Major events
- 1916: Jeannette Rankin becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
- 1917: The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government in Russia, marking the start of the October Revolution (November 7 on the Gregorian calendar).
- 1940: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses in a high windstorm.
- 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term as U.S. President.
- 1989: L. Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected Black governor in U.S. history, in Virginia. On the same day, David Dinkins becomes the first Black mayor of New York City.
- 1991: NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson announces his retirement after revealing he has tested positive for HIV.
- 2011: Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the singer.
- 2020: Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be elected Vice President of the United States.
Other notable events
- 1665: The first edition of The London Gazette, the oldest surviving English language journal, is published.
- 1929: The Museum of Modern Art opens to the public in New York City.
- 1962: Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt dies at age 78.
- 1983: A bomb explodes inside the U.S. Capitol.
