- 1783 – The British evacuated New York City, marking the end of the American Revolution.
- 1839 – The opera “Les Huguenots” by Giacomo Meyerbeer premieres in Paris, France.
- 1874 – The United States Greenback Party is established as a political party.
- 1884 – German inventor Paul Nipkow patents the concept of the television mechanical scanning system.
- 1915 – Albert Einstein presents his general theory of relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
- 1835 – Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist.
- 1947 – The “Hollywood Ten,” a group of film industry professionals, are cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in Hollywood.
- 1986 – US President Ronald Reagan publicly acknowledges the Iran-Contra affair.
- 1947 – The Constituent Assembly of India adopts the country’s constitution, leading to the formation of the Republic of India on January 26, 1950.
- 1947 – John Larroquette, American actor known for his role in the TV show “Night Court.”
- 1952 – The first ever thermonuclear bomb, codenamed “Ivy Mike,” is detonated on Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
- 1960 – The musical “Camelot,” with music by Frederick Loewe and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, opens on Broadway.
- 1960 – Amy Grant, American singer-songwriter known for her contemporary Christian music.
- 1963 – US President John F. Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery following his assassination on November 22.
- 1968 – Upton Sinclair, American writer and social reformer known for his novel “The Jungle.”
- 1979 – Pink Floyd releases their album “The Wall,” which becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time.
- 1881 – Pope John XXIII, Italian religious leader who served as Pope from 1958 to 1963.
- 1983 – Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the central solar system when it crosses the orbit of Neptune.1984: Gaspard Ulliel, French actor known for his role as Hannibal Lecter in “Hannibal Rising.”
- 1884 – Sir Edmund Barton, Australian politician and the first Prime Minister of Australia.
- 1990 The federal parliament of Yugoslavia abolishes the single-party system, leading to the start of democratic reforms.
- 1992 – The animated Disney movie “Aladdin” is released in theaters, becoming a critical and commercial success.
- 1999 – Gene Rayburn, American television personality and game show host.
- 2002 – The first cloned cat, named “Cc” (short for Carbon Copy), is born in Texas, USA.
- 2008 – British singer and songwriter Adele releases her debut album “19,” launching her career to international success.
- 2009 – Jeddah floods: Freak rains swamp the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during an ongoing Hajj pilgrimage. Three thousand cars are swept away and 122 people perish in the torrents, with 350 others missing.
- 2012 – Larry Hagman, American actor known for his roles in “Dallas” and “I Dream of Jeannie.”
- 2013 – Scientists at CERN announce the successful discovery of the Higgs boson particle, also known as the “God particle.”
- 2013 – The Ukrainian government announces the suspension of preparations for signing an association agreement with the European Union, sparking widespread protests and the subsequent Euromaidan revolution.
- 2016 – Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader and former President of Cuba, dies at the age of 90.
- 2017 – David Cassidy, American singer and actor known for his role in “The Partridge Family.”