Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 15th:

In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, the nation’s first attempt at self-government. (Deemed unsuccessful, they would later be replaced by the U.S. Constitution.)

In 1794, Rev. John Witherspoon, minister/educator/Founding Father, died near Princeton, NJ at age 71.

In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as Pikes Peak in present-day Colorado.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman began their "March to the Sea" from Atlanta, with the goal of crippling the region's military and economic resources.

In 1889, Brazil was proclaimed a republic as its emperor, Dom Pedro II, was overthrown.

In 1891, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was born in Heidenheim, Wurttemberg, German Empire.

In 1906, USAF General Curtis LeMay, best-known for his period as head of Strategic Air Command, was born in Columbus, OH.

In 1907, Claus Von Stauffenberg, German army officer and one of the central figures of Operation Valkyrie, the failed attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler in 1944, was born in Jettingen, Kingdom of Bavaria.

In 1916, animator/producer/director/voice artist Bill Melendez was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He’s best-known for his work on the original “Peanuts” TV specials and movies.

In 1920, the first assembly of the League of Nations was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1926, the NBC radio network opened with 24 stations.

In 1929, actor Ed Asner was born in Kansas City, MO. You probably know that he played Lou Grant on TV and Carl Frederickson in “Up”. But did you know he played Jabba in the ROTJ radio adaptation?

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Also in 1939, actor Yaphet Kotto was born in New York City. He’d later play one of the unlucky crewmembers of the Nostromo.

In 1942, the naval Battle of Guadalcanal ended during World War II with a decisive U.S. victory over Japanese forces.

In 1956, the Western “Love Me Tender”, featuring Elvis Presley in his big-screen debut, premiered in New York City at the Paramount Theater.

In 1959, four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home. (Ex-convicts Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were later convicted of the killings and hanged. The crime was the basis for Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood.)

In 1965, The Rolling Stones made their US TV debut on “Hullabaloo”, broadcast over NBC, performing ”Get Off Of My Cloud”.

In 1966, Gemini 12 completed the Gemini program's final mission, when it splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

Also in 1966, the film “Manos, the Hands of Fate” premiered in El Paso, TX. Nearly thirty years later, a cow town puppet show would introduce it to a new generation of viewers who’d see it as…what it was.

In 1967, the only fatality of the X-15 program occurred during the when Air Force test pilot Michael J. Adams lost control of his aircraft which was destroyed mid-air over the Mojave Desert.

In 1969, the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, where The Beatles performed in their early days, closed its doors for good.

In 1974, the disaster movie "Earthquake" (in Sensurround!) was released in the U.S.

In 1977, the science fiction movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Richard Dreyfuss, premiered in New York City.

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 1989, Time Warner launched The Comedy Channel, which later merged with Viacom's HA! network to form Comedy Central. Both Comedy Channel and Comedy Central would broadcast a certain cow town puppet show for several years.

In 2018, singer/musician Roy Clark died in Tulsa, OK at age 85.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 16th:

In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.

In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

Also in 1907, actor/director/producer/writer Burgess Meredith was born in Cleveland, OH. Be sure to get a second pair of prescription eyeglasses to celebrate.

In 1914, the newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

In 1917, Georges Clemenceau again became prime minister of France.

In 1920, Qantas, Australia's national airline, was founded as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited.

In 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.

In 1939, mob boss Al Capone, ill with syphilis, was released from prison after serving 7 1/2 years for tax evasion and failure to file tax returns.

In 1940, in response to the destruction of Coventry by the German Luftwaffe two days before, the RAF bombed Hamburg.

In 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded at the conclusion of a conference in London.

Also in 1945, the drama "The Lost Weekend," starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman, was released in the U.S.

In addition in 1945, "The Friendly Ghost," an animated short featuring the debut of Casper, was released in the U.S.

In 1953, writer/actor/comedian Griff Rhys Jones was born in Cardiff, Wales. He’s best-known for his work with comedian Mel Smith on “Alas, Smith & Jones”.

In 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater.

In 1960, actor Clark Gable died in Los Angeles at age 59.

