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November 13

Luke Williams, Notts County's head coach

In their 2022–23 season, Notts County competed in the National League, the fifth-highest tier in the English football league system. The team was involved in a race with Wrexham for the league title and the solitary automatic promotion place. Notts County finished second with 107 points and qualified for the play-offs, beating Chesterfield on penalties in the 2023 National League play-off final to be promoted to the English Football League. Led by head coach Luke Williams (pictured), they played 51 competitive matches, winning 34, drawing 13 and losing 4, and broke numerous club records. Macaulay Langstaff scored 42 goals during the campaign, setting new club and league records for the most goals scored by a player in a single season. The necessity of a team with such a high points tally having to win promotion via the play-offs prompted discussion about increasing the number of promotion and relegation places between the National League and EFL. The team's rivalry with Wrexham was featured in the TV programme Welcome to Wrexham. (Full article...)

November 13

Site of the Amityville murders

• 1809 – As part of the Persian Gulf campaign, a British flotilla arrived at and launched an amphibious assault on Ras Al Khaimah.
• 1945 – FC Dynamo Moscow opened their exhibition tour of the United Kingdom with a 3–3 draw against Chelsea, breaking the attendance record for a British club football match.
• 1966 – Arab–Israeli conflict: In response to a Fatah landmine incident, the Israeli military conducted a large cross-border assault on the Jordanian-controlled West Bank village of Samu.
• 1974 – Six members of the DeFeo family were murdered in their home (house pictured) in Amityville, New York, events that later inspired the book The Amityville Horror and a subsequent media franchise.
• 1992 – In Dietrich v The Queen, the High Court of Australia ruled that, although there is no absolute right to have publicly funded counsel, a judge should grant any request for an adjournment or stay in most circumstances in which an accused is unrepresented.

November 13

Saint Lite, the first Classic Triple Crown winner (1941)

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing can refer to one of five national-level titles in Japanese horse racing, each comprising three races held in one year. The Japan Racing Association (JRA) recognises the Classic Triple Crown (Satsuki Shō, Tōkyō Yūshun and Kikuka-shō) and the Triple Tiara (Oka Shō, Yushun Himba and Shūka Shō). Since 2024, the National Association of Racing (NAR) has also recognised the Dirt Triple Crown (Haneda Hai, Tokyo Derby and Japan Dirt Classic). The JRA also offers bonuses for winning the Ōsaka Hai, Tennō Shō (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen, or the Tennō Shō (Autumn), Japan Cup and Arima Kinen in one season, commonly referred to as the Spring and Autumn Triple Crowns. Winning any of the Crowns comes with both significant bonus prizes and prestige; many winners have entered the JRA Hall of Fame. Seventeen horses have won a Crown: eight have won the Classic Triple Crown, seven have won the Triple Tiara, and two have won the Autumn Triple Crown. No horse has yet completed either the Dirt Triple Crown or the Spring Triple Crown. (Full list...)

November 13

The Hupa are a Native American people of northwestern California, who migrated to the area around 1000. The Hupa language belongs to the Athabaskan family. Traditionally, they relied on salmon fishing, acorns and basketry. Most Hupa are enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe, whose reservation encompasses their ancestral homeland. This photograph, taken around 1923 by Edward S. Curtis and titled "A Smoky Day at the Sugar Bowl", shows a Hupa man standing on a rock in the middle of the Trinity River and holding a fishing spear. The photograph was published in Curtis's ethnographic series The North American Indian in 1924. Photograph credit: Edward S. Curtis Recently featured: Collared lory "Daddy, What Did You Do in the Great War?" Vaduz Castle Archive More featured pictures

November 14

Aucanquilcha is a large compound volcano in Chile. It has the form of a ridge reaching an altitude of 6,176 m (20,262 ft) above sea level and formed between 1.04 and 0.23 million years ago. During the ice ages, Aucanquilcha was covered in an ice cap that left moraines and cirques. It has generated lava in a dacite composition. Systematic variations in temperature, crystal and biotite content have been recorded during the evolution of the cluster. They reflect the change of the magma supply conduits in the crust from dispersed magma chambers to a centralized volcanic system. A mine was opened at an altitude of 5,950 m (19,520 ft) in 1913; it remained in use from 1950 to 1992, constituting at that time the world's highest mine, and mined the sulfur deposits of the volcano in its summit area. As part of this mining activity, a road and an aerial cableway were built on Aucanquilcha. In 1986, four men were reported to be living at an altitude of 5,900 m (19,400 ft), making them the highest permanent residents on Earth. (Full article...)

