Today in History

Today is Saturday, Nov. 26, the 330th day of 2022. There are 35 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 26, 1950, China entered the Korean War, launching a counteroffensive against soldiers from the United Nations, the U.S. and South Korea.

On this date:

In 1825, the first college social fraternity, the Kappa Alpha Society, was formed at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

In 1864, English mathematician and writer Charles Dodgson presented a handwritten and illustrated manuscript, "Alice's Adventures Under Ground," to his 12-year-old friend Alice Pleasance Liddell; the book was later turned into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," published under Dodgson's pen name, Lewis Carroll.

In 1883, former slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 1917, the National Hockey League was founded in Montreal, succeeding the National Hockey Association.

In 1941, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull delivered a note to Japan's ambassador to the United States, Kichisaburo Nomura, setting forth U.S. demands for "lasting and extensive peace throughout the Pacific area." The same day, a Japanese naval task force consisting of six aircraft carriers left the Kuril Islands, headed toward Hawaii.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered nationwide gasoline rationing, beginning Dec. 1.

In 1943, during World War II, the HMT Rohna, a British transport ship carrying American soldiers, was hit by a German missile off Algeria; 1,138 men were killed.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, told a federal court that she'd accidentally caused part of the 18-1/2-minute gap in a key Watergate tape.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed a commission headed by former Sen. John Tower to investigate his National Security Council staff in the wake of the Iran-Contra affair.

In 2000, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin.

In 2008, teams of heavily armed Pakistani gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in Mumbai, India, leaving at least 166 people dead in a rampage lasting some 60 hours.

In 2020, Americans marked the Thanksgiving holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic, with many celebrations canceled or reduced; Zoom and FaceTime calls connected some families with those who didn't want to travel.

Ten years ago: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak abruptly quit politics, saying in a surprise announcement, "I feel I have exhausted my political activity, which had never been a special object of desire for me." New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced that he would be seeking re-election, so he could continue to guide the state through a recovery from Superstorm Sandy.

Five years ago: Congressman John Conyers of Michigan gave up his leadership position as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, while denying allegations that he had sexually harassed female staff members. Amid allegations that he had groped women in the past, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken said he felt "embarrassed and ashamed," but that he looked forward to gradually regaining the trust of voters. (Franken announced less than two weeks later that he was resigning from Congress.)

One year ago: A World Health Organization panel classified a new COVID-19 variant as a highly transmissible virus of concern, and named it "omicron" under its Greek-letter system. The United States, Canada, Russia and a host of other countries joined the European Union in restricting travel for visitors from southern Africa. Stephen Sondheim, the songwriter who reshaped the American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century, died at his Connecticut home at the age of 91.

Today's Birthdays: Impressionist Rich Little is 84. Singer Tina Turner is 83. Singer Jean Terrell is 78. Pop musician John McVie is 77. Actor Marianne Muellerleile is 74. Actor Scott Jacoby is 66. Actor Jamie Rose is 63. Country singer Linda Davis is 60. Actor Scott Adsit is 57. Blues singer-musician Bernard Allison is 57. Country singer-musician Steve Grisaffe is 57. Actor Kristin Bauer is 56. Actor Peter Facinelli is 49. Actor Tammy Lynn Michaels Etheridge is 48. DJ/record label executive DJ Khaled is 47. Actor Maia (MY'-ah) Campbell is 46. Country singer Joe Nichols is 46. Contemporary Christian musicians Anthony and Randy Armstrong (Red) are 44. Actor Jessica Bowman is 42. Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is 41. Actor Jessica Camacho is 40. Rock musician Ben Wysocki (The Fray) is 38. Singer Lil Fizz is 37. MLB All-Star Matt Carpenter is 37. Actor-singer-TV personality Rita Ora is 32. Actor/singer Aubrey Peeples is 29.