This Day in History.

NOV. 9th.

1921 Germany Albert Einstein: Albert Einstein receives the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".

1922 Turkey Constantinople: Fear and unrest set in after a British soldier was killed in Constantinople by the Turks. However, allied forces remained strong. They were confident that the Turkish government would no longer demand that Great Britain and other forces leave this city. Incidentally, Constantinople is now the present-day Istanbul, the most populous city in Turkey. This change took place in 1931, which was almost ten years after the killing of the British soldier.

1931 China Declare War on Japan: General Mah Chang Shan of the Chinese Heilungkieng province had declared war on Japan. Heilungkieng, which is located in Northern Manchuria, was a region cut of by the Japanese from the rest of China at this time.

1938 Germany Campaign of Terror Against Jews: German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria leaving at least 100 dead and over 30,000 arrested and sent to concentration camps . This provided the prelude to the Holocaust in Germany. Over 100,000 German Jews left Germany realizing that they would not be safe. The world powers were outraged by what the Nazis had done but the strongest they did was to break off diplomatic relations which allowed Nazis to commit the mass murder of 6 million European Jews during the Holocaust. {MY COMMENT: "IF WE DON'T REMEBER HISTORY WE WILL REPEAT IT!"}

1940 Germany Nazi: This was normally a Nazi memorial day for those who had died assisting this political party in its rise to power. However, this particular memorial day in 1940 was set aside as a German “work day”. The main order of business on this chosen day was to “hammer Britain into submission.” In other words, the purpose of this day was to try to win Great Britain to the Axis (enemy of Great Britain, U.S.A. etc.) side during World War II.

1956 Hungary Street Fighting: Street fighting broke out in the streets of Budapest. The Russian-Supported Hungarian government took action to stop this fighting, which was started by “doggedly resisting rebels”.

1960 U.S.A. John F Kennedy: Senator John F Kennedy wins the election for the president of the United States.

1963 Japan Disaster: A two-in-one disaster occurred in Japan. The Miike coal mine has a major explosion causing the deaths of more than 400, most from carbon monoxide poisoning, and at the same time a three-train crash leaves more than 150 dead.

1965 U.S.A. / Canada Blackout: A blackout affecting 30 million people in northeastern states including New York of the United States and Ontario, Canada lasting for up to 13 hours. The blackout was blamed on a sophisticated power system that was ironically built to ensure electricity would be available in an emergency. The blackout affected Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts , New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey.

1967 U.S.A. Apollo 4: Hopes that the latest successful launch of Apollo 4 on the Saturn V launch vehicle gives NASA renewed hope that the US can still land a man on the moon sometime before the end of the decade.

1967 U.S.A. Rolling Stone Magazine: First issue of Rolling Stone Magazine founded by Jann Wenner about music, popular culture and politics is published. Image is from the first published issue featuring John Lennon.

1970 France Charles de Gaulle: General Charles de Gaulle, has died of a heart attack. He was a wartime hero and former president of France and is seen as one of the greatest leaders France ever had as he was a leading member of the resistance movement against German rule in World War II.

1973 Egypt Peace Plan: Although the signing of the Middle East Peace plan was scheduled but Israel sought further clarification. The terms of this treaty would be discussed further and the signing was delayed until November 11th.

1979 UK Carl Bridgewater: Four men are found guilty of killing 12-year-old paperboy Carl Bridgewater at Yew Tree Farm. 18 years later the convictions were quashed for the "Bridgewater Four" when the Court of Appeal ruled they did not have a fair trial because Staffordshire Police had fabricated evidence to persuade Mr Molloy to confess.

1979 Canada Mississauga Train Derailment: A Canadian Pacific freight train carrying dangerous chemicals is derailed causing an explosion and a fireball that could be seen from 40 miles away. The spillage also released toxic fumes from chlorine mixing with other chemicals on the train causing over 200,000 people to be evacuated in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

1985 U.S.A. Princess Diana: A special “black tie dinner” and Gala is planned. The guests of honor of this spectacular social event were Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales. Incidentally, Princess Diana is no longer living. She died in a car accident in 1997. Prince Charles is currently married to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

1989 Germany Berlin Wall Opens Up: East Germany opened its borders today, allowing its citizens to freely cross into the West for the first time since the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. Some Germans used hammers to chip away at the Berlin Wall for keepsakes or in their own small way try to destroy the infamous symbol of East-West division.

1995 U.S.A. Spending Bill: Officials at the White House announced that there was no chance in reaching a decision in Congress regarding a certain spending bill. At the same time, Republicans were pushing to see the size of government reduced, and threat of government shutdown was in order.

2002 U.S.A. US Canada Border: Leon Boya, a U.S. citizen who lives a mere 500 yards from the U.S./Canadian border, marked his territory, by way of a simple declaration. Boya explained that it was possible for people to illegally cross the U.S. border, but in order to do so they “got to get by the neighbors.”

