Today is Monday, Nov. 3, the 307th day of 2014. There are 58 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Nov. 3, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson soundly defeated Republican Barry Goldwater to win a White House term in his own right.
On this date:
In 1839, the first Opium War between China and Britain broke out.
In 1852, Emperor Meiji of Japan was born in Kyoto.
In 1903, Panama proclaimed its independence from Colombia.
In 1911, the Chevrolet Motor Car Co. was founded in Detroit by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. (The company was acquired by General Motors in 1918.)
In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt won a landslide election victory over Republican challenger Alfred M. “Alf” Landon.
In 1954, the Japanese monster movie “Godzilla” was released by Toho Co.
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, the second manmade satellite, into orbit; on board was a dog named Laika who was sacrificed in the experiment.
In 1960, the Meredith Willson musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” opened on Broadway with Tammy Grimes in the title role.
In 1970, Salvador Allende was inaugurated as president of Chile.
In 1979, five Communist Workers Party members were killed in a clash with heavily armed Ku Klux Klansmen and neo-Nazis during an anti-Klan protest in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In 1986, the Iran-Contra affair began to come to light as Ash-Shiraa, a pro-Syrian Lebanese magazine, first broke the story of U.S. arms sales to Iran.
In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, was arrested for drowning her two young sons, Michael and Alex, nine days after claiming the children had been abducted by a black carjacker.
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush claimed a re-election mandate a day after more than 62 million Americans chose him over Democrat John Kerry; Kerry conceded defeat in make-or-break Ohio rather than launch a legal fight reminiscent of the contentious Florida recount of four years earlier. Hamid Karzai was declared the winner of Afghanistan’s first-ever presidential election after a three-week probe into vote fraud found no grounds to invalidate his triumph. Sgt. Charles Jenkins, who’d spent nearly 40 years in North Korea, pleaded guilty to deserting the U.S. Army in 1965 (he served 25 days in jail and was discharged).
Five years ago: In the 2009 elections, Chris Christie, a Republican former U.S. attorney, unseated New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine while in Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell beat Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a speech to the U.S. Congress by exhorting the world to “tear down the walls of today” and reach a deal to combat global warming. Actor-comedian Carl Ballantine (“McHale’s Navy”) died in Los Angeles at age 92.
One year ago: President Barack Obama stepped into Virginia’s gubernatorial race, throwing the political weight of the White House behind Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who ended up defeating Republican Ken Cuccinelli. In a double victory for Kenya, Geoffrey Mutai successfully defended his New York City Marathon title and Priscah Jeptoo rallied to win the women’s race amid heightened security after the Boston Marathon bombings. Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak collapsed from a mini-stroke while leaving the field at halftime of a game with the Indianapolis Colts, who rallied for a 27-24 victory. Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito, accused of bullying fellow player Jonathan Martin, was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. (Incognito missed the final eight games of the season before becoming a free agent when his contract with Miami expired.)
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Peggy McCay is 87. Actress Lois Smith is 84. Actress Monica Vitti is 83. Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis is 81. Actor-dancer Ken Berry is 81. Actor Shadoe Stevens is 68. Singer Lulu is 66. Comedian-actress Roseanne Barr is 62. Actress Kate Capshaw is 61. Comedian Dennis Miller is 61. Actress Kathy Kinney is 61. Singer Adam Ant is 60. Actor Dolph Lundgren is 57. Rock musician C.J. Pierce (Drowning Pool) is 42. Olympic gold medal figure skater Evgeni Plushenko is 32. Actress Julie Berman (TV: “General Hospital”) is 31.
Thought for Today: “Among these things but one thing seems certain — that nothing certain exists, and that nothing is more pitiable or more presumptuous than man.” — Pliny the Elder, Roman scholar.