In 1965, The Soviet Union launched the Venera 3 space probe toward Venus. It would later be the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.

In 1973, NASA launched Skylab 4 from Cape Canaveral on an 84-day mission. The crew consisted of Commander Gerald P. Carr, Science Pilot Edward G. Gibson and Pilot William R. Pogue.

Also in 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing the construction of the Alaska Pipeline.

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.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, making it harder for government to interfere with religious practices.

In 2010, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, the first living service member from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to receive the nation's top military award.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 17th:

In 1558, Elizabeth I became Queen of England following the death of her half-sister Queen Mary I.

In 1603, English explorer, writer and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh went on trial for treason.

In 1777, the Articles of Confederation were submitted to the individual United States for ratification.

In 1800, Congress held its first session in Washington in the partially completed Capitol building.

In 1869, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt.

In 1871, the National Rifle Association was granted a charter by the state of New York.

In 1887, British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery was born in London.

In 1889, the Union Pacific Railroad Co. began direct, daily railroad service between Chicago and Portland, OR, as well as Chicago and San Francisco.

In 1933, the Marx Brothers comedy “Duck Soup” was released in the U.S.

Also in 1933, the United States recognized the Soviet Union.

In 1937, actor/comedian Peter Cook was born in Torqay, Devon, England.

In 1938, singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario.

In 1944, writer/producer Lorne Michaels, creator/producer of “Saturday Night Live”, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Also in 1944, pitcher/sportscaster Tom Seaver, best-known for his career with the New York Mets, was born in Fresno, CA.

In 1951, actor/voice artist Stephen Root was born in Sarasota, FL. He’d buy WNYX sometime later.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy dedicated Washington Dulles International Airport, serving the Washington, D.C., region.

In 1966, on “Star Trek”, part one of “The Menagerie” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured the first televised appearance of Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike.

Also in 1966, the play “Don’t Drink the Water”, the first full-length play written by Woody Allen, opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theater.

In 1967, on “Star Trek”, “Journey to Babel” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured the first appearance of Mark Lenard as Sarek, and Miss Jane Wyatt as Amanda.

In 1968, NBC outraged football fans by cutting away from the closing minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin the TV special "Heidi" on schedule. (After being taken off the air, the Raiders came from behind to beat the Jets, 43-32.)

In 1970, Lieutenant William Calley went on trial for the My Lai Massacre.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon told Associated Press managing editors in Orlando, Florida: "People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."

In 1978, “The STAR WARS Holiday Special” was broadcast for the first and only time on CBS-TV. And the entire franchise has yet to live it down.

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 white supremacists of civil rights violations in the 1984 slaying of radio talk show host Alan Berg. (Both men later died in prison.)

In 1993, The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to establish the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In 1994, the movie “Star Trek: Generations” premiered in Hollywood. Oh, my…

In 2003, actor and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the 38th governor of California at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

In 2008, the fantasy/romance/horror movie “Twilight” premiered in Los Angeles.

 

- Yep, had to put this in.

 

If I (well it's still this day in Alaska) may...

ON NOVEMBER 18th:

In 1626, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City was consecrated.

In 1883, the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.

In 1886, Chester A. Arthur, 21st president of the U.S., died in New York at age 57.

In 1916, during World War I, British Expeditionary Force commander Gen. Douglas Haig called off the First Battle of the Somme, which started on July 1st.

In 1923, aviator/astronaut Alan B. Shepard, pilot of Freedom 7 and commander of Apollo 14, was born in Derry, NH.

In 1924, actor Les Lye, well-known for his work on “You Can’t Do That on Television”, was born in Toronto. I heard that!

In 1928, Walt Disney's first sound-synchronized animated cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York at Universal’s Colony Theater. (The Walt Disney Company also recognizes this date as Mickey’s official birthday.)

In 1936, Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.

In 1946, author Alan Dean Foster, ghost-writer of the “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope” novelization and credited author of many other books, was born in New York City.

In 1953, author/illustrator Alan Moore was born in Northampton, England.

