Red Planet Day
Red Planet Day is celebrated every year on November 28th. It honors Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, famously known as the “Red Planet” because of its iron oxide-rich surface that gives it a reddish appearance. This date commemorates the launch of Mariner 4 in 1964, the first successful spacecraft to fly by Mars and send back close-up images of its surface. This mission marked a major milestone in planetary exploration.
Here’s a detailed look at November 28 in history:
Major Historical Events
1520 – Ferdinand Magellan completed the first passage through the Strait of Magellan, entering the Pacific Ocean during his circumnavigation voyage.
1582 – William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway paid for a marriage license in Stratford-upon-Avon.
1660 – The Royal Society was founded in London, becoming one of the world’s oldest scientific institutions.
1785 – The Treaty of Hopewell was signed between the U.S. and the Cherokee Nation.
1814 – The Times of London became the first newspaper printed on a steam-powered press, revolutionizing publishing.
1821 – Panama declared independence from Spain and joined Gran Colombia.
1843 – The Kingdom of Hawaii was officially recognized as an independent nation by Britain and France.
1895 – The first U.S. automobile race took place in Chicago; Frank Duryea won.
1912 – Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire.
1943 – The Tehran Conference began, where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin planned the Allied strategy for WWII.
Famous Birthdays
William Blake (1757) – English poet and artist (Songs of Innocence and Experience).
Friedrich Engels (1820) – German philosopher, co-author of The Communist Manifesto.
Berry Gordy (1929) – Founder of Motown Records, shaping American music.
Randy Newman (1943) – American singer-songwriter and composer.
Paul Shaffer (1949) – Musician and bandleader for The Late Show with David Letterman.
Ed Harris (1950) – Acclaimed American actor (Apollo 13, The Truman Show).
Judd Nelson (1959) – Actor, best known for The Breakfast Club.
Jon Stewart (1962) – Comedian and former host of The Daily Show.
Anna Nicole Smith (1967–2007) – Model and TV personality.
Karen Gillan (1987) – Scottish actress (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy).
Notable Deaths
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1680) – Italian Baroque sculptor and architect.
Washington Irving (1859) – American author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Enrico Fermi (1954) – Nobel Prize-winning physicist, key figure in nuclear physics.
Richard Wright (1960) – Influential African-American author (Native Son).
Rosalind Russell (1976) – American actress known for witty, independent roles.
Leslie Nielsen (2010) – Actor famous for Airplane! and The Naked Gun.
Jeffrey Dahmer (1994) – Infamous American serial killer.
Charlie Munger (2023) – Investor and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.