November 14: World Diabetes Day; Dobruja Day in Romania

Portrait of Herman Melville, 1870

• 1851 – Moby-Dick, a novel by American writer Herman Melville (pictured), was first published in the United States.
• 1941 – Second World War: After suffering torpedo damage the previous day, the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sank as she was being towed to Gibraltar for repairs.
• 1969 – Apollo 12 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, later becoming the second crewed flight to land on the Moon.
• 1991 – Croatian War of Independence: Croatian naval commandos attacked the Yugoslav patrol boat Mukos, starting the Battle of the Dalmatian Channels.
• 1992 – In poor conditions caused by Cyclone Forrest, Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashed near Nha Trang, killing 30 people.

November 14

Harold Urey (1893–1981) was an American physical chemist who received the 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen. During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project, overseeing research into uranium enrichment for the development of the atomic bomb. After the war, he pioneered research into ancient climates using oxygen isotopes and contributed to theories about the origin of life. His hypothesis about the composition of Earth's early atmosphere provided the basis for the Miller–Urey experiment, conducted by his student Stanley Miller, which demonstrated that amino acids could form from simpler compounds. Urey later studied the Moon and its origins, examining lunar samples returned by the Apollo 11 mission. This photograph shows Urey in 1934. Photograph credit: unknown photographer; restored by Adam Cuerden Recently featured: Hupa Collared lory "Daddy, What Did You Do in the Great War?" Archive More featured pictures

November 15

Mariah Carey

"Can't Let Go" is a song recorded by Mariah Carey (pictured) for her second album Emotions. Columbia Records released it as the album's second single in November 1991. Featuring synthesizers and drum programming, "Can't Let Go" is an R&B and pop slow jam that describes post-breakup sadness. Carey's vocal range spans more than three octaves; her delivery is predominantly breathy and in a low register, with whistle notes in the song's introduction and ending. Critics considered "Can't Let Go" a vocal showcase for Carey but gave the composition mixed reviews. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ended her streak of five consecutive number-one songs. It was her lowest-charting single in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands at the time, but peaked within the top ten on sales and airplay charts in Canada and at number twenty in the United Kingdom. Jim Sonzero directed the music video, which depicts Carey singing alone in an empty house. (Full article...)

November 15

Buran

• 655 – Penda of Mercia and Æthelhere of East Anglia were defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria at the Battle of the Winwaed in Yorkshire, England.
• 1859 – Sponsored by Greek businessman Evangelos Zappas, the first modern revival of the Olympic Games took place in Athens.
• 1908 – After numerous atrocities in the territory, the Congo Free State was annexed to Belgium to form the Belgian Congo.
• 1943 – The Holocaust: In the Romani Holocaust, Nazi official Heinrich Himmler ordered that the Romani were to be put "on the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps".
• 1988 – The Soviet spacecraft Buran (pictured), a reusable vehicle built in response to NASA's Space Shuttle program, was launched, uncrewed, on its only flight.

November 15

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) is a species of hamster native to grasslands and agricultural areas across Eurasia, from Belgium and eastern France to Russia and western China. The largest living hamster species, it can reach 30 cm (12 in) in body length and has brown, black and white fur. It lives in underground burrows, where it stores food gathered in its expandable cheek pouches, and hibernates during winter. Once widespread and regarded as an agricultural pest, the European hamster has undergone a dramatic population decline, with intensive farming, habitat loss and persecution among possible causes. It has been classified as a critically-endangered species by the IUCN since 2020. This European hamster was photographed in Meidling cemetery, Vienna, Austria. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp Recently featured: Harold Urey Hupa Collared lory Archive More featured pictures

November 16

Mark Satin (born November 16, 1946) is an American political theorist and writer. He contributed to the development of neopacifism in the 1960s, New Age politics in the 1970s and 1980s, and radical centrism in the 1990s and 2000s. After emigrating to Canada to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, he wrote the Manual for Draft-Age Immigrants to Canada, which sold nearly 100,000 copies. Then came New Age Politics (1978), which identifies an emergent third force pursuing such goals as simple living, decentralism, and global responsibility. Satin spread his ideas by co-founding the New World Alliance and publishing the newsletter New Options. He also co-drafted "Ten Key Values", the foundational statement of the Green Party of the United States. Following a period of political disillusion, Satin wrote Radical Middle (2004), which criticizes political partisanship and promotes mutual learning and innovative policy syntheses. In 2023, Satin wrote Up From Socialism: My 60-Year Search for a Healing New Radical Politics. (Full article...)

