Today's Puzzle
Name an English word that has three consecutive sets of double letters?
What Happened On
55 mph Speed Limit Abolished
November 28, 1995
U.S. President Bill Clinton signs into the law the act returning control of speed limits to the states. This allowed states to exceed the previously mandated maximum speed of 55 mph. The law had been in effect since 1974 in an effort to save fuel in response to the 1973 oil crisis.
First Close-Up of Mars
First Close-Up of Mars
First Successful Flyby of Mars
November 28, 1964
NASA launches the Mariner 4. In July 1965 it flew by Mars capturing the first images of another planet ever returned from deep space.
Deadliest Nightclub Fire
November 28, 1942
A fire at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Boston kills 491 people. This was the deadliest U.S. nightclub fire and the second deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history (1903 Chicago Iroquois Theater fire was the deadliest single-building fire, killing 602).
The fire spread quickly, filling the building with flames and smoke in less than five minutes. The main entrance was a revolving door which became jammed and then broke when the crowds tried to push through it. When the door broke, the oxygen-starved fire shot flames through the air gap, incinerating anyone in it. All but one of the other exits were either non-operational or hidden in non-public areas. Some were bolted shut and some opened inwards and were rendered useless as the crowds piled up against them.
It is believed the fire started when a 16-year-old busboy used a match for light while screwing in a light bulb that had been unscrewed by a patron. Moments later, flammable decorations nearby caught on fire, spreading to a fabric-covered false ceiling which burned rapidly.
The fire led to numerous new fire codes, including the requirement for revolving doors to have an adjacent outward-swinging door and for exit signs to be visible at all times.
First Place Winner
First Place Winner
First U.S. Automobile Race
November 28, 1895
The race almost didn't happen as it was initially banned by police who would not allow automobiles to drive on city streets. It ran from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois and back (54 miles/87 km). It was won by Charles and Frank Duryea with an average speed of 7 mph (11 km/h).
Shakespeare Marries Anne Hathaway
November 28, 1582
Eighteen-year-old William Shakespeare marries pregnant 25-year-old Anne Hathaway. She gave birth to their daughter six months later. They remained married until his death in 1616.
Bear Bryant
November 28, 1981
The football legend Bear Bryant scores his 315th victory, making him the winningest college football coach ever. He would go on to win 10 more.
Most Points Scored by a Single Player
November 28, 1929
Ernie Nevers scores all of the Chicago Cardinals' 40 points against the Chicago Bears, setting the NFL record for the most points scored by a single player in a single game. Nevers scored on six touchdowns, also an NFL record, and four extra points.
Grand Ole Opry
November 28, 1925
The radio show goes on the air. Broadcast from Nashville and called WSM Barn Dance, the name would change to Grand Ole Opry two years later.
First U.S. Skywriting Used For Advertising
November 28, 1922
Royal Air Force Capt. Cyril Turner writes "Hello USA Call Vanderbilt 7200" 10,000 feet above Times Square in New York City. The half-mile-high letters generated 47,000 calls in 2½ hours.
First Woman Elected to the British Parliament
November 28, 1919
American-born Viscountess Lady Astor is elected to the House of Commons.
The U.S. State of Franklin
November 28, 1785
The state of Franklin is denied its legitimacy by the U.S. Congress, and the territory is returned to the Cherokee Indians. It had been created in 1784 when East Tennessee declared itself an independent state.
Birthdays
Anna Nicole Smith (Vickie Lynn Hogan)
Born November 28, 1967 d. 2007
American actress, model, Playmate of the Year (1993). At age 26, she married 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall. She died of an accidental overdose from a combination of drugs she was taking to fight a stomach flu.
Quote: "I'm sick of being accused of gold-digging. It just so happens I get turned on by liver spots."
Henry Bacon
Born November 28, 1866 d. 1924
American architect. He designed the Lincoln Memorial (1922).
Jon Stewart (Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz)
Born November 28, 1962
American Emmy-Grammy-winning comedian, TV host. TV: The Daily Show (1999-2015, host). Recordings: America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004, Grammy for Best Comedy Album).
Judd Nelson
Born November 28, 1959
American actor. Film: The Breakfast Club (1985), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and New Jack City (1991).
