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The Week In History: Nov. 15-21
Sunday, Nov. 15
On Nov. 15, 1959, Kansas farmer Herbert Clutter, his wife, Bonnie, and the couple's two youngest children, Nancy, 16, and Kenyon, 15, were found murdered in their home in Holcomb. (Two ex-convicts, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, were later convicted of the killings and hanged; the case was detailed in the Truman Capote book "In Cold Blood.")
In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, a precursor to the Constitution of the United States.
In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as "Pikes Peak" in present-day Colorado.
In 1889, Brazil was proclaimed a republic as its emperor, Dom Pedro II, was overthrown.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
In 1948, William Lyon Mackenzie King retired as prime minister of Canada after 21 years; he was succeeded by Louis St. Laurent.
In 1966, the flight of Gemini 12 ended successfully as astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. splashed down safely in the Atlantic.
In 1969, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War.
In 1979, the British government publicly identified Sir Anthony Blunt as the "fourth man" of a Soviet spy ring.
In 1984, Stephanie Fae Beauclair, the infant publicly known as "Baby Fae" who had received a baboon's heart to replace her own congenitally deformed one, died at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California three weeks after the transplant.
In 1988, the Soviet Union launched its first space shuttle, Buran, on its only flight, which carried no crew.
Ten years ago: The Clinton administration claimed victory in a seven-year struggle to persuade Congress to pay nearly $1 billion in back dues to the United Nations.
Five years ago: The White House announced that Secretary of State Colin Powell was leaving President George W. Bush's Cabinet, along with Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. The U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Ivory Coast's hard-line government after its violent confrontation with France.
One year ago: World leaders battling an economic crisis agreed in Washington to flag risky investing and regulatory weak spots in hopes of avoiding future financial meltdowns. A wildfire destroyed nearly 500 mobile homes in Los Angeles. Gay rights supporters marched in cities coast to coast to protest the vote that banned gay marriage in California. Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, a Saudi-owned oil supertanker, in the Indian Ocean. (The ship was released eight weeks later after the pirates were reportedly paid a ransom.)
Monday, Nov. 16
On Nov. 16, 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music," inspired by the real-life story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway with Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Capt. von Trapp.
In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.
In 1885, Canadian rebel leader Louis Riel was executed for high treason.
In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.
In 1917, Georges Clemenceau again became prime minister of France.
In 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.
In 1961, House Speaker Samuel T. Rayburn died in Bonham, Texas, having served as speaker since 1940 except for two terms.
In 1966, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in his second trial of murdering his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.
In 1973, Skylab 4, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on an 84-day mission.
In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.
In 1989, six Jesuit priests, a housekeeper and her daughter were slain by army troops at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in El Salvador.
Ten years ago: Nathaniel Abraham, at 13 one of the youngest murder defendants in U.S. history, was convicted in Pontiac, Mich., of second-degree murder for shooting a stranger outside a convenience store with a rifle when he was 11. (Nathaniel was sentenced to juvenile detention until his 21st birthday; he was released in January 2007. However, he was sentenced in January 2009 to at least four years in prison for a drug-related conviction.)
Five years ago: President George W. Bush picked National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to be his new secretary of state, succeeding Colin Powell. Al-Jazeera television said it had received a video showing a hooded militant shooting a blindfolded woman in the head; it's believed the woman was kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan. Sunni Muslims in Iraq expressed anger over videotape showing the fatal shooting of a wounded and apparently unarmed man in a Fallujah mosque by a U.S. Marine.
One year ago: Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States calling for American forces to remain in the country until 2012. Space shuttle Endeavour linked up with the international space station. The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the San Diego Chargers 11-10, the first such final score in NFL history.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
On Nov. 17, 1800, Congress held its first session in Washington in the partially completed Capitol building.
In 1558, Elizabeth I acceded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Mary.
In 1869, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt.
In 1934, Lyndon Baines Johnson married Claudia Alta Taylor, better known as Lady Bird, in San Antonio.
In 1962, Washington's Dulles International Airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy.
In 1969, the first round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the United States and the Soviet Union opened in Helsinki, Finland.
In 1970, the Soviet Union landed an unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle on the moon, the Lunokhod 1.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon told Associated Press managing editors meeting in Orlando, Fla.: "People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."
In 1979, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the release of 13 black and/or female American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
In 1987, a federal jury in Denver convicted two neo-Nazis and acquitted two others of civil rights violations in the 1984 slaying of radio talk show host Alan Berg.