November 16

Vlad the Impaler

• 1476 – With the help of Stephen III and Stephen Báthory, Vlad the Impaler (pictured) ousted Basarab the Old and became the ruler of Wallachia for the third time.
• 1632 – King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed at the Battle of Lützen during the Thirty Years' War.
• 1776 – American Revolutionary War: A Dutch fort on Sint Eustatius fired The First Salute to the brig Andrew Doria of the Continental Navy, marking the first international recognition of the American flag.
• 1992 – The largest hoard of Roman silver and gold in Britain was found in Suffolk, England.
• 2020 – The El Dorado Fire in California, United States, was extinguished after 71 days, having destroyed 20 structures and killed one firefighter.

November 16

Mohamed Muizzu

The President of the Maldives is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Maldives. The President is directly elected by the citizens of the country through a popular vote for a five-year term. The President serves as the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence Force and leads the cabinet of the Maldives. Since 1968, two Presidents (Ibrahim Nasir and Mohamed Nasheed) have resigned from the post. Mohamed Amin Didi was the shortest-serving President, serving for a total of 7 months and 21 days in 1953. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom served as President for 30 years, from 1978 to 2008, making him the longest-serving President and one of the longest-serving Presidents in Asia. The incumbent President is Mohamed Muizzu (pictured), who assumed office on 17 November 2023. (Full list...)

November 16

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November 17

Dividing the Light was one of the installation artworks that inspired the game.

Islands: Non-Places is an abstract art game developed and published by Carl Burton. It was released on November 17, 2016, and consists of a series of anonymous, liminal environments, each rendered in a stylized manner. The gameplay is minimal and consists mainly of clicking on the environment and observing what unfolds. In developing Islands, Burton drew inspiration from diverse sources, including the work of anthropologist Marc Augé, the installation art of James Turrell (example pictured) and the field recordings of Chris Watson. Critical response was generally positive, and the game was nominated for the Nuovo Award at the 2016 Independent Games Festival. The positive reception focused on the abstract visuals and sound design, while some critics were disappointed with the limited scope of the gameplay. Although divided on the game's precise message, many critics described Islands as leaving them with a feeling of renewed wonder at mundane things in the real world. (Full article...)

November 17

Queen Elizabeth I of England

• 1558 – Elizabeth I (pictured) became Queen of England and of Ireland, marking the beginning of the Elizabethan era.
• 1796 – French Revolutionary Wars: French forces won the Battle of Arcole in a manoeuvre to cut the Austrians' line of retreat.
• 1941 – World War II: Hjalmar Siilasvuo ordered Finnish forces to halt their assault against Soviet forces near Salla, concluding Operation Arctic Fox.
• 1989 – Walt Disney Pictures released The Little Mermaid to theatres, beginning the Disney Renaissance.
• 2013 – An outbreak of 77 confirmed tornadoes occurred in seven U.S. states; it became the largest November tornado outbreak in Illinois and Indiana.

November 17

The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with words by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot is based on an 1876 story, An Elixir of Love, by Gilbert. A young man, obsessed with the idea of love removing all social distinctions, invites a sorcerer, J. W. Wells, to brew a love potion. This causes everyone in the village to fall in love with the first person they see and results in comically mismatched couples. Wells sacrifices his life to break the spell. The opera opened on 17 November 1877 at the Opera Comique in London, where it ran for 178 performances. A success by the standards of the time, it encouraged the collaborators to write their next opera, H.M.S. Pinafore, an international hit. The Sorcerer was important to the development of the extraordinarily successful series of Gilbert and Sullivan operas that followed, and it is still regularly played. This poster was illustrated by H. M. Brock for The Sorcerer's 1919 revival. Poster credit: H. M. Brock; restored by Adam Cuerden Recently featured: European hamster Harold Urey Archive More featured pictures

November 18

W. S. Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with Arthur Sullivan. Their Savoy operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, are still performed by opera companies, repertory companies, schools and community theatre groups. Lines from these works have entered the English language. Gilbert also wrote the Bab Ballads, a collection of light verse accompanied by his comical drawings, in which he first developed his unique absurdist, inverted "topsy-turvy" style. His creative output included over 75 plays and libretti, numerous stories, poems, lyrics, theatre reviews, illustration and various other comic and serious pieces. His plays and realistic style of stage direction inspired other dramatists, including Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, and his comic operas with Sullivan inspired the development of modern musical theatre. (Full article...)

November 18

Nikita Khrushchev

• 1583 – The Siege of Godes­berg, the first major siege of the Cologne War, began.
• 1809 – Napoleonic Wars: In the Bay of Bengal, a French frigate squadron captured three ships carrying recruits for the armies of the East India Company.
• 1956 – At the Polish embassy in Moscow, a phrase in an address by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (pictured) was translated into English as "We will bury you", prompting Western envoys to leave the room.
• 1991 – Croatian War of Independence: The Yugoslav People's Army captured the Croatian city of Vukovar, ending an 87-day siege.
• 2011 – The sandbox video game Minecraft exited beta with the official release of version 1.0.