Ed Harris
Born November 28, 1950
American Oscar-Tony-Emmy-winning actor. Movies: The Right Stuff (1983), Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Snowpiercer (2013).
Paul Shaffer
Born November 28, 1949
Canadian-American band leader. TV: Late Night with David Letterman.
Randy Newman
Born November 28, 1943
American singer, songwriter. Music: Short People (1977).
Gary Troxel
Born November 28, 1939
American singer. With the high school group The Fleetwoods. Music: Come Softly to Me (1959, #1) and Mr. Blue (1959, #1).
Gary Hart (Gary Warren Hartpence)
Born November 28, 1936
American politician, U.S. senator (D-Colorado). His bid for the 1988 Presidency was cut short by a photograph of 29-year-old model Donna Rice sitting on his lap. In 2000, he revealed that he is the political thriller writer John Blackthorn, whose books include Sins of the Fathers and I, Che Guevara.
Hope Lange
Born November 28, 1933 d. 2003
American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. Film: Peyton Place (1957, Selena Cross). TV: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1968-70, Mrs. Muir, for which she won back-to-back Emmys).
Berry Gordy Jr.
Born November 28, 1929
American songwriter, record producer. Founder of Motown Records (1959), which was the first all-black record company.
Lewis as Harvard football center in 1892 (left) and in 1903
Lewis as Harvard football center in 1892 (left) and in 1903
William Henry Lewis
Born November 28, 1868 d. 1949
American lawyer. In 1903 Lewis became the first African American appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney and in 1911, became the first African American assistant U.S. attorney general (1911-13). He was also the first African-American selected as an All-American in college football, and was Harvard's first African American team captain.
Alfonso XII
Born November 28, 1857 d. 1885
King of Spain (1874-85).
John Wesley Hyatt
Born November 28, 1837 d. 1920
American inventor. He invented the first commercially viable method of producing celluloid (1869), the first successful plastic. He is also noted for his work in roller bearings, water purification, billiard balls, bowling balls, and checkers.
Father of Meteorology
Luke Howard
Born November 28, 1772 d. 1864
British chemist, meteorologist, Father of Meteorology. He created the naming system for clouds (1802) which included: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus.
Died from a Self-Inflicted Music Accident
Jean-Baptiste Lully (Giovanni Battista Lulli)
Born November 28, 1632 d. 1687
Italian-born French composer. While conducting a Te Deum in honor of King Louis XIV's recent recovery from illness, he struck his toe with the staff he was using to keep beat. The wound turned gangrenous, but Lully refused to have his toe amputated and the gangrene spread resulting in his death several months later.
Deaths
David Prowse
Died November 28, 2020 b. 1935
English actor, weightlifting champion (heavyweight 1962-64), Darth Vader in the Star Wars Trilogy (voice provided by James Earl Jones). Although a fan favorite, in 2010 he was banned from attending Lucas Film events; reportedly for annoying George Lucas. He claims that LucasFilm has never paid him any residual payments on Return of the Jedi because the film has yet to make a profit. Film: A Clockwork Orange (1971, muscular body guard), and Horror of Frankenstein (1970, the monster).
Harold von Braunhut (Harold Nathan Braunhut)
Died November 28, 2003 b. 1926
American inventor, mail-order entrepreneur. Harold von Braunhut is best known for selling Sea-Monkeys and X-Ray Specs via ads in comic books during the 1960s and 1970s. Astronaut John Glenn even took some "Amazing Sea-Monkeys" into space with him in 1998.
Items he marketed included:
• Amazing Sea-Monkeys: The advertisements showed humanized Sea-Monkeys enjoying life in their underwater fantasy world. They were actually brine shrimp eggs that "came to life" when food and water were added.
• X-Ray Specs: The advertisements claimed they enabled the wearer to see through clothing and flesh.
• Crazy Crabs: They were hermit crabs.
• Amazing Hair-Raising Monsters: A card with a printed monster that would grow "hair" (actually mineral crystals) when water was added.
• Invisible Goldfish: These imaginary fish were guaranteed to remain permanently invisible.
Braunhut held 195 patents.
Although Braunhut was raised Jewish, he later became associated with white supremacist groups, adding "von" to his name to make it sound more Germanic to distance himself from his Jewish heritage. He also provided firearms to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
Jeffrey Dahmer
Died November 28, 1994 b. 1960
American serial killer. He killed 17 young men and cannibalized their bodies (1978-91). He was beaten to death in prison.