2005 Jordan Suicide Bombers: Three suicide bombers carry out simultaneous attacks on three hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing 60 victims, and wounding hundreds of others.

2006 Argentina Argentina seeks Rafsanjani arrest: An Argentine judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani over the 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires. The federal judge also issued international arrest warrants for eight other ex-Iranian officials.

2007 United States Oil spill in San Francisco bay: Governor Schwarzenegger has declares a state of emergency to help fight the oil spill that is threatening the coast of northern California. He orders all available resources to be deployed to tackle the 219,500 liter spill, which is putting wildlife and beaches at risk. The spill occurred on November 7th, when a container ship struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

2009 Germany Remembering the downfall of the Berlin Wall: World leaders have remembered the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, was joined by Russia's Dmitry Medvedev and France's Nicolas Sarkozy at the Brandenburg Gate. In a video address, Barack Obama told them that the Berliners had rebuked tyranny on November 9, 1989.

Kristalnacht on the same day as the fall of the Berlin Wall. 55 years of dictatorships finally ended.

NOV. 10th.

1775 USA: Birth of the United States Marine Corps

1923 Holland Former Crown Prince: A former crown prince held hostage in Holland had recently escaped. This has caused great fear among the Allied Nations (countries opposed to Germany in World War I). It had seemed that the return of the captured prince was tied to General Erich Ludendorff’s attempt to restore monarchy in Bavaria, a German Province.

1931 China Japan: The Chinese had denied any claims of war declaration. Word spread the day before that the Chinese had declared war on the Japanese, who had seized a large portion of Northeast China (Manchuria) at the time.

1938 U.S.A. God Bless America: Kate Smith sings a rendition of Irvin Berlin's 'God Bless America' during a special Armistice Day broadcast which turned the song into an instant hit. What many do not realize is Irvin Berlin gave the royalties of the song to the God Bless America Fund for redistribution to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the USA.

1941 U.S.A. Piano Concerto in B Flat: The “Piano Concerto in B Flat” by the Freddy Martin Orchestra hits the top of the Billboard Pop charts. The bandleader’s popularity resulted in him bringing his band to Hollywood and appearing in several films throughout the 1940s, including “Melody Time” and “Stage Door Canteen.”

1944 World War II Philippines: The struggle for control of the Philippines was predicted at this time to be long and hard. A total of 35,000 Japanese troops had just entered the province of Leyte. Americans were hard at battle in this area as well. Furthermore, the United States was seemingly discouraged that the Japanese were able to quickly replace severe military losses so quickly. However, the American General Douglas Mc Arthur was not ready to give up.

1951 U.S.A. Direct Dial Calling Introduced: Direct-dial, coast-to-coast telephone services begin as Mayor M. Leslie Denning of Englewood, New Jersey, called his counterpart in Alameda, California.

1954 Kenya Mau Mau rebels: At least 35 so-called “anti-white Mau Mau rebels” had been killed by British security forces within 24 hours. About 25 of these said rebels were shot down along the banks of the Tana River. The news reported this as one of the most successful attacks against anti-white rebels for some time. This was one of the battle incidences that occurred during the time of the Mau Mau Uprising which took place between 1952 and 1954. The British had won over the Mau Mau people. However, the country of Kenya had still received almost everything they had demanded from the British, as a military incentive. Eventually, Kenya was turned into a democracy.

1954 U.S.A. Marine Corps War Memorial: The Iwo Jima statue is unveiled at the USMC War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. The cast bronze memorial is based on the iconic photo of the raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal and President Dwight D. Eisenhower performs the dedication ceremony.

1960 England Lady Chatterley's Lover: Lady Chatterley's Lover which has been banned in England since it's publication in 1928 and which Penguin fought and won the right in a well publicised trial last month to publish the book in paperback 30 years later. It sold out of 200,000 copies on it's first day. DH Lawrence's sexually explicit novel was published in Italy in 1928 and in Paris the following year but has been banned in the UK till now it became available this morning in paperback for 3s 6d. (about 17p in today's money).

1963 Venezuela Riots: Riots started by high school students broke out all over Coro and Valencia, Venezuela. These acts of violence were started in order to disrupt campaigns for upcoming December elections. The youth was allegedly being exploited by the local Communist party, which many of their teachers were a part of. This was one of many student demonstrations that had taken place within two weeks

1969 U.S.A. Sesame Street: Sesame Street known for its Muppet characters, created by the late Jim Henson makes it's debut on PBS. It is one of the longest-running U.S. television shows in history, and is syndicated worldwide because of it's mix of education and entertainment.

1973 USA Slaughterhouse Five: Newspapers in North Dakota report that over 35 copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five” are burned. Many residents felt that the book was too pessimistic and it was not appropriate for school-aged children.