In 1997, 62 people, most of them foreign tourists, were killed when militants opened fire at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt; the attackers were killed by police.
Ten years ago: Officials close to the investigation into the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 said a relief co-pilot alone in the cockpit had said in Arabic: "I made my decision now; I put my faith in God's hands" just before the jetliner began its fatal plunge. (In Egypt, relatives angrily rejected any notion that relief co-pilot Gameel el-Batouty had deliberately crashed the plane.)
Five years ago: It was announced that Kmart was acquiring Sears in a surprise $11 billion deal. In Washington state, officials said Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi led Democratic opponent Christine Gregoire by only 261 votes. (After three counts of the ballots, Gregoire was declared the winner by just 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast.)
One year ago: In their first meeting since the election, Barack Obama and former rival John McCain met at the president-elect's transition headquarters in Chicago, where they pledged to work together on ways to change Washington's "bad habits." St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols won his second NL MVP award.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
On Nov. 18, 1959, "Ben-Hur," MGM's Biblical-era spectacle starring Charlton Heston and directed by William Wyler, had its world premiere at Loew's State Theatre in New York.
In 1883, the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.
In 1886, the 21st president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, died in New York.
In 1909, President William Howard Taft ordered two warships to Nicaragua, a day after the government of President Jose Santos Zelaya executed two American mercenaries along with several hundred revolutionaries. Lyricist Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, Ga.
In 1928, Walt Disney's first sound-synchronized animated cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York.
In 1936, Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.
In 1958, the cargo freighter SS Carl D. Bradley sank during a storm in Lake Michigan, claiming 33 of the 35 lives on board.
In 1966, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays outside of Lent.
In 1969, financier-diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 81.
In 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan, D-Calif., and four other people were killed in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide by more than 900 cult members.
In 1987, the congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.
Ten years ago: Twelve people were killed when a bonfire under construction at Texas A&M University collapsed. A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted Shawn Allen Berry of murder for his role in the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., but spared him the death penalty. American author and composer Paul Bowles, best known for "The Sheltering Sky" and other novels set in North Africa, died in Morocco at age 88.
Five years ago: Former President Bill Clinton's library opened in Little Rock, Ark.; in attendance were President George W. Bush, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Jimmy Carter. Former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry, convicted of killing four black girls in the racially motivated bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church in 1963, died in prison at age 74. Britain outlawed fox hunting in England and Wales. (Scotland had already outlawed hunting.) Composer Cy Coleman died in New York at age 75.
One year ago: Detroit's Big Three automakers pleaded with Congress for a $25 billion lifeline, warning of a national economic catastrophe should they collapse.
Today is Thursday, Nov. 19, the 323rd day of 2009. There are 42 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. (PHOTO OF LINCOLN)
On this date:
In 1600, King Charles I of England was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
In 1794, the United States and Britain signed Jay's Treaty, which resolved some issues left over from the Revolutionary War.
In 1831, the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in Orange Township, Ohio.
In 1919, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55 in favor, 39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.
In 1942, during World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. (PHOTO)
In 1969, Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made the second manned landing on the moon.
In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel. (PHOTO)
In 1984, some 500 people died in a firestorm set off by a series of explosions at a petroleum storage plant on the edge of Mexico City.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.
Ten years ago: Hundreds of anti-American protesters battled riot police and set stores and banks ablaze as President Bill Clinton rode through Athens in a tight security cocoon and proclaimed a "profound and enduring friendship" with Greece.
Five years ago: In one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, forcing officials to end the Pacers' 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left.
One year ago: Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, slurred Barack Obama as a black American who does the bidding of whites in a new Web message intended to dent the president-elect's popularity among Arabs and Muslims. The Dow industrial average closed under 8,000 at 7,997.28 — the lowest close since March 2003. Drama and dance critic Clive Barnes died in New York at age 81.
Today is Friday, Nov. 20, the 324th day of 2009. There are 41 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 20, 1947, Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey. (PHOTO)
On this date:
In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
In 1910, revolution broke out in Mexico, led by Francisco I. Madero.
In 1925, Robert F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass.
In 1929, the radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs" debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1945, 22 out of 24 indicted Nazi officials went on trial (one in absentia) before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (PHOTO)
In 1959, the United Nations issued its Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
In 1967, the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Clock at the Commerce Department ticked past 200 million.
