-lee-jumps-into-history


Civil War
1811 : Confederate General Benjamin McCulloch is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ben-mcculloch-born


Cold War
1973 : Soviet Union refuses to play Chile in World Cup Soccer
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-union-refuses-to-play-chile-in-world-cup-soccer


Crime
1988 : Police make a grisly discovery in Dorothea Puente's lawn
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/police-make-a-grisly-discovery-in-dorothea-puentes-lawn


General Interest
1831 : Nat Turner executed in Virginia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nat-turner-executed-in-virginia

1885 : George Patton born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-patton-born

1921 : Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknowns
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dedication-of-the-tomb-of-the-unknowns


Hollywood
1994 : Interview with the Vampire debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/interview-with-the-vampire-debuts


Literary
1852 : Louisa May Alcott publishes her first story
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/louisa-may-alcott-publishes-her-first-story


Music
1978 : Donna Summer earns her first #1 pop hit with "MacArthur Park"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/donna-summer-earns-her-first-1-pop-hit-with-quotmacarthur-parkquot


Old West
1933 : Massive dust storm sweeps South Dakota
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/massive-dust-storm-sweeps-south-dakota


Presidential
1834 : Franklin Pierce marries Jane Appleton
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/franklin-pierce-marries-jane-appleton

1858 : James Garfield marries Lucretia Rudolph
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-garfield-marries-lucretia-rudolph


Sports
1981 : Fernando Valenzuela wins Cy Young Award
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fernando-valenzuela-wins-cy-young-award


Vietnam War
1967 : Viet Cong release U.S. prisoners of war
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/viet-cong-release-us-prisoners-of-war

1968 : Operation Commando Hunt commences
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-commando-hunt-commences

1972 : Long Binh base turned over to South Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/long-binh-base-turned-over-to-south-vietnam


World War I
1918 : World War I ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-i-comes-to-an-end


World War II
1942 : Draft age is lowered to 18
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/draft-age-is-lowered-to-18

November 10 - This day in History

November 10: General Interest
1969: Sesame Street debuts

On this day in 1969, "Sesame Street," a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. "Sesame Street," with its memorable theme... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/birth-of-the-us-marine-corps


Automotive
1903 : Mary Anderson patents windshield wiper
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mary-anderson-patents-windshield-wiper


Civil War
1865 : Confederate prison camp commander Henry Wirz is executed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-wirz-hanged


Cold War
1982 : Leonid Brezhnev dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/leonid-brezhnev-dies


Crime
1997 : Judge reduces sentence in nanny murder case
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/judge-reduces-sentence-in-nanny-murder-case


General Interest
1928 : Hirohito crowned in Japan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hirohito-crowned-in-japan

1995 : Playwright and activist hanged in Nigeria
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/playwright-and-activist-hanged-in-nigeria


Hollywood
1932 : Roy Scheider, star of Jaws, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roy-scheider-star-of-jaws-is-born


Literary
1973 : Slaughterhouse-Five is burned in North Dakota
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/slaughterhouse-five-is-burned-in-north-dakota


Music
1958 : Future country legend Conway Twitty earns a #1 hit as a rock-and-roll idol
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/future-country-legend-conway-twitty-earns-a-1-hit-as-a-rock-and-roll-idol


Old West
1808 : Osage Indians cede Missouri and Arkansas lands
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/osage-indians-cede-missouri-and-arkansas-lands


Presidential
2001 : Bush addresses the United Nations regarding terrorism
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bush-addresses-the-united-nations-regarding-terrorism


Sports
1984 : Maryland gets a miracle in Miami
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/maryland-gets-a-miracle-in-miami


Vietnam War
1964 : McNamara says that U.S. has no plans to send combat troops to Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mcnamara-says-that-us-has-no-plans-to-send-combat-troops-to-vietnam

1970 : No U.S. combat fatalities reported
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/no-us-combat-fatalities-reported

1971 : Khmer Rouge forces attack Phnom Penh airport
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khmer-rouge-forces-attack-phnom-penh-airport


World War I
1928 : Remarque publishes All Quiet on the Western Front
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/remarque-publishes-all-quiet-on-the-western-front


World War II
1942 : Germans take Vichy France
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-take-vichy-france

November 9 - This day in History

November 9: General Interest
1938: Nazis launch Kristallnacht

On this day in 1938, in an event that would foreshadow the Holocaust, German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes... read more