1973 Middle East Middle East Peace Document: Israel declared not ready to Sign Middle East Peace Document . This treaty, which included a six-point plan, would require further discussion on the part of the Israelis before a decision would be made.
The six-point plan of this Middle East peace treaty included the following aspects:
Suez Canal cease-fire, UN-initiated separations of forces and Israeli withdrawal, food and other supplies sent to Suez daily/wound citizens evacuated, no obstacle shall stop movement of non-military supplies to the Egyptian 3rd Army, Israel checkpoints replaced by UN checkpoints, and complete exchange of all prisoners.

1975 U.S.A. Edmund Fitzgerald: The Edmund Fitzgerald carrying Iron Ore sinks in Lake Superior in storm with winds up to 75 miles an hour, all 23 crew members are feared lost.

1982 Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev: Leonid Brezhnev the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union dies of a heart attack while in office.

1985 Philippines Ferdinand Marcos: News spread fast regarding the kidney transplants received by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. Two Filipino doctors confirmed that this surgery was performed by two American doctors.

1995 Nigeria Ken Saro-Wiwa: The writer and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was executed in Nigeria today despite worldwide pleas for clemency. Nigeria's military rulers ordered the execution of Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight other dissidents after being found guilty of involvement in four murders. Mr Saro-Wiwa and the others have insisted they were framed because of their opposition to the oil industry in the Niger-Delta region of southern Nigeria.

1995 Italy American Forces Network: Radio listeners in Naples, Italy struggled to hear the American Forces Network (AFN) broadcasts. Even monks at the nearby Mount Camaldoli sat closer together to listen more intently. The reason for the AFN broadcast trouble is that the station was working on its transmitters. The problem was expected to be resolved by the beginning of December.

1997 U.S.A. Louise Woodward: British au pair Louise Woodward has been freed from jail in the United States after her conviction for murdering a baby was reduced to manslaughter after Judge Zobel said he believed her actions were characterized not by malice but by confusion, inexperience and frustration.

1997 U.S.A. MCI / Worldcom: WorldCom and MCI Communications announce the largest merger in history at that point in time with a merger worth $37 billion.

2001 U.S.A. United Nations: President George W. Bush addresses the United Nations to ask for the international community’s help in combating terrorism around the world. He also pledged to take the fight against terrorism to any place where terrorists were harbored.

2002 Iraq Saddam Hussein: The U.S. President Bush and corresponding administration meant serious business at this time. They were going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Saddam Hussein followed through on the worldwide promise to disarm. UN Security Council members made demands on Hussein to destroy weapons of mass destruction or he would suffer serious consequences. Top governmental officials were keeping a close eye on Saddam Hussein.

2002 U.S.A. Tornadoes: A series of Tornadoes stretching from Louisiana to Pennsylvania, with Tennessee and Alabama the hardest hit on Veterans Day kills 36.

2006 U.S.A. Princeton has reported a 64% increase in applications from students in the UK: Princeton University has reported a 64% increase in applications this year from students in the UK. Princeton University said one hundred people had applied in comparison to the previous year's sixty-one applicants. The admissions dean Janet Rapelye told a conference in Britain that top US universities would be funding generous student support packages. British academics have said that the applications were symptomatic of British schools' growing disenchantment with UK universities. One advantage of the US courses is the breadth of study in the first two years, with no students specialising in any particular subject to begin with.

2009 U.S.A. Obama attends service to those killed at Foot Hood: Barack Obama has said that "no faith justifies" the killing of 13 people at Fort Hood. Hiss comments came during a memorial service for the victims of the shootings, and he met relatives of those who died. Major Hasan, who is accused of carrying out the massacre, was shot by police and still remains in hospital. US intelligence authorities have said they knew that Hasan had been in contact with a cleric sympathetic to al-Qaeda. Obama said that the mourners had come to "pay tribute to 13 men and women who were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home".

2011 U.S.A. There are still liberals infesting this country.

NOV. 11th.

1918 Germany Armistice Agreement: Germany facing invasion from the allies and with poor supplies of food and weapons signs armistice agreement with the allies bringing to and end World War I.

1921 U.S.A. Tomb of the Unknowns: President Warren G. Harding dedicates the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a white marble sarcophagus in Arlington National Cemetery with the inscription "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD".

1923 U.S.A. Tax Decreases: Effort was being made by Congress to reduce the nation’s tax assessment for the following year. This possible tax reduction was expected to be as high as $323,000,000. This new bill was scheduled to be submitted soon.

1926 U.S.A. U.S. Route 66: U.S. Route 66 running for 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles is established.

1931 China Japan: A new crew of Japanese troops was needed in Manchuria. At the same time, China threatened to increase its army if the League of Nations did not resolve disputes that affected this region.

1933 U.S.A. Dust Bowl: Strong winds strip the topsoil from the drought affected farms of South Dakota and within two days, dust from the storm had reached all the way to Albany, New York. This was just one of a number of winds that took topsoil from farmland due to the soil turning into dust through severe drought (Known as the Dust Bowl Years) Many changes in farming practices were learnt from these periods of time including introduction of hedges and other soil conservation techniques . The number and severity of dust storms increased over the next two years as the severe drought continued turning 100,000,000 acres of previously fertile farming land into dust bowls forcing farmers and their families to leave their land. The worst effected states were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota and Kansas.

