On October 4, 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on one of the most iconic monuments in U.S. history—Mount Rushmore. This ambitious project, carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota, features the towering faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It took 14 years to complete and remains a symbol of American leadership and vision.
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In 1777, General George Washington’s troops launched a daring assault on British forces at Germantown, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolutionary War. Despite initial success, the dense fog and miscommunication among American forces led to heavy casualties. This battle was part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to challenge British control of Philadelphia, the revolutionary capital.
In 1957, the Space Age officially began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, into orbit. Weighing about 184 pounds, Sputnik 1 circled the Earth every 96 minutes and sent radio pulses that could be detected by scientists worldwide. This event ignited the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, forever changing the course of technological development.
In 1965, Pope Paul VI made history by becoming the first pontiff to visit the Western Hemisphere. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he called for world peace amid Cold War tensions. His visit marked a turning point in the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world, emphasizing the Church’s role in advocating for global harmony.
In 1970, rock legend Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at the age of 27, a tragic end to her short but influential career. Known for her powerful voice and raw emotion, Joplin was a central figure in the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Her death, likely due to a heroin overdose, has contributed to the mythos of the “27 Club,” a group of iconic musicians who died at that young age.
In 2001, tragedy struck when a Russian airliner flying from Israel to Siberia was accidentally shot down by a Ukrainian antiaircraft missile over the Black Sea, killing all 78 people aboard. Investigations later revealed that the missile was part of a Ukrainian military exercise gone wrong. This incident worsened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and remains a painful memory for the families affected.
In 2002, John Walker Lindh, known as the “American Taliban,” received a 20year sentence after pleading guilty to supporting the Taliban. In a dramatic courtroom moment, Lindh tearfully asked for forgiveness before the judge. His capture in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks had shocked the U.S., and his trial highlighted the complexities of international terrorism and loyalty. He was released from prison in 2019 after serving 17 years.
In 2004, the SpaceShipOne rocket plane made its second successful trip to the edge of space within five days, capturing the $10 million Ansari X Prize. This event marked a significant milestone in private space exploration, demonstrating that space travel was not limited to government agencies like NASA. It was a key moment in the commercialization of space, paving the way for future space tourism.
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 12
Today in History: On November 12: 1954, Ellis Island officially closed as an immigration station and detention center. More than 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States via Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. 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., and gave 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 1970, the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The deadliest tropical cyclone on record claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000-500,000 people.
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.
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