American Revolution
1780 : Sumter evades Wemyss in South Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sumter-evades-wemyss-in-south-carolina


Automotive
1960 : Robert McNamara becomes president of Ford Motor Company
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-mcnamara-becomes-president-of-ford-motor-company


Civil War
1862 : Burnside assumes command of the Union Army of the Potomac
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/burnside-assumes-command


Cold War
1989 : East Germany opens the Berlin Wall
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-germany-opens-the-berlin-wall


Crime
1971 : A Sunday school teacher murders his family and goes undercover for 18 years
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-sunday-school-teacher-murders-his-family-and-goes-undercover-for-18-years


General Interest
1906 : Roosevelt travels to Panama
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-travels-to-panama

1923 : Nazis suppressed in Munich
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-suppressed-in-munich

1956 : Sartre renounces communists
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sartre-renounces-communists

1965 : The Great Northeast Blackout
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-northeast-blackout


Hollywood
2001 : Kodak Theatre, new home of Oscars, opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kodak-theatre-new-home-of-oscars-opens


Literary
2004 : Best-selling Millennium trilogy author Stieg Larsson dies at 50
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/best-selling-millennium-trilogy-author-stieg-larsson-dies-at-50


Music
1990 : Willie Nelson's assets are seized by the IRS
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/willie-nelson39s-assets-are-seized-by-the-irs


Old West
1875 : Followers of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse identified as hostile
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/followers-of-sitting-bull-and-crazy-horse-identified-as-hostile


Presidential
1901 : Teddy Roosevelt establishes a naval base in the Philippines
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/teddy-roosevelt-establishes-a-naval-base-in-the-philippines


Sports
1946 : Army and Notre Dame fight to a draw
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/army-and-notre-dame-fight-to-a-draw


Vietnam War
1965 : Antiwar protestor sets himself afire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/antiwar-protestor-sets-himself-afire

1967 : Captain Lance Sijan shot down over North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/captain-lance-sijan-shot-down-over-north-vietnam

1970 : Supreme Court refuses to rule on legality of Vietnam War
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/supreme-court-refuses-to-rule-on-legality-of-vietnam-war


World War I
1914 : Australian warship Sydney sinks German Emden
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/australian-warship-sydney-sinks-german-emden


World War II
1938 : "The Night of Broken Glass"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-night-of-broken-glass

November 8 - This day in history

November 8: General Interest
1895: German scientist discovers X-rays

On this day in 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (1845-1923) becomes the first person to observe X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Washington seeks to make militias into a military
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-seeks-to-make-militias-into-a-military


Automotive
1962 : Sun sets on the Ford Rotunda
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sun-sets-on-the-ford-rotunda


Civil War
1864 : President Lincoln is re-elected
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-reelected


Cold War
1960 : John F. Kennedy elected president
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-f-kennedy-elected-president


Crime
1974 : Ted Bundy botches an abduction attempt
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ted-bundy-botches-an-abduction-attempt


Disaster
1994 : Hurricane Gordon is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-gordon-is-born


General Interest
1923 : Beer Hall Putsch begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/beer-hall-putsch-begins

1994 : The Republican Revolution
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-republican-revolution


Hollywood
1847 : Dracula creator Bram Stoker born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dracula-creator-bram-stoker-born


Literary
1900 : Margaret Mitchell is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/margaret-mitchell-is-born


Music
1994 : Salvatore "Sonny" Bono is elected to the U.S. Congress
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/salvatore-quotsonnyquot-bono-is-elected-to-the-us-congress


Old West
1887 : Doc Holliday dies of tuberculosis
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/doc-holliday-dies-of-tuberculosis


Presidential
1942 : FDR broadcasts message to Vichy France leader Marshal Petain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-broadcasts-message-to-vichy-france-leader-marshal-petain


Sports
1951 : Yogi Berra is the AL MVP
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yogi-berra-is-the-al-mvp


Vietnam War
1965 : Lawrence Joel earns Medal of Honor
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lawrence-joel-earns-medal-of-honor


World War I
1917 : New Russian leader Lenin calls for immediate armistice
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-russian-leader-lenin-calls-for-immediate-armistice


World War II
1939 : Hitler survives assassination attempt
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-survives-assassination-attempt