1940 U.S.A. Armistice Day Storm: An early season blizzard beginning on Armistice Day and the next day creates havoc when it drops up to 27 inches of snow and with winds up to 80 MPH causing massive snowdrifts across the Midwest states including Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Because it was so early in the season many areas and people were not prepared and with communications and Transportation failing the death toll was a staggering 154 making it one of the most deadly storms recorded.

1944 World War II Metz: American forces moved further into the Metz area towards the Nied River, which is located in France Germany. German forces were strengthening at approximately the same rate .

1953 U.S.A. Armistice Day: Americans took part in another celebration of Armistice Day, which marked the anniversary of the end date of World War I. This was the last of the official Armistice Days in the United States. The following year (1954), this holiday became Veteran’s Day, and has become a holiday to honor all war heroes living or dead.

1954 U.S.A. Veteran’s Day: This is the first time ever that the Veteran’s Day was declared a national celebration.

1954 Great Britain Pensioners Revolt: Thousands of Pensioners take part in a rally in London calling for an increase in their pensions of 17s 6d (87p)taking a single persons pension to £2 10s per week .

1962 Argentina Oil Contracts: Relations between Argentina and America had weakened. The main cause of this deterioration in diplomacy was the U.S. attempt to end oil contracts made with this country.

1965 Rhodesia Independence: Mr Smith has made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain stating he is not willing to agree to the terms offered by Harold Wilson which included of giving the black majority population a fair share of power.

1966 U.S.A. Gemini: The spaceship Gemini was scheduled to launch at 3:46 EST from Cape Kennedy (present-day Cape Canaveral). The 12 astronauts on board were expected to carry out a four-day voyage.

1973 Middle East Peace Treaty: After quite a lengthy series of debate, Israel and Egypt finally signed a peace treaty. This particular document required cease-fire with the Suez Canal war zone. This was the first agreement signed between Israel and Arabs in 24 years.

1973 Chile World Cup: The Soviet Union refuses to play a World Cup Soccer match against the Chilean football team on November 21 if the match is held in Santiago. The International Football Federation had given the Soviets until the 11th November to decide whether they would play the game and the Federation disqualified the Soviet team from further participation in the World Cup .

1975 Angola Independence: The southern African state of Angola gains independence from former colonial power Portugal.

1985 U.S.A. Plane Crash: Two private planes collided into New York suburb homes. Five residential buildings started on fire and at least five people were killed.

1987 U.S.A. Irises: Sotheby's (U.S.A.) sell the painting "Irises" by Vincent Van Gogh for the record price of $49m a world record for a work of art.

1989 England Jaguar: Jaguar becomes a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company.

1990 Morocco Persian Gulf: The Morocco King Hassan requested than an emergency meeting be held. He invited prominent Arab leaders of the world to attend. The purpose of this summit was to discuss issues pertaining to the Persian Gulf crisis. One of the most pressing matters concerned the resistance of Saddam Hussein. He refused to remove his troops from Kuwait at the time. These peace talks were scheduled in order to avoid all-out war, which unfortunately happened anyway .

1992 England Women Priests: Church of England votes to allow the ordination of women priests.

2000 Austria Cable Car Fire: A cable car taking skiers up to a glacier in Austria catches fire as it passes through a mountain tunnel and 156 people die. The fire was caused by an illegal space heater in the cable car.

2001 U.S.A. El-Qaida: Jerry Falwell expressed his point of view regarding how to deal with el-Qaida (el-Qaeda) terrorist lead Osama Bin Laden. In his own way, Falwell made it clear that Bin Laden deserved a chance at heaven, but he no longer deserved a chance on earth. He was one of the main instigators of the events of 9/11/2001 that lead to the destruction of two World Trade Center towers. Bin Laden was still on the loose when Falwell spoke out about him in November of this year.

2004 Palestine Yasser Arafat: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat dies in hospital in Paris, France.

2006 Europe Remembrance Sunday: Armistice Day. Ordinary members of the public have joined veterans and their families to remember those who died fighting for their country. A lone bugler will be playing The Last Post, and at 1100 GMT, traffic in London comes to a halt. Bells mark the time when, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, World War One came to an end. A special remembrance ceremony is being held at London's Hyde Park to mark the bond between New Zealand and the UK.

2008 Europe and America 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War: Ceremonies are being held to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the end of World War I. The service in Verdun was attended by President Sarkozy, who paid tribute to the millions who died. Verdun was the longest battle of a war. In the US, politicians took part in the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington cemetery. Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Robert Gates participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at the national cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns.

11/10, The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I try to listen to the song every year.

11/11/18. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day. Some say the real thing that ended the war was the Spanish Influenze, hard to fight when your soldiers are all ill. And others beleive that World War I made the epidemic that much worse because of the mass movement of men in cramped troop ships and railway cars across oceans and continents.

NOV. 14th.