In 1959, the Biblical-era film "Ben-Hur", starring Charlton Heston, had its world premiere in New York City at Loew’s State Theater.

In 1961, producer/screenwriter Steven Moffat was born in Paisley, Scotland. And fans’ opinions on his tenure with “Doctor Who” can vary widely.

In 1963, the Bell System introduced the first commercial touch-tone telephone system in Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1966, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays outside of Lent.

In 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan and four others 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 1980, the controversial epic Western “Heaven’s Gate” premiered in New York City.

In 1985, the newspaper comic strip “Calvin & Hobbes” debuted.

Also in 1985, Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins broke his leg after being hit by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. The injury ended Theismann's 12 year NFL career. The incident was broadcast on ABC-TV’s “Monday Night Football”, and viewers (including your humble correspondent) were horrified.

In 1987, the congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.

Also in 1987, a fire at London King's Cross railway station claimed 31 lives.

In 1989, “Mystery Science Theater 3000” made its national TV debut over the Comedy Channel, featuring the movie “Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy”, officially the cable series’ second episode. (There has been some dispute over the exact date of and episode featured in the premiere.)

In 1991, Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon freed Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite after more than four years of captivity.

In 1996, the movie “Star Trek: First Contact” premiered in Hollywood.

In 1998, the first teaser trailer for “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace” was released. Some fans (including your humble correspondent) paid full admission for the movies the trailer was attached to, and then left.

In 1998, the first episode of the original run of the animated series “The Powerpuff Girls” premiered on Cartoon Network.

In 1999, 12 people were killed when a bonfire under construction at Texas A-and-M University collapsed.

In 2002, the James Bond movie “Die Another Day”, starring Pierce Brosnan as 007, premiered in the UK.

In 2003, The Massachusettes Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and gave the state legislature 180 days to change the law, making Massachusetts the first state in the U.S. to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 19th:

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, James Garfield, the 20th President of the U.S., was born in Orange Township, OH.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication ceremony for the military cemetery at Gettysburg, PA.

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.

Also in 1919, actor Alan Young was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England. Whether you associate him more with a horse or a duck largely depends on your age.

In 1924, actor William Russell was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England. He’s best known for playing Chatterton…Chesterfield…ah, yes, Ian Chesterton on “Doctor Who”.

In 1943, during World War II, Nazis liquidated Janowska concentration camp in Lemberg, western Ukraine, murdering at least 6,000 Jews after a failed uprising and mass escape attempt.

In 1952, the comedy movie “The Road to Bali”, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, was released in the U.S.

In 1953, actor Robert Beltran was born in Bakersfield, CA. He’d later go on an unplanned trip aboard U.S.S. Voyager.

In 1955, the conservative magazine “National Review” published its first issue.

In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. (Ironically, the Edsel would go on to be highly prized by car aficionados and quite valuable.)

In 1963, actress Terry Farrell was born in Cedar Rapids, IA. Her service on DS9 occurred sometime later.

In 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean landed at the Ocean of Storms and become the third and fourth men to walk 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.

Also in 1985, Pennzoil won a $10.53 billion judgment against Texaco, in the largest civil verdict in U.S. history, stemming from Texaco executing a contract to buy Getty Oil after Pennzoil had entered into an unsigned, yet still binding, buyout contract with Getty.

In 1990, the pop duo Milli Vanilli were stripped of their Grammy Award because other singers had lent their voices to the "Girl You Know It's True" album.

In 1995, “Toy Story”, the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery, premiered in Hollywood.

In 1998, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton.

In 2004, the worst brawl in NBA history, the “Malice in the Palace” occurred during a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. An altercation between players led to a fight between players and fans.

In 2013, the Disney animated movie "Frozen" had its Hollywood premiere. And, in the coming months, one of my grandnieces got pretty much every bit of merchandise connected with the movie.

In 2016, Pope Francis created 17 new members of the College of Cardinals at a consistory in Vatican City.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 20th:

In 1620, Peregrine White was born aboard the Mayflower in Massachusetts Bay; he was the first child born of English parents in present-day New England.

In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

In 1900, cartoonist Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy, was born in Pawnee, OK.

