Today in History

Today is Monday, Nov. 15, the 319th day of 2021. There are 46 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 15, 1942, the naval Battle of Guadalcanal ended during World War II with a decisive U.S. victory over Japanese forces.

On this date:

In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation.

In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as Pikes Peak in present-day Colorado.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman began their "March to the Sea" from Atlanta; the campaign ended with the capture of Savannah on Dec. 21.

In 1889, Brazil was proclaimed a republic as its emperor, Dom Pedro II, was overthrown.

In 1937, at the U.S. Capitol, members of the House and Senate met in air-conditioned chambers for the first time.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1959, four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home. (Ex-convicts Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were later convicted of the killings and hanged in a case made famous by the Truman Capote book "In Cold Blood.")

In 1966, the flight of Gemini 12, the final mission of the Gemini program, ended successfully as astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. splashed down safely in the Atlantic after spending four days in orbit.

In 1969, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War.

In 1989, Time Warner launched The Comedy Channel, which later merged with Viacom's HA! network to form Comedy Central.

In 2003, two Black Hawk helicopters collided and crashed in Iraq; 17 U.S. troops were killed.

In 2019, Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of President Donald Trump, was convicted of all seven counts in a federal indictment accusing him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation of whether Trump coordinated with Russia during the 2016 campaign. (As Stone was about to begin serving a 40-month prison sentence, Trump commuted the sentence.)

Ten years ago: Hundreds of police officers in riot gear raided the Occupy Wall Street encampment in New York City in the pre-dawn darkness, evicting hundreds of protesters and then demolishing the tent city. Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers breezed to the AL Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama, opening his final overseas trip while in office, acknowledged in Athens, Greece, that he was surprised by Donald Trump's victory, and said it stemmed from deep-seated anxieties among working-class Americans that the government needed to do better to address. Speaker Paul Ryan unanimously won his GOP colleagues' votes for another term at the helm of the House.

One year ago: President Donald Trump's campaign withdrew a central part of its lawsuit seeking to stop the certification of election results in Pennsylvania, won by Joe Biden; Trump's campaign dropped the allegation that hundreds of thousands of mail-in and absentee ballots were illegally processed without its representatives watching. Dustin Johnson overcame a jittery start in the final round to win the Masters by five shots, finishing with a record-low score of 268, 20 under par.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Petula Clark is 89. Actor Joanna Barnes is 87. Actor Sam Waterston is 81. Classical conductor Daniel Barenboim is 79. Pop singer Frida (ABBA) is 76. Actor Bob Gunton is 76. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is 74. Actor Beverly D'Angelo is 70. Director-actor James Widdoes is 68. Rock singer-producer Mitch Easter is 67. News correspondent John Roberts is 65. Former "Jay Leno Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks is 64. Comedian Judy Gold is 59. Actor Rachel True is 55. Rapper E-40 is 54. Country singer Jack Ingram is 51. Actor Jay Harrington is 50. Actor Jonny Lee Miller is 49. Actor Sydney Tamiia Poitier-Heartsong is 48. Rock singer-musician Chad Kroeger is 47. Rock musician Jesse Sandoval is 47. Actor Virginie Ledoyen is 45. Actor Sean Murray is 44. Pop singer Ace Young (TV: "American Idol") is 41. Golfer Lorena Ochoa is 40. Hip-hop artist B.o.B is 33. Actor Shailene Woodley is 30. Actor-dancer Emma Dumont is 27.