Great Britain British Broadcasting Company: 1922 The British Broadcasting Company begin broadcasting on medium wave, from Marconi House in London with the first newscast. The next day Birmingham and Manchester begin broadcasting.

Germany Student Revolt1923: According to a report originating from Munich, Germany a revolt was planned by student rebels. Over 50,000 young men volunteered to demonstrate in a march against machine guns. They were taking the chance that they would die for their cause if fired upon during this march .

China Emperor of Manchuria1931: A boy named Henry Pu-Yi (Hsuan Tung) would soon become emperor of Manchuria. At the same time, Japanese were forcing white Russians to comply, and Japan was in battle for control over China.

USA New York Slum Clearance1934 : The most ambitious slum clearance in New York City has been agreed today by the PWA (Public Works Administration) and New York City with 20 acres on a 12 square block area in Williamsburg identified for the building of low cost housing and is estimated that it will house 2,500 families in two and three story apartment complexes when completed. This project is part of a larger project for slum clearance and low cost national housing countrywide which is estimated at costing in excess of $150,000,000.

World War II Coventry Bombed1940: German bombers devastate the British industrial city of Coventry, demolishing 27 war factories and tens of thousands of other buildings killing hundreds of men, women, and children

World War II Ships Sunk1944: Nine German vessels were destroyed by Great Britain. A tenth ship was driven to the shore. The ships destroyed were moving north along the coast.

Canada US Relations1953: A speech was called in to Canadian Parliament by U.S. President Eisenhower. The purpose of this address was to call for the creation of a U.S.-Canadian precautionary alliance against Russia. Word was out that Russia may attack with atomic weapons.

U.S.A. Crime Syndicate Meeting1957 : After years of speculation about a Mafia National Crime Syndicate controlling gambling, casinos and narcotics countrywide the existence of the Syndicate is confirmed when law enforcement officials raid Mafia boss Joseph Barbara home in Apalachin, New York, where 100 Mafia crime bosses from the United States, Canada and Italy have gathered to socialize and resolve the Mafia affairs .

Korea War1963: The United Nations provided an update of Korean war activity. The Communist North Koreans had trapped eight unarmed Americans and South Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone. In order to save themselves, Americans and South Koreans hid under the waters of the chilly Pukhan River.

U.S.A. Dow Jones1972: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 1,000 for the first time, ending the day at 1,003.16

England Gold Standard1973: The value of gold dramatically decreased on the London market. This occurrence happened in reaction to the decision made by the United States and Europe to do away with the two-tier gold standard.

England Royal Marriage1973: Princess Anne, married Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey. The marriage ceremony was televised around the world with an estimated 100 million viewers.

England IRA Gang Convicted1973: An IRA Cell which was arrested for the bombings of "The Old Bailey" and "Scotland Yard" have been found guilty at Winchester Crown Court. The defendants Gerald Kelly, Dolours Price, Marian Price, Hugh Feeney, Robert Walsh, William McLarnon, Martin Brady, William Armstrong, and Paul Holmes. They were later sentenced to life imprisonment and went on hunger strike demanding to be transferred to prisons in Ireland and were force fed by authorities.

England Firefighters1977: Firefighters in England are on strike demanding more than the 10% public sector pay ceiling imposed by the government and Troops with Green Goddess fire engines are only covering the worst emergencies throughout the UK.

U.S.A. Iranian Assets Frozen1979 : Following President Jimmy Carter ending oil imports from Iran to the United States earlier in the week, he then issues Executive order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets in the United States in response to the hostage crisis.

Poland Lech Walesa1982: Lech Walesa, leader of communist Poland's outlawed Solidarity movement, returns to his apartment in Gdansk after 11 months of internment in a remote hunting lodge near the Soviet border.

Colombia Volcano Erupts1985: A volcano erupted in Colombia, sending floods of mud and water into the nearby river. The lava from this volcanic eruption buried an entire town of people along with three villages. It was estimated that as many as 20,000 lives may have been lost.

Germany Troops To Saudi: A big dilemma was raised regarding whether or not to send European troops to Saudi Arabia or to send them home. In fact, an AFN station in Nürnberg, Germany hosted a call-in show during which time people expressed their views regarding this matter. Up to 10,000 military personnel were expected to be transferred from Germany to Saudi Arabia. One woman called in saying that America should think before deciding to send troops home.

U.S.A. / Libya Gaddafi1991: America is demanding that Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi hand over Libyan intelligence officers indicted in the US on 193 charges over the Pan Am flight 103 Lockerbie bombing in December 1988.

England Eurostar Launched: The Eurostar service carrying passengers between London, Paris and Brussels is launched carrying passengers through the newly completed Channel Tunnel, the train reaches speeds of 186 MPH.

U.S.A. Budget Crisis1995: Hundreds of thousands of federal works were sent home today as the budget deadlock between President Clinton and the Republican Congress forced many government offices to close.

United Nations Afghanistan1999: The United Nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan because the ruling Taliban refuse to hand over terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden.

