Today in History

Today is Monday, Nov. 26, the 330th day of 2018. There are 35 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 26, 1941, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull delivered a note to Japan's ambassador to the United States, Kichisaburo Nomura, setting forth U.S. demands for "lasting and extensive peace throughout the Pacific area." The same day, a Japanese naval task force consisting of six aircraft carriers left the Kuril Islands, headed toward Hawaii.

On this date:

In 1789, Americans observed a day of thanksgiving set aside by President George Washington to mark 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, N.Y.

In 1883, former slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek, Mich.

In 1917, the National Hockey League was founded in Montreal, succeeding the National Hockey Association.

In 1942, the Warner Bros. motion picture "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, had its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in New York.

In 1943, during World War II, the HMT Rohna, a British transport ship carrying American soldiers, was hit by a German missile off Algeria; 1,138 men were killed.

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

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 1991, the Stars and Stripes were lowered for the last time at Clark Air Base in the Philippines as the United States abandoned one of its oldest and largest overseas installations, which was damaged by a volcano.

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.

In 2000, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin.

Ten years ago: Teams of heavily armed gunmen, allegedly from Pakistan, stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in Mumbai, India, leaving at least 166 people dead in a rampage lasting some 60 hours. A Missouri mother on trial in a landmark cyberbullying case was convicted by a federal jury in Los Angeles of three minor offenses for her role in a mean-spirited Internet hoax that apparently drove a 13-year-old girl, Megan Meier, to suicide. (However, Lori Drew's convictions were later thrown out.)

Five years 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.

One year ago: Congressman John Conyers of Michigan gave up his leadership position as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, while denying allegations that he had sexually harassed female staff members. Amid allegations that he had groped women in the past, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken said he felt "embarrassed and ashamed," but that he looked forward to gradually regaining the trust of voters. (Franken announced less than two weeks later that he was resigning from Congress.) Pixar's "Coco" achieved the fourth-best Thanksgiving weekend ever at the box office, with an estimated $71.2 million over the five days.

Today's Birthdays: Impressionist Rich Little is 80. Singer Tina Turner is 79. Singer Jean Terrell is 74. Pop musician John McVie is 73. Actress Marianne Muellerleile is 70. Actor Scott Jacoby is 62. Actress Jamie Rose is 59. Country singer Linda Davis is 56. Actor Scott Adsit is 53. Blues singer-musician Bernard Allison is 53. Country singer-musician Steve Grisaffe is 53. Actress Kristin Bauer is 52. Actor Peter Facinelli is 45. Actress Tammy Lynn Michaels Etheridge is 44. DJ/record label executive DJ Khaled is 43. Actress Maia Campbell is 42. Country singer Joe Nichols is 42. Contemporary Christian musicians Anthony and Randy Armstrong (Red) are 40. Actress Jessica Bowman is 38. Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is 37. Country singer-musician Mike Gossin (Gloriana Rock) is 34. Rock musician Ben Wysocki (The Fray) is 34. Singer Lil Fizz is 33. Singer Aubrey Collins is 31. Actress-singer-TV personality Rita Ora is 28.

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).