Today in History

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 24, the 328th day of 2021. There are 37 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 24, 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, in a scene captured on live television.

On this date:

In 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," which explained his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

In 1941, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Edwards v. California, unanimously struck down a California law prohibiting people from bringing impoverished non-residents into the state.

In 1947, a group of writers, producers and directors that became known as the "Hollywood Ten" was cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in the movie industry. John Steinbeck's novel "The Pearl" was first published.

In 1950, the musical "Guys and Dolls," based on the writings of Damon Runyon and featuring songs by Frank Loesser, opened on Broadway.

In 1971, a hijacker calling himself "Dan Cooper" (but who became popularly known as "D.B. Cooper") parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after receiving $200,000 in ransom; his fate remains unknown.

In 1974, the bone fragments of a 3.2 million-year-old hominid were discovered by scientists in Ethiopia; the skeletal remains were nicknamed "Lucy."

In 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed on terms to scrap shorter- and medium-range missiles. (The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev the following month.)

In 1991, rock singer Freddie Mercury died in London at age 45 of AIDS-related pneumonia.

In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the bitter, overtime struggle for the White House, agreeing to consider George W. Bush's appeal against the hand recounting of ballots in Florida.

In 2012, fire raced through a garment factory in Bangladesh that supplied major retailers in the West, killing 112 people; an official said many of the victims were trapped because the eight-story building lacked emergency exits.

In 2014, it was announced that a grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, had decided against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown; the decision enraged protesters who set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in the area where Brown had been fatally shot.

In 2017, militants attacked a crowded mosque in Egypt with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest-ever attack by Islamic extremists in the country.

Ten years ago: In the first NFL game featuring brothers as opposing head coaches, the Baltimore Ravens, led by John Harbaugh, beat the San Francisco 49ers, 16-6, under rookie coach Jim Harbaugh.

Five years ago: A car bomb tore through a gas station south of Baghdad, killing at least 92 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Florence Henderson, who went from Broadway star to one of America's most beloved television moms in "The Brady Bunch," died in Los Angeles at age 82.

One year ago: Pennsylvania officials certified Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential vote in the state; the Trump campaign had gone to court trying to prevent the certification. The Nevada Supreme Court made Biden's win in the state official. County election workers across Georgia began an official machine recount of the roughly 5 million votes cast in the presidential race in the state; certified results had shown Biden winning in Georgia by 12,670 votes. Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, formally taking responsibility for its part in the opioid epidemic. The Dow closed above 30,000 for the first time amid progress in the development of coronavirus vaccines. Beyonce led the way with nine Grammy nominations, including bids for song and record of the year with "Black Parade."

Today's Birthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson is 83. Country singer Johnny Carver is 81. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is 81. Rock drummer Pete Best is 80. Actor-comedian Billy Connolly is 79. Former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater is 79. Former congressman and Motion Picture Association of America Chairman Dan Glickman is 77. Singer Lee Michaels is 76. Actor Dwight Schultz is 74. Actor Stanley Livingston is 71. Rock musician Clem Burke (Blondie; The Romantics) is 67. Actor/director Ruben Santiago-Hudson is 65. Actor Denise Crosby is 64. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is 62. Actor Shae D'Lyn is 59. Rock musician John Squire (The Stone Roses) is 59. Rock musician Gary Stonadge (Big Audio) is 59. Actor Conleth Hill is 57. Actor-comedian Brad Sherwood is 57. Actor Garret Dillahunt is 57. Actor-comedian Scott Krinsky is 53. Rock musician Chad Taylor (Live) is 51. Actor Lola Glaudini is 50. Actor Danielle Nicolet is 48. Actor-writer-director-producer Stephen Merchant is 47. Actor Colin Hanks is 44. Actor Katherine Heigl (HY'-guhl) is 43. Actor Sarah Hyland is 31.