Afghanistan Taliban2002: The Extreme Terrorist Taliban group was forced to move its army south. This terrorist group had to contend with forces such as local tribal troops. The United States took part in bombing the route on which the Taliban group was moving.

U.S.A. Further Increases in Foreclosures2007: The fall out from the sub prime mortgage problems where lenders were willing to lend to those with risky credit backgrounds earlier in the summer continue to show with the number of foreclosures continuing to rise in the third quarter in most of the top 100 largest metropolitan areas of the country. Many of the problems are caused by resets on adjustable-rate mortgages where the ARMs will continue to jump over the next two years from low, initial teaser rates, resulting in high payments that many homeowners’ will be unable to afford. The problem is increased because home values have continued to drop leaving many home owners with mortgages larger than the value of the home.

Pakistan Imran Khan Arrested For causing unrest2007: Pakistani police charge opposition figure Imran Khan under the anti-terrorism act after of his first public appearance under emergency rule. Details of the charges are not given, but one official says Khan had been disturbing the peace by attending a student rally against President Pervez Musharraf. The city's police chief has accused Mr Khan of spreading hatred and inciting civil unrest.

United States US woman reaches Army’s highest rank2008: Ann E. Dunwoody has been promoted to the rank of four-star general. She is the first female to reach the US Army's highest rank. In her acceptance speech she said had never expected to rise so high.

Pakistan Drones kill seven in Waziristan2008: Missiles that were fired by a suspected US drone have killed around eight militants in one of the Pakistani tribal regions. The missiles have destroyed a house in a remote village. The attack took place in North Waziristan which is known to be a hub of al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.

Singapore Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum2009: Barack Obama, on his first Asia trip since taking office, arrives in Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. In addition to meetings with the APEC heads of state, Obama intends to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Russia, Indonesia and Singapore. APEC's 21 member nations represent more than half of the world's economic output. The Forum sees its role as "facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region."

Nov. 15th.

1922 China Missionary: Reverend Bord Breen, an American Lutheran Missionary was reportedly kidnapped by bandits while working in China. The reverend was living in the province of Honan at the time.

1922 Germany Cabinet Resigns: German Chancellor Wirth’s cabinet had fallen apart. Resignations were signed the night before, and announced on this day. Wirth’s failure to reach an agreement with allied forces of World War I regarding war reparation payments was one of the main reasons for the failure of his administration. The assassination of Dr. Rathenau was also another factor to the downfall of this sector of German government.

1926 U.S.A. NBC launches: Radio network National Broadcasting Co (NBC) launches with a radio network of 24 stations and one of the earliest remote musical broadcasts.

1934 England Oswald Mosley: Sir Oswald Mosley and Black-Shirt fascist followers were put on Trial. They were arrested and charged of “riotous assembly” after a fascist meeting on October 9.

1940 World War II Coventry Bombing: The German Luftwaffe bombs Coventry in a massive raid raising many parts of the city to the ground.

1942 World War II Battle of Guadalcanal: The American fleet during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal had a decisive victory over the Japanese fleet sinking 23 Japanese ships and killing an estimated 30,000 Japanese troops.

1943 World War II Concentration Camps: Heinrich Himmler orders that all Gypsies and those of mixed Gypsy blood are to be put on the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps.

1944 Russia World Leaders: General Charles De Gaulle was invited to Moscow by Premier Joseph Stalin. U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minster Winston Churchill were also invited, and President Chiang Kaishek of China was considering attending. This would make the first assembly of the United Nations, which was formed less than a year later.

1953 Egypt Court Marshal: At first, Doubt had risen whether or not the court marshal in charge of the trial of ex-Premier Mohammed Mossadegh was competent. However, the court had just been ruled legitimate, as well as the trial against Mossadegh, who was charged with treason.

1956 U.S.A. Elvis Presley: Love Me Tender, Elvis Presley's first movie, opens in New York.

1960 U.S.A. Murder: Four members of the Clutter family were murdered on their farm in Holcomb, Kansas . The men who murdered them were two ex-convicts, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, who had entered the rural Kansas home looking for a safe containing thousands of dollars. Truman Capote published a book based on the murders "In Cold Blood" in 1965 after they were hung, in 2005 the movie "Capote" based on Truman Capote's life during the writing of the novel was released.

1968 Soviet Union Imports Vodka From US: Russia has long been known for its Vodka. However, during this time in history it had turned to the U.S., requesting for supplies of this alcohol to cover its shortage. The embarrassing thing was that Soviet Premier Krushechev (a.k.a. Krushchev) had not too long ago boasted about how much Russia’s Vodka is better. However, the fact that Russia ran out of Vodka had more to do with grain and potatoes to produce food, which was a priority over strong drink during this time.

1969 U.S.A. Vietnam Protests: Co-ordinated peaceful protests against the war in Vietnam in Washington D.C. and San Francisco attract crowds estimated up to half a million people.

