November 10 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Historical Events

2006

A British man spent six months legally changing his name to "Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine The Hulk And The Flash Combined"

George Garratt from Glastonbury wanted to surprise his friends and raise money for charity. His new passport and driver's license bore the ridiculous...

2001

Microsoft released the original Xbox, entering the video game console war with a machine that was basically a PC stuffed into a chunky black box

The console featured a built-in hard drive and online gaming through Xbox Live, innovations that competitors lacked. Its flagship game, Halo: Combat E...

1997

WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger that would later become one of the biggest corporate fraud scandals in American history

At the time, it was the largest corporate merger ever. The deal created the second-largest long-distance phone company in the US. Just five years late...

1989

The Berlin Wall fell after East Germany announced citizens could cross the border freely, and confused guards just started opening gates

Major

A bungled press conference led to immediate chaos as thousands rushed to checkpoints. Guards, receiving no clear orders, eventually gave up and let pe...

1969

Sesame Street premiered on public television and immediately started teaching millions of children that a giant yellow bird and a grumpy trash can dweller were totally normal

The groundbreaking show combined Jim Henson's Muppets with educational curriculum designed by child psychologists. It was specifically created to help...

1958

The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution via registered mail, because nothing says 'priceless jewel' like a $2.44 postage fee

New York jeweler Harry Winston sent the legendary 45.52-carat blue diamond through the US Postal Service in a plain brown package. The diamond alleged...

1951

The first long-distance telephone call without human operators was completed, allowing people to directly dial wrong numbers from much farther away

Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) launched between Englewood, New Jersey and Alameda, California. Before this, operators had to manually connect every lon...

1928

Hirohito was crowned Emperor of Japan in an elaborate ceremony that combined ancient Shinto rituals with modern pageantry

Major

The enthronement ceremony featured sacred regalia said to date back thousands of years, including a mirror, sword, and jewel. Hirohito would reign for...

1903

Mary Anderson received a patent for windshield wipers after noticing streetcar drivers had to stick their heads out windows in the rain

Her invention featured a lever inside the vehicle that controlled a rubber blade on the outside. Despite the obvious utility, she couldn't find a comp...

1871

Henry Morton Stanley found the missing explorer David Livingstone in Tanzania and greeted him with the most awkwardly formal phrase in history

After months of searching through African wilderness, Stanley finally located the legendary missionary-explorer on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. His...

1775

The United States Marine Corps was founded in a Philadelphia tavern, because apparently the best military decisions are made in bars

Major

The Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines to serve as naval infantry. The legendary Tun Tavern served as the first recruiting stat...

1683

George II of Great Britain was born in Hanover, making him the last British monarch to be born outside the British Isles and the last to lead troops into battle

Despite being King of Great Britain, he spoke English with a heavy German accent and preferred Hanover to London. At age 60, he personally led British...

1483

Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany, and would go on to spark the Protestant Reformation

Major

The future monk and theologian came into the world during a time when the Catholic Church dominated European religious life. His 95 Theses, nailed to...