2003: Soong Mei-ling, the widow of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, dies at 106. Known around the world as Madame Chiang, she died in New York City, where she had lived for many years. Educated at Wellesley College, she was a powerful political figure in Nationalist China and in 1943 addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress to rally support for China's war against Japan.
2001: Apple introduces the iPod. Steve Jobs unveiled the portable music player at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The first model sold for $399, worked only with Mac computers, and could hold about 1,000 songs. It became one of the defining products of the early 2000s and paved the way for the iTunes Store and, later, the iPhone.
1998: Britney Spears releases her debut single, “…Baby One More Time.” Its music video, which showed her in a schoolgirl outfit dancing through school hallways, drew both huge attention and criticism. The song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 early in 1999 and turned the teenager into an international pop star.
1983: Suicide truck bombs destroy U.S. and French military barracks in Beirut. Trucks packed with explosives struck the U.S. Marine barracks at the Beirut airport and a building housing French paratroopers, killing 241 American service members and 58 French troops. The forces were in Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping mission during the country's civil war, and the Marines were withdrawn a few months later.
1956: The Hungarian Revolution begins in Budapest. A mass demonstration led by students against the Soviet-backed communist government grew into a nationwide uprising, and crowds tore down a giant statue of Joseph Stalin. Reformer Imre Nagy became prime minister, but Soviet tanks crushed the revolt in early November, killing thousands and sending about 200,000 Hungarians fleeing abroad.
1956: The International Atomic Energy Agency is created. Delegates meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York approved the agency's statute, with the goal of expanding the peaceful use of atomic energy around the world. The idea grew out of President Dwight Eisenhower's 1953 “Atoms for Peace” speech. Based in Vienna, the agency later won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
1944: The Battle of Leyte Gulf begins in the Philippines. U.S. naval forces, including the Third Fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey Jr., fought the Japanese navy in a series of air and sea battles around the island of Leyte in the central Philippines. Often called the largest naval battle in history, it left Japan's fleet crippled, saw the first organized kamikaze attacks, and secured the American return to the Philippines.
1942: British forces launch their attack at El Alamein in Egypt. The British Eighth Army under Bernard Montgomery opened the Second Battle of El Alamein against German and Italian troops led by Erwin Rommel. The British victory in early November was a turning point of World War II in North Africa.
1941: Walt Disney's Dumbo has its world premiere. The animated feature told the story of a baby circus elephant, mocked for his enormous ears, who discovers he can fly. Made quickly and on a small budget after Fantasia lost money, it became a hit and won an Academy Award for its musical score.
Born on This Day
1998: Amandla Stenberg, American actress Turns 28. Played Rue in The Hunger Games and starred in The Hate U Give.
1997: Nick Bosa, American football player Turns 29. San Francisco 49ers defensive end and the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
1994: Margaret Qualley, American actress Turns 32. Starred in the Netflix series Maid and the film The Substance.
1987: Kyle Gibson, American baseball pitcher Minnesota connection: a first-round draft pick of the Twins who spent seven seasons in their starting rotation.
1986: Emilia Clarke, English actress Turns 40. Played Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones.
1985: Miguel, American R&B singer Turns 41. Grammy-winning singer of “Adorn” and “Sure Thing.”
1984: Meghan McCain, American TV commentator and author Former co-host of The View and daughter of Senator John McCain.
1976: Ryan Reynolds, Canadian-American actor Turns 50. Star of the Deadpool films and co-owner of Wrexham soccer club in Wales.
1964: Robert Trujillo, American rock bassist Metallica's bass player since 2003, after stints with Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne.
1962: Doug Flutie, American football player Won the 1984 Heisman Trophy at Boston College, famous for his “Hail Flutie” pass against Miami, and later starred in the NFL and the Canadian Football League.
1959: “Weird Al” Yankovic, American comedy musician Turns 67. The king of song parodies, known for “Eat It,” “Amish Paradise,” and “White & Nerdy.”
1959: Sam Raimi, American film director Directed The Evil Dead and the Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire.
1959: Nancy Grace, American legal commentator Former prosecutor who became a crime-news TV host on HLN.
1957: Martin Luther King III, American human rights activist The oldest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, he has carried on his father's civil rights work.
1956: Dwight Yoakam, American country singer and actor Turns 70. Known for “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “Fast as You,” and for his role in Sling Blade.
1954: Ang Lee, Taiwanese-American film director Won Best Director Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi and made Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
1942: Michael Crichton, American author Wrote Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain and created the TV drama ER.
1940: Pelé, Brazilian soccer player The only player to win three World Cups, he later helped popularize soccer in the U.S. with the New York Cosmos.
1931: Jim Bunning, American baseball pitcher and politician Hall of Fame pitcher who threw a perfect game for the Phillies in 1964 and later served as a U.S. senator from Kentucky.
1925: Johnny Carson, American TV host Hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years, from 1962 to 1992, and set the standard for late-night talk shows.