1971 U.S.A. World's First 4004: Intel releases world's first commercial complete central processing unit (CPU) on one chip "a single-chip microprocessor" the 4004.

1973 Germany Kidnapping: The daughter of a Munich, Germany restaurant owner was returned unharmed after being kidnapped. It took over one million dollars of ransom money to “earn” the release of this innocent victim.

1979 U.S.A. UnaBomber: The so called UnaBomber strikes for the first time when a bomb explodes in the cargo cabin of an American Airlines 727 on its way from Chicago to Washington, forcing it to make an emergency landing.

1985 Columbia Volcano Erupts: Military personnel and Red Cross members left for Columbia to rush in emergency supplies to volcano disaster victims. It was estimated that up to 20,000 people from the city of Armero in Columbia had lost their lives as a result of this disaster. The total population of this city was 50,000.

1985 Northern Ireland Anglo-Irish agreement signed: Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald sign The Anglo-Irish Agreement which for the first time in history provides a framework for involvement by Ireland in working with Britain on finding a long term solution.

1987 U.S.A. Plane Crash: Continental Airlines Flight 1713 flipped on the runway of Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado with the loss of 26 people from the 77 on the aircraft .

1988 Palestine Independence: The Palestinian National Council headed by Yasser Arafat at a meeting in Algiers declare the independence of the Arab State of Palestine.

1990 U.S.A. Milli Vanilli: The Milli Vanilli duo's producer, Frank Farian revealed that the Grammy winning pop duo were lip synching in the songs on the album which gained them the award.

1990 Iran Desert Shield: Operation Desert Shield (a.k.a. Operation Desert Storm, Persian Gulf War) brought up issues of faith for former hostages. Kathryn Koob-one of the 52 persons held captive by Iran ten year priors to this time-spoke out. She believed that her Christian faith, along with prayers, had provided her courage during her time as a hostage.

1998 Iraq Bombing Averted: Following the threat by Great Britain and the United States to bomb Iraq military installations unless UN weapons inspectors are given full co-operation by Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction . Iraq's letter accepting the terms is delivered to the United Nations Security Council and the bombing is averted. After the UN weapons inspectors return in later in the month they face similar lack of cooperation and leave in mid December when US forces began drop hundreds of cruise missiles on Iraq.

2002 Israel Sabbath Attacks: There was a time when it was considered uncouth to work on the Sabbath. However, this fact didn’t stop Palestinian forces from keeping busy sniping people walking home from Sabbath Day prayers. It was unclear how many of these were Jewish civilians and how many of them were soldiers. However, it was reported that 15 teens had been wounded, among others.

2003 Turkey Bomb Attacks: Members of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda drive two trucks packed with explosives and bombs into the Bet Israel and Neve Shalom synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey killing 27 and injuring 300 more.

2006 United States General Abizaid: The commander of US forces in the Middle East has said that he is optimistic that 'we can stabilize Iraq.' General Abizaid, the head of the US Central Command, has rejected a call from some Democrats for a phased redeployment of forces to begin in four to six months. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said such a move would result in an increase in sectarian violence.

2007 Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr: Cyclone Sidr with winds reaching 160 MPH strikes coastal areas of Bangladesh, the authorities had evacuated over 2 million people to emergency shelters prior to the cyclone, but the cyclone still claimed between 4 and five thousand lives. The cyclone also destroyed over 1/4 of the world heritage mangrove forest Sunderban.

2007 United States Chinese cyber-spying: A panel tells Congress that Chinese espionage poses "the single greatest risk" to the security of US technology. China has been pursuing new technology "aggressively", it says. It has been doing so through legal research and business deals as well as illegally through industrial espionage. China has also "embraced destructive warfare techniques" that might enable it to carry out cyber attacks on other countries' infrastructure. A foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing denies any spying activities by China.

NOV. 16th.

U.S.A. Savings Increase1923: A brief summary of statistics findings regarding saving money was printed. According to one news source, Americans were saving approximately double the amount of money than they were within the previous 10 years.

China China / Japan Conflict1931: General Honjo warned press that Japan’s next move was possibly all the way to Tsitsihar. Japan was currently engaged in war against Chinese forces over the territory of Manchuria, which was currently cut off from the rest of China.

Great Britain Japanese Navy1934: A report from Great Britain revealed that a proposal was made to provide Japan with Theoretical naval equality. However, Americans and British were attempting to convince Japan to agree to build a number of ships less than allowed by them (U.S. and Britain).

World War II Rhineland Offensive1944: American first and ninth armies launched an offensive in the Rhineland, West Germany area. This action was taken in retaliation against German forces, which had rapidly moved in on Northeast Aachen.

U.S.A. German V-2 Scientists To Work on Space Program1945: The United States brings 88 German scientists who had been working on the V-1 and V-2 rockets for Germany to work on the American Space / Defense program. Video shows a US built V2 rocket built by German Scientists working for America

U.S.A. Nixon1953: Vice-President Nixon announced he would be going to Iraq. This decision was made while Nixon was still in Tokyo, as part of Eisenhower’s “personal contact” initiative implemented during this time.

