On November 12, 1954, Ellis Island officially closed its doors as an immigration station and detention center, marking the end of an era in American immigration history. Since its opening in 1892, Ellis Island had served as the gateway for over 12 million immigrants, profoundly shaping the cultural landscape of the United States. The closing of Ellis Island symbolized both a shift in immigration policy and the transformation of America’s identity. Today, Ellis Island stands as a historical site, reminding us of the hopes and dreams that fueled generations of immigrants who helped build the nation.
Also on This Date:
In 1927, Josef Stalin consolidated his power as the supreme leader of the Soviet Union with the expulsion of Leon Trotsky from the Communist Party. This marked a significant turn in Soviet politics, initiating a period of intense political repression and authoritarian rule. Stalin’s iron grip on the Soviet Union led to radical economic reforms and brutal purges, shaping the course of Soviet history and leaving a lasting legacy on global politics.
In 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to the public after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signaled the start of traffic by pressing a telegraph key from Washington, D.C. The bridge, spanning over 4 miles, was a monumental feat of engineering and infrastructure, connecting San Francisco and Oakland and fueling economic growth in the Bay Area. This achievement symbolized America’s confidence and resilience during the Great Depression, highlighting the power of public works projects to transform communities.
In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other Japanese leaders were sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal for their roles in World War II atrocities. This trial marked a pivotal moment in post-war history, as it held key military and political figures accountable for actions that resulted in immense suffering across Asia and the Pacific. The tribunal’s decisions helped establish principles of international justice that continue to influence global human rights standards today.
In 1970, the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh, resulting in the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, with an estimated death toll of 300,000 to 500,000 people. The tragedy highlighted the vulnerability of low-lying coastal regions and brought global attention to disaster preparedness and relief efforts. The cyclone’s devastation also intensified political tensions in Pakistan, contributing to the independence movement that ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Today in History: November 14
Today in History: November 14. On November 14, 1889, journalist Nellie Bly began an attempt to travel around the world in 80 days; she would successfully complete the journey in just over 72 days. In 1851, Herman Melville’s novel ‘Moby-Dick; Or, The Whale’ was published in the United States, almost a month after being released in Britain. In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. In 1965, the U.S. Army’s first major military operation of the Vietnam War began with the start of the five-day Battle of Ia Drang.In 1993, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula became the NFL’s all-time winningest coach with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Today in History: November 13
Today in History: November 13:On Nov. 13, 2015, Islamic State militants carried out a set of coordinated attacks in Paris at the national stadium, in a crowded concert hall, in restaurants and on streets, killing 130 people in the worst attack on French soil since World War II. In 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling which found Alabama bus segregation laws were illegal. In 1971, the U.S. space probe Mariner 9 went into orbit around Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, DC. In 1985, some 23,000 residents of Armero, Colombia, died when a volcanic mudslide buried the city. In 2001, U.S.-backed Northern Alliance fighters in Afghanistan entered Kabul as Taliban forces retreated from the capital city.
Today in History: November 11
Today in History: November 11: On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I ended as the Allies and Germany signed an armistice aboard a railroad car in the Forest of Compiègne in northern France. In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, calling for a “civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation.” In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding. In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off on a four-day mission with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard; it was the tenth and final crewed flight of NASA’s Gemini program.
Today in History: November 10
Today in History: November 10: On Nov. 10, 1898, in Wilmington, North Carolina, a mob of as many as 2,000 white supremacists killed dozens of African Americans, burned Black-owned businesses and forced the mayor, police chief and aldermen to resign at gunpoint, before installing their own mayor and city council in what became known as the “Wilmington Coup.” Other events of November 10. In 1775, the United States Marine Corps was established when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to raise two battalions of Marines to support naval forces in the Revolutionary War. In 1954, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Arlington, Virginia. In 1969, the children’s educational program “Sesame Street” made its debut on National Educational Television. In 1975, the Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank after being caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior; all 29 crew members were lost. In 2019, Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned after weeks of public protests in response to alleged election fraud in Bolivia’s general election the previous month.
  | Better Yourself, Lead Others 
| Personal Development Life Coach Certification 
|  
|