In 1969, the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phaseout. A group of American Indian activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
In 1975, after nearly four decades of absolute rule, Spain's General Francisco Franco died, two weeks before his 83rd birthday.
In 1992, fire seriously damaged Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
Ten years ago: A day after violent anti-American protests in Greece, President Bill Clinton sought to heal old wounds by acknowledging the United States had failed its "obligation to support democracy" when it backed Greek's harsh military junta during the Cold War.
Five years ago: Republicans whisked a $388 billion spending bill through the House. Palestinians formally opened the campaign for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Scientist Ancel Keys, who invented the K rations eaten by soldiers in World War II and who linked high cholesterol and fatty diets to heart disease, died in Minneapolis at age 100.
One year ago: Sen. Ted Stevens, the chamber's longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address following his failed re-election bid; he was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions aimed at reducing the arms flowing into Somalia and the lawlessness and piracy that were flourishing there.
Betty James, co-founder of the company that made the Slinky, died in Philadelphia at age 90.
Today is Saturday, Nov. 21, the 325th day of 2009. There are 40 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 21, 1934, the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, opened on Broadway.
On this date:
In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
In 1927, picketing strikers at the Columbine Mine in northern Colorado were fired on by state police; six miners were killed.
In 1942, the Alaska Highway was formally opened.
In 1959, former heavyweight champion boxer and actor Max Baer died in Hollywood at age 50.
In 1969, the Senate voted down the Supreme Court nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth, 55-45, the first such rejection since 1930.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18½-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.
In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing two Americans.
In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1989, the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, speaking at a conference in Florence, Italy, called on prosperous nations to spread global wealth by helping poor countries with Internet hookups, cell phones, debt relief and small loans. China completed its first unmanned test of a spacecraft meant to carry astronauts. Quentin Crisp, the eccentric writer, performer and raconteur best-known for his autobiography "The Naked Civil Servant," died in Manchester, England, at age 90.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush, trying to mend relations with Latin America, pledged during an economic summit in Chile to make a fresh push for stalled immigration reforms. Iraqi authorities set Jan. 30, 2005, as the date for the nation's first election since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Six Wisconsin hunters were shot to death by Chai Soua Vang, an ethnic Hmong immigrant who was later sentenced to life in prison. The NBA suspended Indiana's Ron Artest for the rest of the season following a brawl that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons; eight other players received shorter bans.
One year ago: Wall Street staged a comeback, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points. Somali pirates released a hijacked Greek-owned tanker, MV Genius, with all 19 crew members safe and the oil cargo intact after payment of a ransom. (The ship had been seized almost two months earlier.) Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce by a London court.
Thursday, Nov. 19
On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.
In 1600, King Charles I of England was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
In 1794, the United States and Britain signed Jay's Treaty, which resolved some issues left over from the Revolutionary War.
In 1831, the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in Orange Township, Ohio.
In 1919, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55 in favor, 39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.
In 1942, during World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. (PHOTO)
In 1969, Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made the second manned landing on the moon.
In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel.
In 1984, some 500 people died in a firestorm set off by a series of explosions at a petroleum storage plant on the edge of Mexico City.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.
Ten years ago: Hundreds of anti-American protesters battled riot police and set stores and banks ablaze as President Bill Clinton rode through Athens in a tight security cocoon and proclaimed a "profound and enduring friendship" with Greece.
Five years ago: In one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, forcing officials to end the Pacers' 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left.
One year ago: Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, slurred Barack Obama as a black American who does the bidding of whites in a new Web message intended to dent the president-elect's popularity among Arabs and Muslims. The Dow industrial average closed under 8,000 at 7,997.28 — the lowest close since March 2003. Drama and dance critic Clive Barnes died in New York at age 81.
Friday, Nov. 20
On Nov. 20, 1947, Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey.
In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
In 1910, revolution broke out in Mexico, led by Francisco I. Madero.
In 1925, Robert F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass.
In 1929, the radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs" debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1945, 22 out of 24 indicted Nazi officials went on trial (one in absentia) before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (PHOTO)
In 1959, the United Nations issued its Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
In 1967, the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Clock at the Commerce Department ticked past 200 million.
In 1969, the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phaseout. A group of American Indian activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
In 1975, after nearly four decades of absolute rule, Spain's General Francisco Franco died, two weeks before his 83rd birthday.
In 1992, fire seriously damaged Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
Ten years ago: A day after violent anti-American protests in Greece, President Bill Clinton sought to heal old wounds by acknowledging the United States had failed its "obligation to support democracy" when it backed Greek's harsh military junta during the Cold War.
