Today in History

Today in History

Today is Saturday, Nov. 7, the 312th day of 2020. There are 54 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 7, 1967, Carl Stokes was elected the first Black mayor of a major city -- Cleveland, Ohio.

On this date:

In 1811, U.S. forces led by Indiana Territory Gov. William Henry Harrison defeated warriors from Tecumseh's Confederacy in the Battle of Tippecanoe.

In 1867, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie was born in Warsaw.

In 1917, Russia's Bolshevik Revolution took place as forces led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin overthrew the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky.

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth term in office, defeating Republican Thomas E. Dewey.

In 1962, Richard M. Nixon, having lost California's gubernatorial race, held what he called his "last press conference," telling reporters, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore."

In 1972, President Richard Nixon was re-elected in a landslide over Democrat George McGovern.

In 1973, Congress overrode President Richard Nixon's veto of the War Powers Act, which limits a chief executive's power to wage war without congressional approval.

In 1989, L. Douglas Wilder won the governor's race in Virginia, becoming the first elected Black governor in U.S. history; David N. Dinkins was elected New York City's first Black mayor.

In 2001, the Bush administration targeted Osama bin Laden's multi-million-dollar financial networks, closing businesses in four states, detaining U.S. suspects and urging allies to help choke off money supplies in 40 nations.

In 2009, in a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed, 220-215, landmark health care legislation to expand coverage to tens of millions lacking it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry.

In 2013, shares of Twitter went on sale to the public for the first time; by the closing bell, the social network was valued at $31 billion.

In 2018, a gunman killed 12 people at a country music bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif., before apparently taking his own life as officers closed in; the victims included a man who had survived the mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas. After more than a year of blistering attacks from President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was pushed out of that post.

Ten years ago: Scientists at the world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, recreated the state of matter shortly after the Big Bang using collisions of lead ions. Gebre Gebremariam (GEH'-brah geh-brah-MAYR'-ee-am) of Ethiopia won the men's title at the New York City Marathon in 2:08:14 in his debut at the distance. Kenya's Edna Kiplagat won the women's race in 2:28:20 for her first major marathon championship.

Five years ago: The leaders of China and Taiwan met for the first time since the formerly bitter Cold War foes split amid civil war 66 years earlier; Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou hailed the meeting in Singapore as a sign of a new stability in relations. The license plates that were on the limousine carrying President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas in 1963 were sold at auction for $100,000. Yitzhak Navon, 94, who was a top aide to Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion and who served as Israel's president from 1978 to 1983, died in Jerusalem.

One year ago: Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he would try to reclaim his old Senate seat from Alabama. (The effort ended in defeat in a Republican primary runoff.) Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced that he was retiring after more than three years as the city's top cop. (Johnson would be fired weeks later by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who cited "ethical lapses" including lying about a recent incident in which Johnson was found asleep at the wheel of his car after having drinks.) Juul Labs said it would stop U.S. sales of its best-selling, mint-flavored electronic cigarettes; the move came as the company struggled to survive a nationwide backlash against vaping.

Today's Birthdays: Former U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, R-Minn., is 90. Actor Barry Newman is 82. Actor Dakin Matthews is 80. Singer Johnny Rivers is 78. Former supermodel Jean Shrimpton is 78. Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is 77. Former CIA Director David Petraeus is 68. Jazz singer Rene Marie is 65. Actor Christopher Knight (TV: "The Brady Bunch") is 63. Rock musician Tommy Thayer (KISS) is 60. Actor Julie Pinson is 53. Rock musician Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne) is 52. Actor Michelle Clunie is 51. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock is 50. Actor Christopher Daniel Barnes is 48. Actors Jeremy and Jason London are 48. Actor Yunjin Kim is 47. Actor Adam DeVine is 37. Rock musician Zach Myers (Shinedown) is 37. Actor Lucas Neff is 35. Rapper Tinie Tempah is 32. Rock singer Lorde is 24.