ALMANAC

Today is Sunday, Nov. 12, the 316th day of 2017. There are 49 days left in the year.

Highlight in history

On Nov. 12, 1942, the World War II naval Battle of Guadalcanal began. (The Allies ended up winning a major victory over Japanese forces.)

On this date

In 1927, Josef Stalin became the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union as Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party.

In 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland

Bay Bridge opened as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in Washington, D.C., giving the green light to traffic.

In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other World War II Japanese leaders were sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal.

In 1969, news of the My Lai Massacre carried out by U.S. forces in South Vietnam in March 1968 was broken by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh.

In 1987, the American Medical Association issued a policy statement saying it was unethical for a doctor to refuse to treat someone solely because that person had AIDS or was HIV-positive.

In 1992, the British situation comedy “Absolutely Fabulous,” starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, premiered on BBC2 Television.

Today’s birthdays

Singer Brian Hyland is 74. Sportscaster Al Michaels is 73. Singersongwriter Neil Young is 72. Actress Megan Mullally is 59. Olympic gold medal gymnast Nadia Comaneci is 56. Retired MLB All-Star Sammy Sosa is 49. Figure skater Tonya Harding is 47. Actor Ryan Gosling is 37. Actress Anne Hathaway is 35.