Five years ago: Republicans whisked a $388 billion spending bill through the House. Palestinians formally opened the campaign for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Scientist Ancel Keys, who invented the K rations eaten by soldiers in World War II and who linked high cholesterol and fatty diets to heart disease, died in Minneapolis at age 100.
One year ago: Sen. Ted Stevens, the chamber's longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address following his failed re-election bid; he was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions aimed at reducing the arms flowing into Somalia and the lawlessness and piracy that were flourishing there.
Betty James, co-founder of the company that made the Slinky, died in Philadelphia at age 90.
Saturday, Nov. 21
On Nov. 21, 1934, the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, opened on Broadway.
In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
In 1927, picketing strikers at the Columbine Mine in northern Colorado were fired on by state police; six miners were killed.
In 1942, the Alaska Highway was formally opened.
In 1959, former heavyweight champion boxer and actor Max Baer died in Hollywood at age 50.
In 1969, the Senate voted down the Supreme Court nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth, 55-45, the first such rejection since 1930.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18½-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.
In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing two Americans.
In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1989, the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, speaking at a conference in Florence, Italy, called on prosperous nations to spread global wealth by helping poor countries with Internet hookups, cell phones, debt relief and small loans. China completed its first unmanned test of a spacecraft meant to carry astronauts. Quentin Crisp, the eccentric writer, performer and raconteur best-known for his autobiography "The Naked Civil Servant," died in Manchester, England, at age 90.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush, trying to mend relations with Latin America, pledged during an economic summit in Chile to make a fresh push for stalled immigration reforms. Iraqi authorities set Jan. 30, 2005, as the date for the nation's first election since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Six Wisconsin hunters were shot to death by Chai Soua Vang, an ethnic Hmong immigrant who was later sentenced to life in prison. The NBA suspended Indiana's Ron Artest for the rest of the season following a brawl that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons; eight other players received shorter bans.
One year ago: Wall Street staged a comeback, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points. Somali pirates released a hijacked Greek-owned tanker, MV Genius, with all 19 crew members safe and the oil cargo intact after payment of a ransom. (The ship had been seized almost two months earlier.) Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce by a London court.
AP
On Nov. 15, 1959, Kansas farmer Herbert Clutter, his wife, Bonnie, and the couple's two youngest children, Nancy, 16, and Kenyon, 15, were found murdered in their home in Holcomb. (Two ex-convicts, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, were later convicted of the killings and hanged; the case was detailed in the Truman Capote book "In Cold Blood.")
In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, a precursor to the Constitution of the United States.
In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as "Pikes Peak" in present-day Colorado.
In 1889, Brazil was proclaimed a republic as its emperor, Dom Pedro II, was overthrown.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
In 1948, William Lyon Mackenzie King retired as prime minister of Canada after 21 years; he was succeeded by Louis St. Laurent.
In 1966, the flight of Gemini 12 ended successfully as astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. splashed down safely in the Atlantic.
In 1969, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War.
In 1979, the British government publicly identified Sir Anthony Blunt as the "fourth man" of a Soviet spy ring.
In 1984, Stephanie Fae Beauclair, the infant publicly known as "Baby Fae" who had received a baboon's heart to replace her own congenitally deformed one, died at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California three weeks after the transplant.
In 1988, the Soviet Union launched its first space shuttle, Buran, on its only flight, which carried no crew.
Ten years ago: The Clinton administration claimed victory in a seven-year struggle to persuade Congress to pay nearly $1 billion in back dues to the United Nations.
Five years ago: The White House announced that Secretary of State Colin Powell was leaving President George W. Bush's Cabinet, along with Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. The U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Ivory Coast's hard-line government after its violent confrontation with France.
One year ago: World leaders battling an economic crisis agreed in Washington to flag risky investing and regulatory weak spots in hopes of avoiding future financial meltdowns. A wildfire destroyed nearly 500 mobile homes in Los Angeles. Gay rights supporters marched in cities coast to coast to protest the vote that banned gay marriage in California. Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, a Saudi-owned oil supertanker, in the Indian Ocean. (The ship was released eight weeks later after the pirates were reportedly paid a ransom.)
Monday, Nov. 16
On Nov. 16, 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music," inspired by the real-life story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway with Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Capt. von Trapp.
In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.
In 1885, Canadian rebel leader Louis Riel was executed for high treason.