In 1908, journalist/TV host Alistair Cooke was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. He’d later introduce American audiences to the Bellamys, Ross Poldark, Claudius, and many others.

In 1925, Senator/Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, MA.

In 1931, costume designer William Ware Theiss was born in Medford, MA. He’s best-known for the sometimes…minimal costumes he designed for the original “Star Trek” series.

In 1932, survey SAID…actor/comedian/TV personality Richard Dawson was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England.

In 1939, singer/comedian Dick Smothers was born in New York City. It has yet to be fully determined if Mom always did like him best.

In 1940, Hungary became a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis powers.

In 1942, actor/comedian Bob Einstein, best-known for his role as Super Dave Osborne, was born in Los Angeles. He also made several appearances on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”, co-starring the aforementioned Dick Smothers.

In 1943, during World War II, the Battle of Tarawa began, as U.S. Marines landed on Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands.

In 1945, twenty-four high-ranking Nazis went on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II.

In 1947, Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey.

In 1959, the United Nations issued its Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy held a news conference in which he announced the end of the naval quarantine of Cuba imposed during the missile crisis, and the signing of an executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal housing facilities.

In 1964, the sci-fi movie “First Men in the Moon” was released in the U.S. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, it featured visual effects created by Ray Harryhausen.

In 1966, the musical “Cabaret” premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater.

In 1969, the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phaseout.

Also in 1969, a group of American Indian activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.

In 1973, singer/comedian Allan Sherman died in Los Angeles at age 48.

Also in 1973, Who drummer Keith Moon collapsed twice during a concert in San Francisco; reports vary regarding the cause of the collapses. Guitarist Pete Townshend asked for a volunteer from the audience to finish the set -- and got one.

In 1974, the U.S. Dept. of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T Corp. This suit later led to the breakup of AT&T and its Bell System.

In 1975, after nearly four decades of absolute rule, Spain's General Francisco Franco died in Madrid, two weeks before his 83rd birthday.

In 1983, the drama “The Day After” premiered on ABC-TV, to an estimated audience of over 100 million viewers.

In 1985, the Microsoft Windows 1.0 operating system was released.

In 1992, in England, a fire broke out in Windsor Castle, badly damaging the castle and causing over £50 million worth of damage.

In 1998, the first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

In 2004, 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.

In 2013, the “Doctor Who” mini-sode “The Last Day”, one of two prequels to “The Day of the Doctor”, was released on iTunes.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 21st:

In 164 B.C., Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restored the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah.

In 1620, settlers in the Plymouth Colony signed the Mayflower Compact.

In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1902, the Philadelphia Football Athletics defeated the Kanaweola Athletic Club of Elmira, NY, 39-0, in the first ever professional American football night game.

In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In 1931, the Universal Horror movie “Frankenstein”, starring Boris Karloff as the Monster, was released in the U.S.

In 1934, actor Laurence Luckinbill was born in Fort Smith, AR. Years later, Trekkers would generally praise his work in the otherwise divisive “Star Trek V”.

Also in 1934, the musical “Anything Goes” opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theater.

In 1937, actress Ingrid Pitt was born in Warsaw, Poland.

Also in 1937, actress/producer Marlo Thomas was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1942, the Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway, was formally opened at Soldier's Summit in the Yukon Territory.

In 1944, actor/director/writer Harold Ramis was born. Years later, he’d sternly advise his colleagues not to cross the streams.

In 1946, the drama film “The Best Years of Our Lives” premiered in New York City.

In 1953, the British Natural History Museum announced that the “Piltdown Man” skull, initially believed to be one of the most important fossilized hominid skulls ever found, was a hoax.

In 1964, the upper level of New York's Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, was opened.

In 1965, actor Alexander Siddig was born was born in Sudan. He’d join Star Fleet some time later.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18-1/2-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.

Also in 1973, the sci-fi movie “Westworld”, written & directed by Michael Crichton, was released in the U.S.

In 1974, bombs exploded at a pair of pubs in Birmingham, England, killing 21 people. (Six suspects were convicted of the attack, but the convictions of the so-called "Birmingham Six" were overturned in 1991.)

