Thanksgiving Day was established in the US in 1789, while King Tut’s tomb was opened in 1922. Gasoline rationing was announced in 1942, France launched its first satellite in 1965, and China entered the Korean War in 1950. The heaviest rain in history was recorded in 1970, while California vigilantes lynched two murder suspects in 1933. The Great Diamond Hoax was exposed in 1872, and the National Hockey League was founded in Montreal in 1917. The University of Notre Dame was established in 1842.
Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in the United States. (1789) On the recommendation of US President George Washington, the US Congress passed a Thanksgiving Day to celebrate the US Constitution. The holiday would not become an annual event until 1863, and it would not become law until 1941, when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it an official national holiday.
People entered King Tut’s tomb for the first time in 3,000 years. (1922) Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, had located the tomb in Luxor, Egypt, and on this day he and his British financier Lord Carnarvon opened it. Inside, they found the contents very well preserved. King Tutankhamun’s body was buried in a golden coffin, which was also found intact.
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced nationwide gasoline rationing. (1942) Rationing was to begin on December 1st. It was not chartered due to lack of fuel; rationing was implemented to preserve the nation’s rubber supply, which was badly needed during the war. Fuel rationing would save on car tire wear.
France has launched its first satellite. (1965) The Diamant-A rocket carried the Asterix-1 satellite into space. It was launched from an Algerian launch facility in the Sahara desert, making France the third nation to venture into space.
China entered the Korean War, dashing hopes for a quick resolution. (1950) China waged two battles, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and the Battle of Ch’ongch’on River. Both battles were counterattacks against United Nations forces which included troops from the United States and South Korea. A ceasefire would not be signed until July 1953.
The heaviest rain in history was recorded. (1970) 1.5 inches (about 38.1 mm) of rain fell in one minute on the city of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe in the French Antilles.
California vigilantes lynched two murder suspects and were later applauded by the governor for their actions. (1933) John Holmes and Thomas Thurmond were arrested on suspicion of murdering Brooke Hart, the son of a local store owner, in San Jose, California. Once his body was washed ashore and the murder was verified, mobs began to form and lynching plans were rumored in newspapers and radio broadcasts. Governor James Rolph refused to offer assistance from the National Guard and, after the lynching, called it “The best lesson ever taught the country.”
One of the most successful mining scams in history, “The Great Diamond Hoax”, has been exposed. (1872) John Slack and Philip Arnold of Kentucky posed as country bumpkins and broke into a bank in San Francisco to deposit uncut diamonds. In an effort to profit from the two, bank manager William Ralston convinced them to give him control of the mine. Once the “mining expert” returned and reported a mine filled with rubies and diamonds, Ralston created an official mining company with $10 million US dollars (USD) in capital and began selling to investors. He only gave Slack and Arnold $600,000 USD in return. The mine, of course, wasn’t real and the two “bompkins” got away with $600,000 USD.
The National Hockey League was founded in Montreal, Canada. (1917) The league now has more than 30 Canadian and U.S. teams, but started with only five: the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Bulldogs, Montreal Wanderers, and Toronto Arenas.
The University of Notre Dame is established. (1842) Notre Dame is a Catholic university in Indiana that opened as an all-boys school; women were not admitted until 1972.
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