TODAY INHISTORY
Today isWednesday, Nov. 11.
TODAY’SHIGHLIGHT
OnNov. 11,1918, fighting in WorldWar I ended as the Allies andGermany signed an armistice in the Forest of Compiegne.
ONTHISDATE:
In1620,41 Pilgrims aboard theMayflower, anchored offMassachusetts, signed a compact calling fora“body politick.”
In 1831, formerslave Nat Turner, who’dled a slave uprising, was executed in Jerusalem, Virginia.
In 1889, Washingtonbecame the 42nd state.
In 1921, the remains ofan unidentifiedAmerican servicememberwere interredin aTombof the UnknownSoldier at Arlington NationalCemetery in a ceremonypresided overby PresidentWarren G. Harding. In 1929, theAmbassador Bridge spanning theDetroit Riverbetween Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, was dedicated.
In 1942, duringWorldWar
II, Germanycompletedits occupation ofFrance. In1966, Gemini 12 blastedoff on a four-day mission with astronautsJamesA. Lovell and Edwin“Buzz”Aldrin Jr. aboard; itwas the tenth and final flight ofNASA’s Gemini program.
In 1972, theU.S. Armyturned over itsbase at Long Binh to theSouth Vietnamese, symbolizing the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the VietnamWar.
In1987, following the failure of two SupremeCourt nominations, President RonaldReagan announced his choice ofJudgeAnthony M. Kennedy, whowent on to win confirmation.
In1992, the Church of
England votedto ordain womenas priests.
In1998, President Clinton orderedwarships, planes and troops to thePersian Gulf as he laid out his case fora possible attackon Iraq. Iraq, meanwhile, showedno sign ofbacking downfrom its refusal to deal withU.N. weapons inspectors. Tenyears ago: Adisabled CarnivalSplendor cruise liner inched intoSan Diego Bay after three nightmarish days adrift on thePacific, bringing cheers frompassengers whodescribed trying to pass the time with limited food, backed-up toilets and dark cabins.
Fiveyearsago: Theworld’s two biggest beermakers, ABInBevandSABMiller, announced theywould join forces in a $107 billionmerger to create a company that would produce almost a thirdof theworld’sbeer. Phil Taylor, 61, a formerdrummer with the heavymetalband Motorheadnicknamed “PhilthyAnimal,”died in London.
Oneyearago: Adayafter steppingdownamidelection fraudallegations, former BolivianPresidentEvo Morales saidhewasheaded forMexico; hissupportersand foes clashedonthe streetsof theBolivian capital following his resignation.(Morales would settle inArgentina; hesaid afterhisparty’s victory inOctoberelections thatheplanned toreturn to Bolivia.) SpaceXlaunched 60mini satellites froma Falconrocket; theyjoined 60others thathadbeen launched inMay.Australia’s most populous state, New SouthWales, declareda stateofemergencybecause ofunprecedentedwildfire danger.