Also in 1974, the Agatha Christie mystery “Murder on the Orient Express”, starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot, premiered in London.

In 1976, the boxing drama “Rocky”, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, premiered in New York City.

In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Also in 1980, 350 million people around the world tuned in to CBS-TV’s primetime drama "Dallas" to find out who shot J.R. Ewing.

In 1984, the comic book movie “Supergirl”, starring Helen Slater, was released in the U.S.

In 1985, U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard was arrested, accused of spying for Israel. (Pollard later pleaded guilty to espionage and was sentenced to life in prison; he was released on parole on Nov. 20, 2015.)

In 1989, the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time.

In 1993, actor Bill Bixby died in Century City, CA at age 59.

In 1997, actor Jack Purvis died in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England at age 60. In addition to appearing in several films from director Terry Gilliam, he appeared in all three of the original “Star Wars” movies.

In 2013, “An Adventure in Space and Time”, a docudrama based on the making of the early years of “Doctor Who”, was broadcast on BBC 2.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 22nd:

In 1718, English pirate Edward Teach, better known as "Blackbeard", was killed during a battle off present-day North Carolina.

In 1744, Abigail Adams, Founding Mother and wife of Founding Father John Adams was born in Weymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay.

In 1858, Denver, CO was founded. Over a century later, in 1999, STAR WARS fans would gather nearby for “Wookstock”.

In 1862, Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Forza del Destino" had its world premiere in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1873, the ship S.S. Ville du Havre sank in the Atlantic following a collision with another vessel. 226 people were lost, including all four daughters of hymnist Horatio Spafford. The tragedy inspired him to write what would later be the lyrics to the hymn “It is Well with My Soul”.

In 1914, the First Battle of Ypres during World War I ended inconclusively.

In 1921, actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield was born in Deer Park, NY. The actual level of respect he’d later get was greatly underestimated.

In 1928, "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel had its premiere at the Paris Opera.

In 1930, engineer/astronaut Owen Garriott was born in Enid, OK. He’d later be part of the Skylab 3 crew, and fly on the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-9 mission.

In 1932, actor Robert Vaughn was born in New York City. His work for Mr. Waverly would come later.

In 1935, a flying boat, the China Clipper, took off from Alameda, CA, carrying more than 100,000 pieces of mail on the first trans-Pacific airmail flight.

In 1940, actor/filmmaker/Python Terry Gilliam was born in Minneapolis, MN.

Also in 1940, comic book author Roy Thomas was born. Among many projects, he wrote the original STAR WARS adaptation for Marvel Comics, and wrote the first issues set after those events.

In 1942, engineer/pilot/astronaut Guion Bluford, Jr. PhD was born in Philadelphia, PA. The first African-American in space, he’d later fly on four Space Shuttle flights for NASA.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek met in Cairo to discuss measures for defeating Japan.

In 1944, Laurence Olivier’s film of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” premiered in London.

Also in 1944, the comedy/drama/musical “Meet Me in St. Louis”, starring Judy Garland, premiered in, appropriately, St. Louis, MO.

In 1954, the Humane Society of the United States was incorporated as the National Humane Society.

In 1955, RCA Records signed Elvis Presley after buying his contract from Sun Records. Elvis got a $5,000 bonus for signing.

Also in 1955, actor/comedian/Stooge Shemp Howard died in Hollywood at age 60.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas; Texas Gov. John B. Connally, in the same open car as the president, was seriously wounded. After Kennedy’s death, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President on board Air Force One. Suspected gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for Kennedy’s murder, as well as the murder of police officer J.D. Tippet.

Also in 1963, author/poet C.S. Lewis, creator of Narnia, died in Oxford, England at age 64, and author/philosopher Aldous Huxley, best-known for the dystopian novel Brave New World, died in Los Angeles at age 69.

In addition in 1963, “With the Beatles”, the group’s second studio album, released in the UK.

In 1967, the U.N. Security Council approved Resolution 242, which called for Israel to withdraw from territories it had captured the previous June, and implicitly called on adversaries to recognize Israel's right to exist.

