Today in History

Today is Saturday, Nov. 8, the 312th day of 2014. There are 53 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 8, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won re-election as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan. (Lincoln had seriously doubted he would prevail, but the fall of Atlanta to Union forces in September helped ensure his victory.)

On this date:

In 1793, the Louvre began admitting the public, even though the French museum had been officially open since August. Madame Roland, 39, an influential figure of the French Revolution, was convicted of treason during the Reign of Terror and sent to the guillotine (her last words: "O Liberty, what crimes are committed in thy name!").

In 1889, Montana became the 41st state.

In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power in Germany with a failed coup in Munich that came to be known as the "Beer-Hall Putsch."

In 1932, New York Democratic Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated incumbent Republican Herbert Hoover for the presidency.

In 1939, the play "Life with Father," based on the stories of Clarence Day, opened on Broadway.

In 1942, Operation Torch, resulting in an Allied victory, began during World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.

In 1950, during the Korean War, the first jet-plane battle took place as U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.

In 1960, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency.

In 1974, a federal judge in Cleveland dismissed charges against eight Ohio National Guardsmen accused of violating the civil rights of students who were killed or wounded in the 1970 Kent State shootings.

In 1987, 11 people were killed when an Irish Republican Army bomb exploded as crowds gathered in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, for a ceremony honoring Britain's war dead.

In 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush won the presidential election, defeating the Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.

In 1994, midterm elections resulted in Republicans winning a majority in the Senate while at the same time gaining control of the House for the first time in 40 years. California voters approved Proposition 187, designed to deny education and social services and non-emergency health care to illegal immigrants. (Proposition 187 was never implemented after courts found it unconstitutional.)

Ten years ago: Thousands of U.S. troops attacked the toughest strongholds of Sunni insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, launching a long-awaited offensive aimed at putting an end to guerrilla control of the city. After a decade, the U.S. dollar was eliminated from circulation in Cuba. Jason Bay became the first Pittsburgh Pirates player to win the NL Rookie of the Year award, while Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby took the AL honor.

Five years ago: The embattled president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, pledged there would be no place for corrupt officials in his new administration, as demanded by the U.S and its international partners.

One year ago: Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into the central Philippines, leaving at least 6,300 people dead and more than 1,000 missing.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Norman Lloyd is 100. CBS newsman Morley Safer is 83. Actor Alain Delon is 79. Actress Virna Lisi is 78. Singer-actress Bonnie Bramlett is 70. Singer Bonnie Raitt is 65. TV personality Mary Hart is 64. Former Playboy Enterprises chairman and chief executive Christie Hefner is 62. Actress Alfre Woodard is 62. Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 60. Author Kazuo Ishiguro is 60. Rock musician Porl Thompson (The Cure) is 57. Singer-actor Leif Garrett is 53. Chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay is 48. Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith is 47. Actress Parker Posey is 46. Rock musician Jimmy Chaney is 45. Actress Roxana Zal is 45. Singer Diana King is 44. Actor Gonzalo Menendez is 43. Rock musician Scott Devendorf (The National) is 42. Actress Gretchen Mol is 41. ABC News anchor David Muir is 41. Actor Matthew Rhys is 40. Actress Tara Reid is 39. Country singer Bucky Covington is 37. Actress Dania Ramirez is 35. Actress Azura Skye is 33. Actor Chris Rankin is 31. TV personality Jack Osbourne is 29. Actress Jessica Lowndes is 26. Country singer Lauren Alaina is 20.

Thought for Today: "I think we look for the differences in people because it makes us less lonely." Carson McCullers, American author (1917-1967).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.