Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in the US for the first time. (1789) At the recommendation of US President George Washington, the US Congress approved a day of thanks to celebrate the US Constitution. The holiday wouldn’t become an annual event until 1863 and wouldn’t be signed into law until 1941 when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it an official, national holiday.
People entered King Tut’s tomb for the first time in 3,000 years. (1922) Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, had located the tomb in Luxor, Egypt, and on this day he and his British financier Lord Carnarvon opened it. Inside, they found the contents to be very well preserved. King Tutankhamen’s body was buried in a gold coffin, which also was found intact.
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced a nationwide rationing of gasoline. (1942) The rationing was set to begin on December 1. It wasn’t instituted because of a shortage of fuel; the rationing was implemented to preserve the nation’s rubber supply, which was badly needed during the war. Rationing fuel would save on the wear and tear of car tires.
France launched its first satellite. (1965) The Diamant-A rocket carried the Asterix-1 satellite into space. It was launched from an Algerian launch facility in the Sahara Desert, making France the third nation to venture into space.
China entered the Korean War, dashing hopes of a quick resolution. (1950) China waged two battles, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River. Both battles were counterattacks against United Nations forces which included troops from the US, and South Korea. A ceasefire wouldn’t be signed until July 1953.
The heaviest rainfall in history was recorded. (1970) In one minute, 1.5 inches (about 38.1 mm) of rain fell in the city of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe in the French Antilles.
California vigilantes lynched two murder suspects and were later applauded by the governor for their actions. (1933) John Holmes and Thomas Thurmond were arrested for allegedly murdering Brooke Hart, a local store owner’s son, in San Jose, California. Once his body washed ashore and the murder was verified, a mob began to form and lynching plans were rumored in newspapers and on radio broadcasts. Governor James Rolph turned down offered assistance from the National Guard, and after the lynching took place, he called it, “The best lesson ever given to the country.”
One of the most successful mining swindles in history, “The Great Diamond Hoax,” was exposed. (1872) John Slack and Philip Arnold from Kentucky posed as country bumpkins and entered a bank in San Francisco to deposit uncut diamonds. In an effort to profit off the two, bank manager William Ralston talked them into giving him control of the mine. Once the “mining expert” returned and reported a mine full of rubies and diamonds, Ralston created an official mining company with a capital of $10 million US Dollars (USD) and began selling to investors. He gave Slack and Arnold a mere $600,000 USD in exchange. The mine, of course, wasn’t real and the two “bumpkins” made off with the $600,000 USD.
The National Hockey League was established in Montreal, Canada. (1917) The league has more than 30 Canadian and US teams today, but it began with just five: Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Bulldogs, Montreal Wanderers, and Toronto Arenas.
The University of Notre Dame was established. (1842) Notre Dame is a Catholic university in Indiana that opened as an all-male school; women weren’t admitted until 1972.