In 1967, the Mel Brooks comedy “The Producers”, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, premiered in Pittsburgh, PA.

In 1968, on “Star Trek”, the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured one of the first interracial kisses on American prime-time dramatic television.

Also in 1968, the double-album “The Beatles”, popularly known as “The White Album” was released in the UK.

In 1975, Juan Carlos was proclaimed King of Spain.

In 1977, British Airways inaugurated a regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.

In 1987, two Chicago television stations were hijacked by an unknown pirate dressed as Max Headroom. One station was showing the evening news; the other was showing the “Doctor Who” story “The Horror of Fang Rock”.

In 1989, Rene Mouawad was killed by a bomb after only 17 days as president of Lebanon.

In 1990, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, having failed to win re-election of the Conservative Party leadership on the first ballot, announced her resignation.

In 1996, actor Mark Lenard, best-known for his roles in the “Star Trek” franchise, died in New York City at age 72.

In 1997, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the independently-made sci-fi movie “Time Chasers” premiered on Comedy Central. The host segments included the first (and, to date, only) appearance of Eddie Nelson, played by Michael J. Nelson.

In 2005, Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany.

In 2007, producer Verity Lambert, OBE, best-known as the first producer of “Doctor Who”, died at age 71.

In 2018, the twelfth season of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, subtitled “The Gauntlet”, was released on Netflix.

 

On this day in 1963: Doctor Who premiered.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON NOVEMBER 23rd:

In 1765, Frederick County, MD, became the first colonial entity to repudiate the British Stamp Act.

In 1804, Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, was born in Hillsboro, NH.

In 1876, William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, leader of New York City’s corrupt Tammany Hall political organization during the 1860s and early 1870s, was delivered to authorities in New York City after his capture in Spain.

In 1887, actor Boris Karloff was born in Honor Oak, London.

In 1888, actor/comedian/musician Harpo Marx was born in New York City.

In 1903, Enrico Caruso made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, appearing in "Rigoletto."

In 1914, the seven-month U.S. military occupation of Veracruz, Mexico, ended.

In 1916, actor Michael Gough, best-known for playing Alfred in the pre-Nolan “Batman” movies, was born in Kuala Lumpur, British Malaya.

In 1935, actor/artist Tom Neyman was born in Brownsville, TX. His later work on the film “Manos, The Hands of Fate” would be popularized via a certain cow town puppet show.

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. forces seized control of Tarawa and Makin atolls from the Japanese.

In 1957, the sci-fi/horror movie “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein” was released in the U.S. It starred Whit Bissell, and Susan Hart guards her rights to the movie very zealously.

In 1964, TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 707 bound for Athens, crashed during takeoff from Rome, killing 50 of the 73 people on board.

Also in 1964, the Beatles single “She’s a Woman”, backed with “I Feel Fine”, was released on the Parlophone label.

In 1971, the People's Republic of China was seated in the U.N. Security Council.

In 1972, the Soviet Union made its final attempt at successfully launching the N1 rocket. The rocket disintegrated following an explosion after launch.

In 1978, the Pinedale Shopping Mall in Cincinnati was bombed with live turkeys. Film at 11.

In 1979, Thomas McMahon, a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing and planting the bomb that killed Lord Louis Mountbatten and three others three months before.

In 1980, some 2,600 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan signed the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the C.I.A. the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

In 1983, “The Five Doctors”, the 20th Anniversary episode of “Doctor Who”, was first broadcast in the U.S. over PBS. It was broadcast in the UK two days later.

In 1987, part one of the “Doctor Who” serial “Dragonfire”, introducing Sophie Aldred as Ace, was first broadcast on BBC1.

In 1988, part one of “Silver Nemesis”, the 25th Anniversary story of “Doctor Who”, was first broadcast on BBC1.

Also in 1988, the Dickens-based comedy “Scrooged”, starring Bill Murray, was released in the U.S.

