The International Space Station received its first permanent crew
MajorAmerican astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev arrived aboard Soyuz TM-31. The station has been continuousl...
November 2 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2000
1966
The Cuban Adjustment Act was signed, making Cuban immigrants the only nationality guaranteed U.S. residency after one year
The law created the unique 'wet foot, dry foot' policy—Cubans who reached U.S. soil could stay, while those intercepted at sea were returned. This spe...
1959
The quiz show scandal reached its peak when Charles Van Doren admitted to Congress he was given answers in advance
The handsome Columbia professor had won $129,000 on 'Twenty-One' and became a national celebrity. His tearful confession that producers fed him answer...
1948
Harry S. Truman pulled off the biggest upset in American political history
MajorDespite polls predicting a landslide for Thomas Dewey, Truman won decisively. The Chicago Tribune famously printed 'DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN' before resul...
1947
Howard Hughes flew the largest aircraft ever built for only one minute before never flying it again
The Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the 'Spruce Goose,' had a wingspan longer than a football field. Hughes piloted it for about a mile at 70 feet alti...
1936
The BBC began the world's first regular high-definition television service
MajorTransmitted from Alexandra Palace in London, the service reached about 100 receivers in a 25-mile radius. The opening night featured a variety show an...
1930
Haile Selassie was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in a coronation attended by royalty from around the world
The lavish ceremony cost $3 million and included representatives from across Europe and Asia. Selassie ruled for 44 years and became a messianic figur...
1920
The first commercial radio broadcast in America aired from KDKA in Pittsburgh
MajorThe station broadcast the Warren G. Harding vs. James Cox presidential election returns to a few hundred listeners. Harding won in a landslide. This s...
1889
North Dakota and South Dakota became states on the same day, but no one knows which was officially first
President Benjamin Harrison deliberately shuffled the statehood papers before signing them so neither state could claim precedence. To this day, it's...
1868
New Zealand became the first country to officially adopt a standard time for the entire nation
New Zealand Mean Time was set at 11 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich. Before this, each town kept its own local time based on the sun, making train...
1795
James K. Polk, the only U.S. President who kept every campaign promise, was born
Polk promised to serve only one term, annex Texas, settle the Oregon boundary, and establish an independent treasury—and did all four. He's considered...
1783
George Washington gave his Farewell Address to the Continental Army at Rocky Hill, New Jersey
MajorAfter seven years of war, Washington thanked his officers and expressed hope for the new nation. He would return to Mount Vernon, believing his public...