Captain of the Hindenburg
Max Pruss
Died November 28, 1960 b. 1891
German aviator. Captain of the Hindenburg when it crashed in 1937. He maintained throughout his life that the Hindenburg was destroyed by a bomb.
Naismith and the original 1891 "Basket Ball" court
Naismith and the original 1891 "Basket Ball" court
Inventor of Basketball
James Naismith
Died November 28, 1939 b. 1861
Canadian-American gym instructor. He invented basketball while an instructor for the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts (1891). A few years later basketball was banned by the YMCA, which claimed not enough people could play at one time.
He invented the game of basketball after being given two weeks to create a game that:
• Would provide an "athletic distraction" to calm rowdy boys.
• Could be played indoors.
• Not take up too much room.
• Keep track athletes in shape.
• Fair for all players.
• Not too rough.
To reduce physical contact, players were required to pass the ball instead of running with it. Dribbling wasn't introduced until 1901 and didn't become popular until the 1950s with improvements to the shape of the balls.
Naismith also tried to reduce physical contact by locating the goals above the players' heads so they could not guard it. The goals were to have an opening parallel to the floor so that they would require a soft, lobbing toss to score. Naismith asked a janitor for a pair of boxes, but he returned with a pair of peach baskets, thus the name "basket ball". The players had to use a ladder to retrieve the ball from the basket. Eventually, they poked a small hole in the basket so they could use a stick to retrieve the ball.
Brumsic Brandon Jr.
Died November 28, 2014 b. 1927
American cartoonist. Creator of Luther (1969-86). Luther was one of the earliest mainstream comic strips to star an African-American in the lead role. Writings: Luther, from inner city.
Leslie Nielsen
Died November 28, 2010 b. 1926
Canadian-born actor. Film: Forbidden Planet (1956), Airplane! (1980), and The Naked Gun (1988, Lt. Frank Drebin).
First World Series Grand Slam Home Run by a Rookie
Gil McDougald (Gilbert James McDougald)
Died November 28, 2010 b. 1928
American baseball player. First rookie to hit a grand-slam home run in a World Series (1951, New York Yankees) and was voted 1951 Rookie of the Year. He played with the Yankees from 1951-60. In 1955, he was hit with a line drive in batting practice that impaired his hearing. He had a cochlear implant to help restore his hearing and became a spokesperson for the maker of the device.
Jerry Edmonton (Gerald McCrohan)
Died November 28, 1993 b. 1946
Canadian drummer, with Steppenwolf. Music: Born To Be Wild (1968) and Magic Carpet Ride (1968).
Garry Moore (Thomas Garrison Morfit)
Died November 28, 1993 b. 1915
American entertainer. TV: The Garry Moore Show, I've Got A Secret (host), and To Tell the Truth (host).
Trevor Bardette (Terva Gaston Hubbard)
Died November 28, 1977 b. 1902
American actor. TV: The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (Old Man Clanton).
Roy Barcroft (Howard N. Ravenscroft)
Died November 28, 1969 b. 1902
American cowboy actor. Appeared in over 200 films - mostly B-Westerns - and numerous movie serials and TV shows.
Enrico Fermi
Died November 28, 1954 b. 1901
Italian-born American physicist, one of the pioneers of the nuclear age. He led the team which performed the first controlled nuclear chain reaction (1942).
Able Seacat
Simon of HMS Amethyst
Died November 28, 1949 b. circa 1948
ship's cat, "Able Seacat". The first cat to be awarded the Dicken Medal (the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for animals). He survived injuries from a cannon shell during the Yangtze incident and killed off a rat infestation aboard ship. See full story.
Dwight Filley Davis
Died November 28, 1945 b. 1879
American politician, tennis player, U.S. Secretary of War (1925-29). He was awarded (1923) the Distinguished Service Cross, was a national tennis doubles champion (1899-1901), and founder of the Davis Cup (1900).
Washington Irving
Died November 28, 1859 b. 1783
American author. Writings: Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1819). He also wrote under the names Diedrich Knickerbocker, Geoffrey Corson, Anthony Evergreen, and Jonathan Oldstyle.