Today’s highlight in history
On Nov. 30, 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens — better known as Mark Twain — was born in Florida, Mo.
On this date
In 1782, the United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris for ending the Revolutionary War; the Treaty of Paris was signed in September 1783. In 1874, British statesman Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace. In 1900, Irish writer Oscar Wilde died in Paris at age 46.
In 1977, Bing Crosby’s final Christmas TV special, “Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas,” aired on CBS. In 1982, the Michael Jackson album “Thriller” was released by Epic Records. In 1987, American author James Baldwin died in Saint Paul de Vence, France, at age 63.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Bill, which required a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks of prospective buyers. Ten years ago: An Amtrak train and a freight train collided on a track on Chicago’s South Side, injuring dozens of people. Five years ago: Israel approved the construction of 3,000 homes in Jewish settlements on occupied lands, drawing condemnation from the Palestinians a day after their successful bid for recognition by the United Nations.
One year ago: Air conditioning company Carrier Corp. said it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,100 jobs in Indiana instead of moving them to Mexico; however, some 600 other jobs were still eliminated by outsourcing.