In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.
In 1917, Georges Clemenceau again became prime minister of France.
In 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.
In 1961, House Speaker Samuel T. Rayburn died in Bonham, Texas, having served as speaker since 1940 except for two terms.
In 1966, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in his second trial of murdering his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.
In 1973, Skylab 4, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on an 84-day mission.
In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.
In 1989, six Jesuit priests, a housekeeper and her daughter were slain by army troops at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in El Salvador.
Ten years ago: Nathaniel Abraham, at 13 one of the youngest murder defendants in U.S. history, was convicted in Pontiac, Mich., of second-degree murder for shooting a stranger outside a convenience store with a rifle when he was 11. (Nathaniel was sentenced to juvenile detention until his 21st birthday; he was released in January 2007. However, he was sentenced in January 2009 to at least four years in prison for a drug-related conviction.)
Five years ago: President George W. Bush picked National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to be his new secretary of state, succeeding Colin Powell. Al-Jazeera television said it had received a video showing a hooded militant shooting a blindfolded woman in the head; it's believed the woman was kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan. Sunni Muslims in Iraq expressed anger over videotape showing the fatal shooting of a wounded and apparently unarmed man in a Fallujah mosque by a U.S. Marine.
One year ago: Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States calling for American forces to remain in the country until 2012. Space shuttle Endeavour linked up with the international space station. The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the San Diego Chargers 11-10, the first such final score in NFL history.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
On Nov. 17, 1800, Congress held its first session in Washington in the partially completed Capitol building.
In 1558, Elizabeth I acceded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Mary.
In 1869, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt.
In 1934, Lyndon Baines Johnson married Claudia Alta Taylor, better known as Lady Bird, in San Antonio.
In 1962, Washington's Dulles International Airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy.
In 1969, the first round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the United States and the Soviet Union opened in Helsinki, Finland.
In 1970, the Soviet Union landed an unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle on the moon, the Lunokhod 1.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon told Associated Press managing editors meeting in Orlando, Fla.: "People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."
In 1979, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the release of 13 black and/or female American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
In 1987, a federal jury in Denver convicted two neo-Nazis and acquitted two others of civil rights violations in the 1984 slaying of radio talk show host Alan Berg.
In 1997, 62 people, most of them foreign tourists, were killed when militants opened fire at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt; the attackers were killed by police.
Ten years ago: Officials close to the investigation into the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 said a relief co-pilot alone in the cockpit had said in Arabic: "I made my decision now; I put my faith in God's hands" just before the jetliner began its fatal plunge. (In Egypt, relatives angrily rejected any notion that relief co-pilot Gameel el-Batouty had deliberately crashed the plane.)
Five years ago: It was announced that Kmart was acquiring Sears in a surprise $11 billion deal. In Washington state, officials said Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi led Democratic opponent Christine Gregoire by only 261 votes. (After three counts of the ballots, Gregoire was declared the winner by just 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast.)
One year ago: In their first meeting since the election, Barack Obama and former rival John McCain met at the president-elect's transition headquarters in Chicago, where they pledged to work together on ways to change Washington's "bad habits." St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols won his second NL MVP award.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
On Nov. 18, 1959, "Ben-Hur," MGM's Biblical-era spectacle starring Charlton Heston and directed by William Wyler, had its world premiere at Loew's State Theatre in New York.
In 1883, the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.
In 1886, the 21st president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, died in New York.
In 1909, President William Howard Taft ordered two warships to Nicaragua, a day after the government of President Jose Santos Zelaya executed two American mercenaries along with several hundred revolutionaries. Lyricist Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, Ga.
In 1928, Walt Disney's first sound-synchronized animated cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York.
In 1936, Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.
In 1958, the cargo freighter SS Carl D. Bradley sank during a storm in Lake Michigan, claiming 33 of the 35 lives on board.
In 1966, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays outside of Lent.
In 1969, financier-diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 81.
In 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan, D-Calif., and four other people were killed in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide by more than 900 cult members.
In 1987, the congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.
Ten years ago: Twelve people were killed when a bonfire under construction at Texas A&M University collapsed. A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted Shawn Allen Berry of murder for his role in the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., but spared him the death penalty. American author and composer Paul Bowles, best known for "The Sheltering Sky" and other novels set in North Africa, died in Morocco at age 88.
