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Today is Thursday, November 14, the 319th day of 2024. There are 47 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On November 14, 1889, journalist Nellie Bly began an attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days; she would successfully complete the journey in just over 72 days.
Also on this date:
In 1851 the novel “Moby-Dick” was published; Or, The Whale” was published in the United States almost a month after its release in Britain.
In 1910, Eugene B. Ely became the first aviator to take off from a ship when his Curtiss pusher rolled off an inclined platform onto the deck of the scout cruiser USS Birmingham near Hampton Roads, Virginia.
In 1940, during the Second World War, German bombing destroyed much of the English city of Coventry.
In 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first black child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans.
In 1965, the US Army’s first major military operation of the Vietnam War began with the start of the five-day Battle of Ia Drang.
In 1969, Apollo 12 headed to the moon, three months after Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to land on it.
In 1970, a chartered Southern Airways plane crashed while trying to land in West Virginia, killing all 75 people on board, including Marshall University’s football team and its coaching staff.
In 1972, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 1,000 for the first time, ending the day at 1,003.16.
In 1993, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula became the NFL’s all-time winningest coach with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2020, supporters of President Donald Trump, unwilling to accept Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory, rallied in cities across the country, including Washington, DC, where thousands gathered.
Today’s Birthdays:
- British King Charles III is 76.
- Filmmaker Zhang Yimou is 74.
- Musician Yanni is 70.
- Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is 70.
- Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault is 70.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Jack Sikma is 69.
- Former presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett is 68.
- Rapper Joseph Simmons (Reverend Run of Run-DMC) is 60.
- News anchor Bill Hemmer is 60.
- Actor Josh Duhamel is 52.
- Rock drummer Travis Barker is 49.
- Actor-comedian Vanessa Bayer is 43.
- Tennis star Sofia Kenin is 26.