U.S.A. The Sound of Music1959 : The last Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opens at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.

Soviet Union Venera 31965 : The Soviet Union launches the Venera 3 space probe from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission was to land on the surface of the planet Venus. The mission was successful when Venera 3 crash-landed on Venus on 1st March 1966 becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface.

Vietnam Rain Heavier Fighting1966 : Battle between North and South Vietnam accompanied by U.S. troops prevailed. In fact, it seemed that the heavier the rain feel, the fiercer the North Vietnam-South Vietnam battle became. There was essentially no mercy on either side.

Israel POW set free1973 : It was a miraculous day for a former Israel prisoner of war (POW). He was returned, and was fighting tears while he greeted Premier Golda Meir at the airport in Tel Aviv..

U.S.A. Alaska Oil Pipeline1973 : President Richard Nixon urges Congress to pass Senate Bill 1081, which would authorize the construction of a pipeline to access oil from the North Slope of Alaska, thus reducing American reliance on foreign oil.

England Sir Anthony Blunt1979 : The forth man involved in the Cambridge spy ring is named as Sir Anthony Blunt.

Luxembourg Soccer Hooliganism1983 : Soccer hooliganism continues to feature in matches involving English clubs and the National Team with the latest trouble by English fans in Luxembourg who went through the city fighting and stealing after England was knocked out of the European Championship.

Germany Stop Smoking Campaign1985: This was a day set aside for an international “smokeout”, similar to that of the Great American Smokeout. Germany actively participated in this campaign. They were urged to hide their cigarettes, get rid of their lighters, get rid of their ashtrays, or whatever else seemed necessary to successfully observe this day. This was one effort towards promoting a smoke-free lifestyle.

Pakistan Benazir Bhutto Elected1988 : Benazir Bhutto is elected in a democratic election to be Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Middle East Peace Campaign1990: A daily anti-military campaign was being launched in the Middle East. A peace activist organization was working to persuade Pat Barracks commuters that the action occurring in the Persian Gulf area was not right.

China Wei Jingsheng1997 : Wei Jingsheng the pro democracy dissident is released on medical grounds after nearly 18 years of incarceration and deported to the United States. He had been released in September 1993 as part of China's bid to host the 2000 Olympic games but when China was beaten by Sydney, Australia for the games in November he was put in jail again. Wei Jingsheng was in jail for the crime of treason, but the real reason was his outspoken writings against the ruling communist regime including condemning Chinese occupation of Tibet.

U.S.A. Airport Screeners2001 : Congress passed the aviation security bill requiring that all airport screeners will be federal employees, and would undergo criminal background checks and would have to be U.S. citizens. The bill also required that by December 31, 2002 all checked baggage will be screened by explosive detection devices.

U.S.A. Monitor Iraqis in US2002 : The United States government decided to begin closely monitoring all Iraqis present within the U.S.A. The government felt this was necessary in case terrorist-sympathetic individuals originating from Iraq were still hiding within the borders of the U.S. Security against terrorists has been a major priority since the terrorist bombings that took place in New York a little over a year from this date. Thousands of people were killed after the north and south towers of the World Trade Center were hit by hijacked planes.

U.S.A. Condoleezza Rice2004 : President George W. Bush nominates National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State.

China Internet Net censorship2006 : The first part of the Great Firewall of China, which is also known as the Golden Shield Project, will be going into service. It uses several filters to make it that it is difficult, if not impossible, to reach sites that the Chinese government has deemed illegal or unhelpful to the communist ideal.

United States Nancy Pelosi selected as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives2006 : Representative Nancy Pelosi is chosen to be the speaker of the House, in the wake of the Democrats victory in the US mid-terms. The House will not be formally electing a speaker until it convenes in January, but it will be under the control of the Democrats for the first time in twelve years. Pelosi is certain to win, and will be the first female leader of the House.

Bangladesh 155 MPH Cyclone2007 : One of the worst cyclones to hit Bangladesh with 150 mph winds, with the death toll exceeding 1,000, has destroyed coastal towns, leaving millions without power in the deadliest such storm in more than a decade. The Cyclone Sidr created a 4-foot-high storm surge that swept through low-lying areas and some offshore islands leaving transport systems in chaos making it harder for rescue workers to get to the worst affected areas.

Iraq Planning for the future in Iraq2008 : The Iraqi cabinet has approved a plan for the US deployment in their country. 150,000 troops will remain there until 2011, but US troops will be withdrawn from the streets of Iraqi towns in 2009. America's National Security Council have welcomed the cabinet's vote, saying that it was "an important and positive step" towards stability and security.

China Obama in Beijing2009 : Barack Obama continues his tour of Asia by holding a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Hu Jintao. Mr. Obama was given an official welcome in the Great Hall of the People, before going for talks with the Chinese president. Trade, climate change and economic issues are expected to dominate procedings.