In the middle of November, the sixteenth president was jotting down a speech as he traveled by train from Washington to Pennsylvania to dedicate the most famous battle in American history. The Gettysburg Address, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, is…
Read MoreOn November 18, 1903, the United States secured sweeping control over a ten-mile-wide corridor in Panama, completing an agreement that cleared the way for construction of an interoceanic canal and placed the strategic waterway under near-total American authority. The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, signed in Washington…
Read MoreOn November 18, 1928, the entertainment world experienced a revolutionary moment with the release of Steamboat Willie, an animated short that introduced synchronized sound to cartoons. Produced by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, this groundbreaking film not only debuted Mickey Mouse to the public…
Read MoreOn November 18, 1872, Susan B. Anthony found herself at the center of a pivotal moment in American history. A prominent advocate for women’s voting rights and a key figure in the suffrage movement, she was arrested for illegally casting a ballot in the…
Read MoreOn November 17, 2019, a 55-year-old resident of Hubei Province sought medical attention for an unusual respiratory illness after visiting a market in Wuhan. At the time, the episode attracted no broader notice. China’s vast health-care system regularly confronts flurries of seasonal pneumonias—nothing about…
Read MoreThe Articles of Confederation, adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and submitted to the states for ratification two days later on November 17, marked a crucial step in the formation of the United States. As the first framework for a unified…
Read MoreOn November 17, 1993, the House of Representatives passed one of the most monumental trade agreements in history. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented in 1994 among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, aimed to foster economic cooperation by reducing trade barriers…
Read MoreThe French Revolution’s descent into ideological fury was neither sudden nor unforeseeable; its logic of purification had been incubating for years. By the autumn of 1793, as the radical Jacobin government tightened its grip on the Republic, the revolutionary promise of liberty and citizenship…
Read MoreOn November 16, 1532, the Andean city of Cajamarca became the setting for one of history’s most dramatic and consequential encounters. A small band of Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca Emperor Atahualpa, an event that marked the beginning of the…
Read MoreThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established on November 16, 1945. The aim of the new agency was to promote international collaboration in the fields of education, science, and culture. The hope for world leaders was that following the devastation…
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