Today in History

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 26, the 330th day of 2014. There are 35 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 26, 1864, English mathematician and writer Charles Dodgson presented a handwritten and illustrated manuscript, "Alice's Adventures Under Ground," to his 12-year-old friend Alice Pleasance Liddell; the book was later revised and turned into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

On this date:

In 1789, this was a day of thanksgiving set aside by President George Washington to observe the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.

In 1825, the first college social fraternity, the Kappa Alpha Society, was formed at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

In 1842, the founders of the University of Notre Dame arrived at the school's present-day site near South Bend, Indiana.

In 1933, a judge in New York ruled the James Joyce book "Ulysses" was not obscene and could be published in the United States.

In 1941, a Japanese naval task force consisting of six aircraft carriers left the Kuril Islands, headed toward Hawaii.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered nationwide gasoline rationing, beginning Dec. 1. The motion picture "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, had its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in New York.

In 1950, China entered the Korean War, launching a counteroffensive against soldiers from the United Nations, the U.S. and South Korea.

In 1965, France launched its first satellite, sending a 92-pound capsule into orbit.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, told a federal court that she'd accidentally caused part of the 18-1/2-minute gap in a key Watergate tape.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed a commission headed by former Senator John Tower to investigate his National Security Council staff in the wake of the Iran-Contra affair.

In 1989, "America's Funniest Home Videos" debuted as a special on ABC-TV; it later became a successful regular series.

In 1992, the British government announced that Queen Elizabeth II had volunteered to start paying taxes on her personal income, and would take her children off the public payroll.

Ten years ago: Leading Iraqi politicians called for a six-month delay in the Jan. 30, 2005, election because of spiraling violence; President George W. Bush said, "The Iraqi Election Commission has scheduled elections in January, and I would hope they'd go forward in January." (The vote took place as scheduled.) French movie director Philippe de Broca ("King of Hearts") died at age 71.

Five years ago: An investigation ordered by Ireland's government found that Roman Catholic Church leaders in Dublin had spent decades sheltering child-abusing priests from the law and that most fellow clerics had turned a blind eye. John Jones, a 26-year-old medical student stuck upside-down in a cave in Utah for more than a day, died despite the efforts of dozens of rescuers to extract him.

One year ago: The U.S. flew two B-52 bombers over the East China Sea, defying Beijing's move to assert greater military control over the area's disputed islands. Pope Francis denounced the global financial system that excluded the poor as he issued the mission statement for his papacy. Actress-singer Jane Kean, 90, best known for playing Trixie in a musicalized revival of "The Honeymooners" on "The Jackie Gleason Show," died in Burbank, California. Actor Tony Musante, 77, who'd starred in the ABC series "Toma" in the 1970s, died in New York.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Ellen Albertini Dow is 101. Impressionist Rich Little is 76. Singer Tina Turner is 75. Singer Jean Terrell is 70. Pop musician John McVie is 69. Actress Marianne Muellerleile is 66. Actor Scott Jacoby is 58. Actress Jamie Rose is 55. Country singer Linda Davis is 52. Actor Scott Adsit is 49. Blues singer-musician Bernard Allison is 49. Country singer-musician Steve Grisaffe is 49. Actress Kristin Bauer is 41. Actor Peter Facinelli is 41. Actress Tammy Lynn Michaels Etheridge is 40. Actress Maia Campbell is 38. Country singer Joe Nichols is 38. Contemporary Christian musicians Anthony and Randy Armstrong (Red) are 36. Actress Jessica Bowman is 34. Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is 33. Country singer-musician Mike Gossin (Gloriana Rock) is 30. Ben Wysocki (The Fray) is 30. Singer Lil Fizz is 29. Singer Aubrey Collins is 27.

Thought for Today: "Don't for heaven's sake, be afraid of talking nonsense! But you must pay attention to your nonsense." -- Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-born philosopher (1889-1951).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.