Five years ago: Former President Bill Clinton's library opened in Little Rock, Ark.; in attendance were President George W. Bush, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Jimmy Carter. Former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry, convicted of killing four black girls in the racially motivated bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church in 1963, died in prison at age 74. Britain outlawed fox hunting in England and Wales. (Scotland had already outlawed hunting.) Composer Cy Coleman died in New York at age 75.
One year ago: Detroit's Big Three automakers pleaded with Congress for a $25 billion lifeline, warning of a national economic catastrophe should they collapse.
Today is Thursday, Nov. 19, the 323rd day of 2009. There are 42 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. (PHOTO OF LINCOLN)
On this date:
In 1600, King Charles I of England was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
In 1794, the United States and Britain signed Jay's Treaty, which resolved some issues left over from the Revolutionary War.
In 1831, the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in Orange Township, Ohio.
In 1919, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55 in favor, 39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.
In 1942, during World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. (PHOTO)
In 1969, Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made the second manned landing on the moon.
In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel. (PHOTO)
In 1984, some 500 people died in a firestorm set off by a series of explosions at a petroleum storage plant on the edge of Mexico City.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.
Ten years ago: Hundreds of anti-American protesters battled riot police and set stores and banks ablaze as President Bill Clinton rode through Athens in a tight security cocoon and proclaimed a "profound and enduring friendship" with Greece.
Five years ago: In one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, forcing officials to end the Pacers' 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left.
One year ago: Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, slurred Barack Obama as a black American who does the bidding of whites in a new Web message intended to dent the president-elect's popularity among Arabs and Muslims. The Dow industrial average closed under 8,000 at 7,997.28 — the lowest close since March 2003. Drama and dance critic Clive Barnes died in New York at age 81.
Today is Friday, Nov. 20, the 324th day of 2009. There are 41 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 20, 1947, Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey. (PHOTO)
On this date:
In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
In 1910, revolution broke out in Mexico, led by Francisco I. Madero.
In 1925, Robert F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass.
In 1929, the radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs" debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1945, 22 out of 24 indicted Nazi officials went on trial (one in absentia) before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (PHOTO)
In 1959, the United Nations issued its Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
In 1967, the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Clock at the Commerce Department ticked past 200 million.
In 1969, the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phaseout. A group of American Indian activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
In 1975, after nearly four decades of absolute rule, Spain's General Francisco Franco died, two weeks before his 83rd birthday.
In 1992, fire seriously damaged Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
Ten years ago: A day after violent anti-American protests in Greece, President Bill Clinton sought to heal old wounds by acknowledging the United States had failed its "obligation to support democracy" when it backed Greek's harsh military junta during the Cold War.
Five years ago: Republicans whisked a $388 billion spending bill through the House. Palestinians formally opened the campaign for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Scientist Ancel Keys, who invented the K rations eaten by soldiers in World War II and who linked high cholesterol and fatty diets to heart disease, died in Minneapolis at age 100.
One year ago: Sen. Ted Stevens, the chamber's longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address following his failed re-election bid; he was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions aimed at reducing the arms flowing into Somalia and the lawlessness and piracy that were flourishing there.
Betty James, co-founder of the company that made the Slinky, died in Philadelphia at age 90.
Today is Saturday, Nov. 21, the 325th day of 2009. There are 40 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 21, 1934, the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, opened on Broadway.
On this date:
In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
In 1927, picketing strikers at the Columbine Mine in northern Colorado were fired on by state police; six miners were killed.
In 1942, the Alaska Highway was formally opened.
In 1959, former heavyweight champion boxer and actor Max Baer died in Hollywood at age 50.
In 1969, the Senate voted down the Supreme Court nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth, 55-45, the first such rejection since 1930.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18½-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.
In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing two Americans.
In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1989, the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, speaking at a conference in Florence, Italy, called on prosperous nations to spread global wealth by helping poor countries with Internet hookups, cell phones, debt relief and small loans. China completed its first unmanned test of a spacecraft meant to carry astronauts. Quentin Crisp, the eccentric writer, performer and raconteur best-known for his autobiography "The Naked Civil Servant," died in Manchester, England, at age 90.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush, trying to mend relations with Latin America, pledged during an economic summit in Chile to make a fresh push for stalled immigration reforms. Iraqi authorities set Jan. 30, 2005, as the date for the nation's first election since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Six Wisconsin hunters were shot to death by Chai Soua Vang, an ethnic Hmong immigrant who was later sentenced to life in prison. The NBA suspended Indiana's Ron Artest for the rest of the season following a brawl that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons; eight other players received shorter bans.
