Today in History

Today is Monday, Nov. 4, the 308th day of 2019. There are 57 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 4, 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.

On this date:

In 1862, inventor Richard J. Gatling received a U.S. patent for his rapid-fire Gatling gun.

In 1879, humorist Will Rogers was born in Oologah, Oklahoma.

In 1916, CBS newsman Walter Cronkite was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in Egypt.

In 1955, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young died in Newcomerstown, Ohio, at age 88.

In 1956, Soviet troops moved in to crush the Hungarian Revolution.

In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some of them, it was the start of 444 days of captivity.

In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, California; attending were President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon -- the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally.

In 2001, Hurricane Michelle roared across Cuba, forcing the government to shut down power for much of the communist island and evacuate 750,000 people. The Arizona Diamondbacks won their first World Series by beating the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7.

In 2007, King Tutankhamen's face was unveiled for the first time to the public more than 3,000 years after the pharaoh was buried in his Egyptian tomb.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain. California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, overturning a state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months earlier.

Ten years ago: An Italian judge convicted 23 Americans in absentia along with two Italians in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program. The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui's record-tying six RBIs. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was released after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal.

Five years ago: Riding a powerful wave of voter discontent, resurgent Republicans captured control of the Senate and tightened their grip on the House during the 2014 elections. A Russian member of the Taliban made his first appearance in a federal court in Richmond, Virginia, marking the first time a military detainee from Afghanistan had been brought to the U.S. for trial. (In August 2015, a federal jury convicted Irek Hamidullin of planning and leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan; he was sentenced to life in prison.)

One year ago: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and Mary Keitany of Kenya were the men's and women's winners in the New York City Marathon, which organizers said had set a record for the most finishers of any marathon worldwide - 52,812. The Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" collected $50 million in weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada on its opening weekend, beating expectations.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Loretta Swit is 82. Rhythm-and-blues singer Harry Elston (Friends of Distinction) is 81. Blues singer Delbert McClinton is 79. Former first lady Laura Bush is 73. Actress Ivonne Coll is 72. Actress Markie Post is 69. Rock singer-musician Chris Difford (Squeeze) is 65. Country singer Kim Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 59. Actress-comedian Kathy Griffin is 59. Actor Ralph Macchio is 58. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst is 58. Saxophonist Tim Burton is 56. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 50. Rapper-producer Sean "Puffy" Combs is 50. Talk show host Bethenny Frankel is 49. Actor Anthony Ruivivar is 49. Soul/jazz singer Gregory Porter is 48. Rhythm-and-blues singer Shawn Rivera (Az Yet) is 48. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is 44. Actress Heather Tom is 44. Rhythm-and-blues/gospel singer George Huff is 39. Actress Emme Rylan is 39. Actor Chris Greene (Film: "Loving") is 37.

Thought for Today: "A boy becomes an adult three years before his parents think he does, and about two years after he thinks he does." -- Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Selective Service director (1893-1977).

Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.