Today in History: Nov. 4

Workmen remove an object from  the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, Feb. 1923.  (AP Photo)
In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered in Egypt. Here, workmen remove an object from the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, Feb. 1923. (AP Photo)
On Nov. 4, 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some of them, it was the start of 444 days of captivity. FILE – In this Nov. 9, 1979 file photo, one of the hostages seized when Islamic radicals stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, blindfolded and with his hands bound, is displayed to the crowd outside the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by the Iranian hostage takers. For a year leading up to the presidential election, Democratic President Jimmy Carter had been trying to secure the release of American hostages in Iran. He failed and they were not released until Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. (AP Photo/File)
Former California Governor Ronald Reagan, Republican candidate for President, and his wife Nancy, raise their arms in response to loud applause as they stand on the podium, March 8, 1976 in Lake Worth, Fla. The rally for Reagan, was held at the Palm Beach Junior College. (AP Photo/Robert H. Houston)
On this date in 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin. Here, Reagan displays a clipping showing victory on Nov. 04, 1980, over Carter. (AP-Photo/j/stf)
Former Presidents, from left, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon shown in the courtyard during the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Nov. 4, 1991.  This photo was autographed by each of the heads of state. The five former presidents reportedly made a pact to sign only a limited number of photographs from the photo session in 1991, a deal that could net each up to $1.5 million. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander)
In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, California; attending were President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon  — the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives.  (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander)
In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally. FILE – In this Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 file photo, an Israeli worker hangs up a billboard with a portrait of late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, ahead of a memorial rally for the 20th anniversary of his assassination at Rabin square in Tel Aviv, Israe.Twenty years after Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down by a Jewish extremist opposed to his negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel is more divided than ever over Mideast peacemaking _ and the people who opposed the assassinated premier with vitriol, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, now have a firm grip on power. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)
In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain. FILE – In this Nov. 5, 2008, file photo, New York City newspapers are displayed in New York. Clockwise from top left are: The New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News and Newsday. Newspapers are printing extra copies and setting up temporary retail stands after recalling the frenzy for an ink-stained memento after Barack Obama’s historic win in 2008. Many people now rely on Facebook and apps for news, but a screenshot doesn’t have quite the same romance as a newspaper’s front page. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
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Workmen remove an object from  the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, Feb. 1923.  (AP Photo)
Former California Governor Ronald Reagan, Republican candidate for President, and his wife Nancy, raise their arms in response to loud applause as they stand on the podium, March 8, 1976 in Lake Worth, Fla. The rally for Reagan, was held at the Palm Beach Junior College. (AP Photo/Robert H. Houston)
Former Presidents, from left, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon shown in the courtyard during the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Nov. 4, 1991.  This photo was autographed by each of the heads of state. The five former presidents reportedly made a pact to sign only a limited number of photographs from the photo session in 1991, a deal that could net each up to $1.5 million. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander)

Today is Monday, Nov. 4, the 308th day of 2019. There are 57 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Nov. 4, 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.

On this date:

In 1862, inventor Richard J. Gatling received a U.S. patent for his rapid-fire Gatling gun.

In 1879, humorist Will Rogers was born in Oologah, Oklahoma.

In 1916, CBS newsman Walter Cronkite was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered in Egypt.

In 1955, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young died in Newcomerstown, Ohio, at age 88.

In 1956, Soviet troops moved in to crush the Hungarian Revolution.

In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some of them, it was the start of 444 days of captivity.

In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, California; attending were President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon — the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally.

In 2001, Hurricane Michelle roared across Cuba, forcing the government to shut down power for much of the communist island and evacuate 750,000 people. The Arizona Diamondbacks won their first World Series by beating the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7.

In 2007, King Tutankhamen’s face was unveiled for the first time to the public more than 3,000 years after the pharaoh was buried in his Egyptian tomb.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain. California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, overturning a state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months earlier.

Ten years ago: An Italian judge convicted 23 Americans in absentia along with two Italians in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA’s extraordinary renditions program. The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui’s record-tying six RBIs. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was released after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal.

Five years ago: Riding a powerful wave of voter discontent, resurgent Republicans captured control of the Senate and tightened their grip on the House during the 2014 elections. A Russian member of the Taliban made his first appearance in a federal court in Richmond, Virginia, marking the first time a military detainee from Afghanistan had been brought to the U.S. for trial. (In August 2015, a federal jury convicted Irek Hamidullin of planning and leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan; he was sentenced to life in prison.)

One year ago: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and Mary Keitany of Kenya were the men’s and women’s winners in the New York City Marathon, which organizers said had set a record for the most finishers of any marathon worldwide – 52,812. The Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” collected $50 million in weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada on its opening weekend, beating expectations.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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