In 1989, following the completion of filming the “Doctor Who” serial “Survival”, Sylvester McCoy recorded the Seventh Doctor’s final monologue for the closing shot of part three showing the Doctor and Ace heading back to the TARDIS and further, unseen adventures. It was the last part of the last story of the series’ original run.

In 1996, a commandeered Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the water off the Comoros Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board, including all three hijackers.

Also In 1996, Bob Hope set a record for the longest continuous contract in the history of radio and television when his last TV special aired. Hope had been with NBC for 60 years.

In 2011, after 11 months of protests in Yemen, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a deal to transfer power to the vice president, in exchange for legal immunity.

In 2013, “The Day of the Doctor”, the 50th Anniversary episode of “Doctor Who”, was first broadcast on BBC 1 and in theatres.

Also in 2013, the parody “The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot” premièred on BBC Red Button.

In 2015, Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle became the first rocket to successfully fly to space and then return to Earth for a controlled, vertical landing.

In 2016, baseball pitcher Ralph Branca, who pitched in the MLB for twelve seasons, died in Rye, NY at age 90. He’s best-known for throwing the pitch that Bobby Thomson hit for the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”, allowing the Giants to win the NL pennant.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 24th:

In 1784, Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, was born in Orange County, Virginia.

In 1835, the Texas Provincial Government authorized the creation of a horse-mounted police force called the Texas Rangers.

In 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species,” which explained his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

In 1916, writer/editor/memorabilia collector Forrest J. Ackerman was born in Los Angeles.

In 1921, radio station 5XB (now WTAW) of College Station, TX, broadcast the first play-by-play description, in Morse code, of a football game, between Texas University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. (The game ended in a scoreless tie.)

In 1941, musician Pete Best, the original drummer for the Beatles, was born in Madras, British India.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. bombers based on Saipan attacked Tokyo in the first raid against the Japanese capital by land-based planes.

In 1948, the film noir thriller “He Walked By Night”, starring Richard Basehart, premiered in Los Angeles. Co-star Jack Webb would later work with technical advisor LAPD Sgt. Marty Wynn in developing the idea for Webb’s radio series “Dragnet”.

In 1950, the musical "Guys and Dolls," based on the writings of Damon Runyon and featuring songs by Frank Loesser, opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theater.

Also in 1950, the “Storm of the Century”, a violent snowstorm, took shape on this date before paralyzing the northeastern U.S. and the Appalachians the next day, bringing winds up to 100 mph and sub-zero temperatures. Pickens, West Virginia, recorded 57 inches of snow. Three hundred fifty-three people would die as a result of the storm.

In 1957, actress/producer Denise Crosby was born in Hollywood. Her ill-fated service aboard Enterprise-D would come later.

In 1962, the original British version of the satirical series “That Was the Week That Was” premiered on BBC 1.

In 1963, in the first live, televised murder, Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, was murdered two days after the assassination, by Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas Police Department headquarters.

In 1964, “The Project Strigas Affair”, an episode of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, premiered on NBC-TV. The supporting cast included William Shatner as a civilian chemist, and Leonard Nimoy as an enemy agent.

In 1969, the Apollo 12 command module splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, ending the second manned mission to land on the Moon.

In 1971, during a severe thunderstorm over Washington State, a hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (aka D.B. Cooper) parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money. He has never been found.

In 1972, the music series “In Concert” premiered on ABC-TV. Alice Cooper, Bo Diddley, and Seals & Crofts appeared in the first episode.

In 1974, the bone fragments of a 3.2 million-year-old hominid were discovered by scientists in Ethiopia; the skeletal remains were nicknamed "Lucy."

In 1983, “Sesame Street” was broadcast over PBS. That day’s episode dealt with the death of the character of Mr. Hooper, and has since been recognized as one of the best programs ever presented on children’s TV.

In 1988, “Mystery Science Theater 3000” premiered on Minneapolis UHF station KTMA-TV. The “movies” featured were the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson compilation features “Invaders from the Deep” and “Revenge of the Mysterons”. And, until 2016, fan copies of those episodes were all but unknown.

In 1990, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” the episode featuring the 1951 movie “Lost Continent” premiered on Comedy Central. Thus was the world introduced to the horror of “rock climbing”.