November 18

Przewalski's horse is a recovering species.

A recovering species is a species that was vulnerable to extinction, but has recovered to some extent. Recovery may be measured by counting the population or measuring the extent of the species' range. A species is be considered recovering when it was categorized by IUCN as Vulnerable (or worse) and has since recovered to some extent. Some recoveries are limited to captive breeding in zoos or cultivation in botanical gardens, other recoveries – called local recoveries – only happen in a certain location. Historically, conservation efforts focused on preventing extinction rather than promoting recovery and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains a Red List of species that are in danger of extinction. To shift the focus from extinction to recovery, the IUCN recently expanded its assessments with a "green status" that encompassed the likelihood of recovery. (Full list...)

November 18

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November 19

Drawing of the Iron Gate circa 1800

The Iron Gate is a sixth-century dam in the mountains to the east of Antakya (ancient Antioch) in Turkey. It is one of the earliest known arch dams. Byzantine emperor Justinian I commissioned it to slow the waters of the Parmenios stream, which in the rainy season could cause torrential floods endangering Antioch. The structure integrated a former aqueduct and bridge, and carried part of Antioch's city wall, including a fortified city gate—the probable source of the name "Iron Gate". Its innovative arched structure redirected the pressure of the water into the flanking rock cliffs. In the medieval period, the Iron Gate was damaged by a large flood that caused the collapse of the city wall. Although repairs were made, the structure was gradually abandoned as Antioch declined in importance. Looting of building materials caused the collapse of most of the side structures, leaving only the dam and some of the city wall on top. Today, the Iron Gate is vulnerable to further erosion, but still functions as a dam. (Full article...)

November 19: International Men's Day; World Toilet Day; Liberation Day in Mali (1968)

A Brazilian postage stamp commemorating Pelé's 1,000th goal

• 1863 – American Civil War: Confederate forces began the Siege of Knoxville against Union fortifications.
• 1933 – A coalition of right-wing parties won the majority of seats in the Congress of Deputies in the first general election in Spain with suffrage extended to women.
• 1941 – World War II: The Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran destroyed each other in the Indian Ocean.
• 1969 – Playing for Santos against Vasco da Gama in the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian footballer Pelé scored his thousandth goal (commemorative stamp pictured).
• 1991 – Mexican singer Luis Miguel released the album Romance, which led to a revival of interest in bolero music.

November 19

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November 20

Tôn Thất Đính (November 20, 1926 – November 21, 2013) was an officer who served in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He is best known as one of the key figures in the November 1963 coup that led to the arrest and assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam. After the coup, Đính became one of the 12 members of the Military Revolutionary Council, but this lasted only three months before a coup by General Nguyễn Khánh. Đính and his colleagues were put under house arrest by Khánh. Following Khánh's exile, Đính was appointed to command the I Corps in 1966 and ordered to put down the Buddhist Uprising, but Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ disapproved of his conciliatory policies. Kỳ launched a successful surprise attack against Đính, who fled, but was later captured and briefly imprisoned by Kỳ. After his release, Đính was elected to the Senate in 1967. He served in the upper house until the fall of Saigon in April 1975, when he fled Vietnam. (Full article...)

November 20: National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness in Brazil

Nuremberg trial defendants

• 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Fort Lee saw the invasion of New Jersey by British and Hessian forces and the subsequent general retreat of the Continental Army.
• 1945 – The Nuremberg trials (defendants pictured) of 24 leading Nazis involved in the Holocaust and various war crimes during World War II began in Nuremberg, Germany.
• 1985 – Windows 1.0, the first version of Microsoft Windows available to the public, was released.
• 1991 – First Nagorno-Karabakh War: An Azerbaijani military helicopter carrying a peacekeeping mission team was shot down in Nagorno-Karabakh, disrupting ongoing peace talks.
• 1994 – In accordance with the Lusaka Protocol, the Angolan government signed a ceasefire with UNITA rebels in a failed attempt to end the Angolan Civil War.

November 20

Leah Sava Jeffries

The American fantasy adventure television series Percy Jackson and the Olympians has received numerous accolades. Based on Rick Riordan's book series of the same name, the series stars Walker Scobell as the titular character, alongside Leah Sava Jeffries (pictured) as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. At the 3rd Children's and Family Emmy Awards, the show received a record sixteen nominations, ultimately winning eight, including Outstanding Young Teen Series. The first season also received nominations at the Directors, Producers and Writers Guilds of America Awards. For the first episode, "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher", director James Bobin and writers Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg all received Emmys. Jeffries won three consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Youth, alongside her Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Performer. (Full list...)

November 20

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