Today in History

Today is Friday, Nov. 25, the 329th day of 2011. There are 36 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 25, 1986, the Iran-Contra affair erupted as President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels.

On this date:

In 1783, the British evacuated New York, their last military position in the United States during the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, Pope John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli at Sotto il Monte, Italy.

In 1908, the first issue of The Christian Science Monitor was published.

In 1940, the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker made his debut in the animated short "Knock Knock."

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a slight stroke.

In 1961, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, was commissioned.

In 1963, the body of President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery; his widow, Jacqueline, lighted an "eternal flame" at the gravesite.

In 1973, Greek President George Papadopoulos was ousted in a bloodless military coup.

In 1999, five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida, setting off an international custody battle.

In 2002, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security, and appointed Tom Ridge to be its head.

Ten years ago: As the war in Afghanistan entered its eighth week, CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann was killed during a prison uprising in Mazar-e-Sharif, becoming America's first combat casualty of the conflict. Scientists in Worcester, Mass., claimed to have created the first early human embryo clones, none of which survived.

Five years ago: A police shooting outside a strip club in Queens, N.Y., resulted in the death of Sean Bell hours before his wedding. (Two officers were later indicted for manslaughter while a third faced lesser charges; all three were acquitted at trial.) Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire to end a five-month Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants into the Jewish state.

One year ago: Incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki cemented his grip on power, bringing an end to nearly nine months of political deadlock after he was asked to form the next government. South Korea's defense minister, Kim Tae-young, resigned amid intense criticism two days after a North Korean artillery attack killed four people on a small island near the Koreas' disputed frontier.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Noel Neill is 91. Playwright Murray Schisgal is 85. Actress Kathryn Crosby is 78. Actor Matt Clark is 75. Actor Christopher Riordan is 74. Playwright Shelagh Delaney is 72. Singer Percy Sledge is 71. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is 71. Author, actor and economist Ben Stein is 67. Singer Bob Lind is 67. Actor John Larroquette is 64. Actor Tracey Walter is 64. Movie director Jonathan Kaplan is 64. Author Charlaine Harris is 60. Retired MLB All-Star Bucky Dent is 60. Singer Amy Grant is 51. Rock musician Eric Grossman (K's Choice) is 47. Rock singer Mark Lanegan is 47. Rock singer-musician Tim Armstrong is 46. Actor Steve Harris is 46. Actor Billy Burke is 45. Singer Stacy Lattisaw is 45. Rock musician Rodney Sheppard (Sugar Ray) is 45. Rapper-producer Erick Sermon is 43. Actress Jill Hennessy is 42. Actress Christina Applegate is 40. Actor Eddie Steeples (TV: "My Name Is Earl") is 38. NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb is 35. Actor Joel Kinnaman is 32. Former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager is 30. Former first daughter Barbara Bush is 30. Actress Katie Cassidy is 25.

Thought for Today: "The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it." -- Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, British statesman (1694-1773).

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.