12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for November 26, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1789 – President George Washington proclaims the first U.S. national Thanksgiving Day.
- 1842 – The University of Notre Dame is founded by Father Edward Sorin in Indiana.
- 1863 – The United States observes the first nationwide Thanksgiving per Lincoln’s proclamation.
- 1922 – Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon enter the antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt.
- 1939 – The Shelling of Mainila: Soviet artillery fire (blamed on Finland) sparks the Winter War.
- 1941 – The U.S. delivers the “Hull note” to Japan amid escalating Pacific tensions.
- 1942 – Casablanca premieres in New York City.
- 1965 – France launches Astérix, becoming the third nation to orbit a satellite on its own rocket.
- 1983 – Brink’s-Mat robbery at Heathrow: thieves steal gold bullion worth tens of millions.
- 2008 – Coordinated terrorist attacks begin across Mumbai, India.
- 2011 – NASA launches Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) toward the Red Planet.
- 2018 – NASA’s InSight lander touches down on Mars to study its interior.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1938 – Rich Little, comedian and impressionist (87).
- 1945 – John McVie, bassist (Fleetwood Mac) (80).
- 1969 – Shawn Kemp, six-time NBA All-Star (56).
- 1973 – Peter Facinelli, actor/producer (Twilight, Nurse Jackie) (52).
- 1975 – DJ Khaled, record producer and media personality (50).
- 1981 – Natasha Bedingfield, singer-songwriter (“Unwritten”) (44).
- 1990 – Rita Ora, singer/actor (“Let You Love Me”) (35).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1504 – Isabella I of Castile, Spanish monarch and unifier of Spain (53).
- 1855 – Adam Mickiewicz, Polish national poet (56).
- 1956 – Tommy Dorsey, big-band leader and trombonist (51).
- 2003 – Soulja Slim, rapper (“Slow Motion”) (26).
- 2012 – Joseph E. Murray, Nobel Prize–winning surgeon (organ transplantation pioneer) (93).
- 2018 – Stephen Hillenburg, animator and creator of SpongeBob SquarePants (57).
- 2019 – Gary Rhodes, British chef and television presenter (59).
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