Today in History

Today is Monday, Nov. 2, the 307th day of 2020. There are 59 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 2, 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter became the first candidate from the Deep South since the Civil War to be elected president as he defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford.

On this date:

In 1783, General George Washington issued his Farewell Address to the Army near Princeton, New Jersey.

In 1889, North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states with the signing of proclamations by President Benjamin Harrison.

In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued a declaration expressing support for a "national home" for the Jews in Palestine.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman surprised the experts by winning a narrow upset over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey.

In 1959, former game show contestant Charles Van Doren admitted to a House subcommittee that he'd been given questions and answers in advance when he appeared on the NBC's "Twenty-One."

In 1963, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dihn Diem was assassinated in a military coup.

In 1986, kidnappers in Lebanon released American hospital administrator David Jacobsen after holding him for 17 months.

In 1994, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, convicted Paul Hill of murder for the shotgun slayings of an abortion provider and his escort; Hill was executed in September 2003.

In 2000, American astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, became the first residents of the international space station.

In 2003, in Iraq, insurgents shot down a Chinook helicopter carrying dozens of U.S. soldiers, killing 16. In Durham, New Hampshire, V. Gene Robinson was consecrated as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church.

In 2004, President George W. Bush was elected to a second term as Republicans strengthened their grip on Congress. Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was slain in Amsterdam after receiving death threats over his movie "Submission," which criticized the treatment of women under Islam.

In 2016, ending a championship drought that had lasted since 1908, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in extra innings at Progressive Field.

Ten years ago: Republicans won control of the House of Representatives, picking up 63 seats in midterm elections, while Democrats retained a majority in the Senate; Republican governors outnumbered Democrats after gaining six states. Californians rejected a ballot measure that would have made their state the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Surfing champion Andy Irons, 32, was found dead in a Dallas-area hotel room. (An autopsy found that Irons had died from sudden cardiac arrest due to severe blockage of a main artery.)

Five years ago: President Barack Obama toured a drug rehabilitation center and met with former inmates in Newark, New Jersey, where he called on the nation to ensure those regaining their freedom got a second chance instead of a return ticket to prison. NASA and its global partners celebrated the 15th anniversary of continuous residency at the International Space Station, where six U.S., Russian and Japanese crew members held a special dinner. Actor-writer Colin Welland, 81, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay for "Chariots of Fire," died in London. Country singer Tommy Overstreet, 78, died in Hillsboro, Oregon.

One year ago: Washington Nationals fans lined the streets of the nation's capital for a parade to celebrate the city's first World Series victory since 1924. The United Auto Workers announced that President Gary Jones was taking a paid leave of absence amid a federal investigation of corruption within the union. (Jones pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to embezzle union dues.) Character actor Brian Tarantina, most recently known for his role as the comedy club emcee on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," died in his New York City home at the age of 60.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Jay Black (Jay and the Americans) is 82. Political commentator Patrick Buchanan is 82. Actor Stefanie Powers is 78. Country-rock singer-songwriter J.D. Souther is 75. Actor Kate Linder is 73. Rock musician Carter Beauford (The Dave Matthews Band) is 62. Actor Peter Mullan is 61. Singer-songwriter k.d. lang is 59. Rock musician Bobby Dall (Poison) is 57. Actor Jenny Robertson ("Bull Durham") is 57. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage is 56. Actor Lauren Velez is 56. Actor Sean Kanan is 54. Actor David Schwimmer is 54. Christian/jazz singer Alvin Chea (Take 6) is 53. Jazz singer Kurt Elling is 53. Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is 53. Rock musician Fieldy is 51. Actor Meta Golding is 49. Rock singer-musician John Hampson (Nine Days) is 49. Actor Marisol Nichols is 49. Rhythm-and-blues singer Timothy Christian Riley (Tony Toni Tone) is 46. Rapper Nelly is 46. Actor Danny Cooksey is 45. Rock musician Chris Walla is 45. Actor Reshma Shetty is 43. TV personality Karamo Brown ("Queer Eye," "Dancing With the Stars") is 40. Country singer Erika Jo is 34. Actor-singer Kendall Schmidt is 30.