In 2010, the Disney animated movie “Tangled” was released in the U.S. and Canada.

In 2014, it was announced that a grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, had decided against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. Following the announcement, a second wave of looting and vandalism occurred in the area of the shooting.

Also in 2014, a hacker group which identified itself by the name "Guardians of Peace" (GOP) leaked a release of confidential data from Sony Pictures. The data included personal information about Sony Pictures employees and their families, e-mails between employees, information about executive salaries at the company, copies of then-unreleased Sony films, and other information.

In 2016, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia-People’s Army signed a revised peace deal, bringing an end to the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war.

 

If I may...

ON NOVEMBER 25th:

In 1783, the British evacuated New York, their last military position in the United States during the Revolutionary War.

In 1863, during the Civil War, at Missionary Ridge in Tennessee, Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant broke the Siege of Chattanooga by routing Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Confederate agents set a series of arson fires in New York; the blazes were quickly extinguished.

In 1876, in retaliation for the American defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, U.S. Army troops sacked Chief Dull Knife’s sleeping Cheyenne village at the headwaters of the Powder River.

In 1908, the first issue of “The Christian Science Monitor” was published.

In 1914, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio was born in Martinez, CA.

In 1920, actor Ricardo Montalban was born in Mexico City, years before playing Jim Kirk’s deadliest enemy.

Also in 1920, actress Noel Neill was born in Minneapolis, MN, years before playing a colleague of a certain mild-mannered reporter.

In addition in 1920, actress Shelagh Fraser was born in Purley, Surrey, England, years before playing Luke’s aunt.

In 1926, the deadliest November tornado outbreak in U.S. history struck on Thanksgiving Day. Twenty-seven twisters of great strength were reported in the Midwest, including the strongest November tornado, an estimated F4, that devastated Heber Springs, AR. There were 51 deaths in Arkansas alone, 76 deaths and over 400 injuries in all.

Also in 1926, actor Jeffrey Hunter was born in New Orleans, LA, years before (briefly) taking command of U.S.S. Enterprise.

In 1947, The “Hollywood Ten” were blacklisted by Hollywood movie studios.

Also in 1947, New Zealand ratified the Statute of Westminster and thus became independent of legislative control by the United Kingdom.

In 1952, "The Mousetrap," a murder-mystery written by the novelist and playwright Agatha Christie, opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London; it would go on to become the longest continuously running play in history.

In 1963, the body of President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1965, the first color broadcast of an NFL game aired on CBS. The Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Colts played to a 24-24 tie.

`In 1971, actress Christina Applegate was born in Hollywood.

In 1976, The Band gave its final performance in San Francisco. The concert was documented in the movie "The Last Waltz."

In 1969, John Lennon returned his MBE medal to the Queen to protest Britain's support for U.S. involvement to Vietnam, among other things. The other three Beatles kept their medals, which they received in 1965.

In 1984, William Schroeder of Jasper, IN, became the second man to receive a Jarvik-7 artificial heart, at Humana Hospital Audubon in Kentucky. (Schroeder lived 620 days on the device.)

Also in 1984, the Ethiopian famine relief song "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid was recorded in London. The session was organized by singer Bob Geldof.

Also in 1984, “Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure” premiered on ABC-TV, under its original title, “The Ewok Adventure”.

In 1986, the Iran-Contra affair erupted as President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels.

In 1998, “Sleeping in Light”, the series finale of “Babylon 5”, was broadcast on TNT.

In 1999, 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez was rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida, setting off an international custody battle.

In 2002, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security, and appointed Tom Ridge to be its head.

In 2016, Joel Hodgson announced that digital copies of the first two episodes of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (episodes K-01 “Invaders from the Deep” and K-02 “Revenge of the Mysterons”) had been released for those who supported the Kickstarter campaign to revive the series.

And in 3978, an ANSA spacecraft, reportedly named Icarus, will return to Earth following an extended voyage in deep space at near lightspeed. Reportedly, mission commander Col. George Taylor and two of his crew will survive the unplanned splashdown.