Today in History
Today is Monday, Nov. 8, the 312th day of 2021. There are 53 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Nov. 8, 2000, a statewide recount began in Florida, which emerged as critical in deciding the winner of the 2000 presidential election. Earlier that day, Vice President Al Gore had telephoned Texas Gov. George W. Bush to concede, but called back about an hour later to retract his concession.
On this date:
In 1793, the Louvre began admitting the public, even though the French museum had been officially open since August.
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won re-election as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan.
In 1889, Montana became the 41st state.
In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power in Germany with a failed coup in Munich that came to be known as the “Beer-Hall Putsch.”
In 1950, during the Korean War, the first jet-plane battle took place as U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.
In 1960, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency.
In 1966, Republican Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California, defeating Democratic incumbent Pat Brown.
In 1972, the premium cable TV network HBO (Home Box Office) made its debut with a showing of the movie “Sometimes a Great Notion.”
In 1974, a federal judge in Cleveland dismissed charges against eight Ohio National Guardsmen accused of violating the civil rights of students who were killed or wounded in the 1970 Kent State shootings.
In 2002, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1441, aimed at forcing Saddam Hussein to disarm or face “serious consequences.” President George W. Bush said the new resolution presented the Iraqi regime “with a final test.”
In 2010, former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart took the stand in Salt Lake City on the first day of testimony in the trial of Brian David Mitchell, the man accused of abducting her in June 2002 when she was 14.
In 2012, Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the January 2011 shootings in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Ten years ago: An asteroid as big as an aircraft carrier zipped by Earth in the closest encounter by such a massive space rock in more than three decades. Voters re-elected Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Steve Beshear, and picked a new governor in Mississippi, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant. Bil Keane, 89, creator of the comic strip “Family Circus,” died in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Rapper Heavy D, 44, died in Los Angeles.
Five years ago: Republican Donald Trump was elected America’s 45th president, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton in an astonishing victory for a celebrity businessman and political novice. Republicans kept their majorities in the Senate and House.
One year ago: World leaders cheered Joe Biden’s election as U.S. president as a chance to enhance cooperation on climate change, the coronavirus and other problems after four years of President Donald Trump’s rejection of international alliances. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency and ordered a statewide mask mandate in an attempt to stem a surge in coronavirus patient hospitalizations that tested the state’s hospital capacity. Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek died at his Los Angeles home after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly two years; he was 80.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Alain Delon is 86. Singer-actor Bonnie Bramlett is 77. Singer Bonnie Raitt is 72. TV personality Mary Hart is 71. Former Playboy Enterprises chairman and chief executive Christie Hefner is 69. Actor Alfre Woodard is 69. Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 67. Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is 67. Rock musician Pearl Thompson (The Cure) is 64. Singer-actor Leif Garrett is 60. Chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay is 55. Actor Courtney Thorne-Smith is 54. Actor Parker Posey is 53. Actor Roxana Zal is 52. Singer Diana King is 51. Actor Gonzalo Menendez is 50. Rock musician Scott Devendorf (The National) is 49. Actor Gretchen Mol is 49. ABC News anchor David Muir is 48. Actor Matthew Rhys is 47. Actor Tara Reid is 46. Country singer Bucky Covington is 44. Actor Dania Ramirez is 42. Actor Azura Skye is 40. Actor Chris Rankin is 38. TV personality Jack Osbourne is 36. Actor Jessica Lowndes is 33. R&B singer SZA is 32. New York Yankees outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is 32. Singer-actor Riker Lynch is 30. Country singer Lauren Alaina is 27. Actor Van Crosby (TV: “Splitting Up Together”) is 19.
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