Today in History

From wikipedia.org:

Events
4004 BC - The universe was created, according to the Ussher-Lightfoot Calendar
1739 - War of Jenkins' Ear starts: British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, reluctantly declares war on Spain
1855 - Kansas Free State forces set up a competing government under their Topeka, Kansas constitution, which outlaws slavery in the United States territory
1911 - First use of aircraft in war: an Italian pilot takes off from Libya to survey Turkish lines during the Turco-Italian War
1915 - Woman's suffrage: In New York City, 25,000-33,000 women march up Fifth Avenue to demand the right to vote
1956 - Thousands of Hungarians protest Soviet influence and occupation in their nation (Hungarian Revolution is put down on November 4)
1958 - Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced a new set of comic strip characters The Smurfs
1992 - Akihito becomes the first Emperor of Japan to stand on Chinese soil
2001 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland commences disarmament after peace talks encouraged by American President Bill Clinton

Births
1762 - Samuel Morey, inventor (d. 1843)
1817 - Pierre Athanase Larousse, lexicographer and encyclopedist
1875 - Gilbert N. Lewis, American chemist
1892 - Gummo Marx, actor, comedian, Marx Brothers (d. 1977)
1905 - Felix Bloch, Swiss physicist
1909 - Zellig Harris, American linguist
1923 - Frank Sutton, actor (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) (d. 1974)
1925 - Johnny Carson, American television host
1935 - Chi Chi Rodriguez, golf champion
1940 - Pelé, Brazilian football player
1942 - Michael Crichton, writer
1959 - Weird Al Yankovic, American musical parodist
1962 - Doug Flutie, Canadian football and American football quarterback

Deaths
1939 - Zane Grey, author
1950 - Al Jolson, singer, actor

Holidays
Chemistry: Mole Day