Today in History

Today is Thursday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2013. There are 33 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 28, 1942, nearly 500 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.

On this date:

In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.

In 1861, the Confederate Congress admitted Missouri as the 12th state of the Confederacy after Missouri's disputed secession from the Union.

In 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament.

In 1922, Captain Cyril Turner of the Royal Air Force gave the first public skywriting exhibition, spelling out, "Hello USA. Call Vanderbilt 7200" over New York's Times Square; about 47,000 calls in less than three hours resulted.

In 1943, President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began conferring in Tehran during World War II.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy dedicated the original permanent headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va. Ernie Davis of Syracuse University became the first African-American to be named winner of the Heisman Trophy.

In 1961, Ernie Davis of Syracuse University became the first African-American football player to be named winner of the Heisman Trophy.

In 1964, the United States launched the space probe Mariner 4 on a course to Mars.

In 1979, an Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.

In 1987, a South African Airways Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 159 people aboard.

In 2001, Officials recovered the body of CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann from a prison compound in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, after northern alliance rebels backed by U.S. airstrikes and special forces quelled an uprising by Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners.

Ten years ago: President Bush returned to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, after a secret, nearly 36-hour journey that took him to Iraq for a Thanksgiving visit with U.S. troops.

Five years ago: Indian forces fired grenades at the landmark Taj Mahal hotel, the last stand of suspected Muslim militants, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish outreach center and found six hostages dead. (The 60-hour rampage in Mumbai came to an end the following day.) Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the right thigh with a gun tucked into his waistband at a New York nightclub (Burress was later sentenced to two years in prison for a weapons conviction).

One year ago: Numbers were drawn for a Powerball jackpot totaling $579.9 million, the largest Powerball prize in history; there were two winning tickets. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said his state would need nearly $37 billion to recover and rebuild from Superstorm Sandy and that the state would seek federal aid to cover most of the expenses.

Today's Birthdays: Recording executive Berry Gordy Jr. is 84. Former Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., is 77. Singer-songwriter Bruce Channel is 73. Singer Randy Newman is 70. CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer is 67. Movie director Joe Dante is 66. "Late Show" orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 64. Actor Ed Harris is 63. Former NASA teacher in space Barbara Morgan is 62. Actress S. Epatha Merkerson is 61. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is 60. Country singer Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 57. Actor Judd Nelson is 54. Movie director Alfonso Cuaron is 52. Rock musician Matt Cameron is 51. Actress Jane Sibbett is 51. Comedian Jon Stewart is 51. Actress Garcelle Beauvais is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Dawn Robinson is 45. Hip-hop musician apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas) is 39. Actor Ryan Kwanten is 37. Actress Aimee Garcia is 35. Rapper Chamillionaire is 34. Actor Daniel Henney is 34. Rock musician Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) is 30. Rock singer-keyboardist Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) is 30. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 29. R&B singer Trey Songz is 29. Actress Scarlett Pomers ("Reba") is 25.

Thought for Today: "Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." -- Washington Irving, American author (1783-1859).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.