Today in History
1969 Sesame Street premieres
Sesame Street, the long-running American children’s television series, premiered on TV stations.
1951 North American Numbering Plan begins
The plan standardized long-distance calling and assigned city phone numbers a fixed three-digit prefix known as an area code. This made long-distance calls faster and easier, eliminating the need for an operator. The first phone call was made under the plan between the mayors of Englewood, New Jersey and Alameda, California.
1903 Windshield wiper patented
The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted inventor Mary Anderson a patent for automatic windshield wipers, a device used to remove or wipe automobiles’ front and rear windshields.
1898 Wilmington riots begin
The Wilmington Race Riots of 1898, also known as the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, are thought to be one of the only incidents of insurgency against a local government in the United States. They began after a biracial city council was elected in an election. In retaliation, white supremacists overthrew the council, destroyed much property, and killed many black people in the city over a few days.
1775 US Marine Corps is created
During the American Revolutionary War, Philadelphia established an elite military force capable of operating on land, sea, and air. A resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress established two battalions of Continental Marines, forerunners of today’s marine corps.
Births On This Day, November 10
1968 Tracy Morgan
American comedian, actor
1960 Neil Gaiman
English author, illustrator, screenwriter
1928 Ennio Morricone
Italian composer, conductor
1759 Friedrich Schiller
German poet, playwright, historian
1483 Martin Luther
German monk, priest, leader of the Protestant Reformation
Deaths On This Day, November 10
2015 Helmut Schmidt
German politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany
2007 Norman Mailer
American author, journalist
1982 Leonid Brezhnev
Soviet politician
1938 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Turkish army officer, politician, 1st President of Turkey
1917 Harry Trott
Australian cricketer