This Week in History

November 28

1520 – Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan passed through the strait which bears his name to the Pacific Ocean.

1990 – Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister of Great Britain; John Major took over.

November 29

Greg Sullivan was born.

1986 – Actor Cary Grant died in Davenport, Iowa, at age 82.

2001 – Beatle George Harrison died of cancer.

NOVEMBER 30

1940 – Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married.

2004 – Ken Jennings ended his 74-game winning streak on the game show, Jeopardy!

DECEMBER 1

Sean Boyle was born.

Julia Dionne was born.

Kerry Mazzola was born.

1824 – The presidential election between John Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay was turned over to the House of Representatives due to the lack of an electoral-vote majority.

1998 – Exxon and Mobil agreed to merge, creating the world’s largest corporation.

DECEMBER 2

Olivia Becker was born.

Mike Scala was born.

1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor of France in Paris by Pope Pius VII.

DECEMBER 3

Barbara King was born.

Diane Cardwell was born.

Bob-O Gates was born.

1833 – Oberlin College in Ohio became the first coed institution of higher learning in the U.S.

1967 – Dr. Christiaan N. Barnard performed the world’s first successful human heart transplant.

DECEMBER 4

1783 – George Washington delivered his farewell address to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York City.

1993 – Rock musician and composer Frank Zappa died at age 52.