One year ago: Wall Street staged a comeback, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points. Somali pirates released a hijacked Greek-owned tanker, MV Genius, with all 19 crew members safe and the oil cargo intact after payment of a ransom. (The ship had been seized almost two months earlier.) Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce by a London court.
Thursday, Nov. 19
On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.
In 1600, King Charles I of England was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
In 1794, the United States and Britain signed Jay's Treaty, which resolved some issues left over from the Revolutionary War.
In 1831, the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in Orange Township, Ohio.
In 1919, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55 in favor, 39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.
In 1942, during World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. (PHOTO)
In 1969, Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made the second manned landing on the moon.
In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel.
In 1984, some 500 people died in a firestorm set off by a series of explosions at a petroleum storage plant on the edge of Mexico City.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.
Ten years ago: Hundreds of anti-American protesters battled riot police and set stores and banks ablaze as President Bill Clinton rode through Athens in a tight security cocoon and proclaimed a "profound and enduring friendship" with Greece.
Five years ago: In one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, forcing officials to end the Pacers' 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left.
One year ago: Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, slurred Barack Obama as a black American who does the bidding of whites in a new Web message intended to dent the president-elect's popularity among Arabs and Muslims. The Dow industrial average closed under 8,000 at 7,997.28 — the lowest close since March 2003. Drama and dance critic Clive Barnes died in New York at age 81.
Friday, Nov. 20
On Nov. 20, 1947, Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey.
In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
In 1910, revolution broke out in Mexico, led by Francisco I. Madero.
In 1925, Robert F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass.
In 1929, the radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs" debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1945, 22 out of 24 indicted Nazi officials went on trial (one in absentia) before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (PHOTO)
In 1959, the United Nations issued its Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
In 1967, the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Clock at the Commerce Department ticked past 200 million.
In 1969, the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phaseout. A group of American Indian activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
In 1975, after nearly four decades of absolute rule, Spain's General Francisco Franco died, two weeks before his 83rd birthday.
In 1992, fire seriously damaged Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
Ten years ago: A day after violent anti-American protests in Greece, President Bill Clinton sought to heal old wounds by acknowledging the United States had failed its "obligation to support democracy" when it backed Greek's harsh military junta during the Cold War.
Five years ago: Republicans whisked a $388 billion spending bill through the House. Palestinians formally opened the campaign for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Scientist Ancel Keys, who invented the K rations eaten by soldiers in World War II and who linked high cholesterol and fatty diets to heart disease, died in Minneapolis at age 100.
One year ago: Sen. Ted Stevens, the chamber's longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address following his failed re-election bid; he was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions aimed at reducing the arms flowing into Somalia and the lawlessness and piracy that were flourishing there.
Betty James, co-founder of the company that made the Slinky, died in Philadelphia at age 90.
Saturday, Nov. 21
On Nov. 21, 1934, the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, opened on Broadway.
In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
In 1927, picketing strikers at the Columbine Mine in northern Colorado were fired on by state police; six miners were killed.
In 1942, the Alaska Highway was formally opened.
In 1959, former heavyweight champion boxer and actor Max Baer died in Hollywood at age 50.
In 1969, the Senate voted down the Supreme Court nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth, 55-45, the first such rejection since 1930.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18½-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.
In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing two Americans.
In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1989, the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, speaking at a conference in Florence, Italy, called on prosperous nations to spread global wealth by helping poor countries with Internet hookups, cell phones, debt relief and small loans. China completed its first unmanned test of a spacecraft meant to carry astronauts. Quentin Crisp, the eccentric writer, performer and raconteur best-known for his autobiography "The Naked Civil Servant," died in Manchester, England, at age 90.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush, trying to mend relations with Latin America, pledged during an economic summit in Chile to make a fresh push for stalled immigration reforms. Iraqi authorities set Jan. 30, 2005, as the date for the nation's first election since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Six Wisconsin hunters were shot to death by Chai Soua Vang, an ethnic Hmong immigrant who was later sentenced to life in prison. The NBA suspended Indiana's Ron Artest for the rest of the season following a brawl that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons; eight other players received shorter bans.
One year ago: Wall Street staged a comeback, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points. Somali pirates released a hijacked Greek-owned tanker, MV Genius, with all 19 crew members safe and the oil cargo intact after payment of a ransom. (The ship had been seized almost two months earlier.) Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce by a London court.
AP
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