November 30: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 30, 2023 Dozier Hasty

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ON THIS DAY IN 1890, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Old Fort Putnam and the rounded top of Crow’s Nest looked down upon an unwonted spectacle at West Point yesterday afternoon, one which had never come to pass in the history of the military academy. It was a game of football between the West Pointers and a team from the naval academy in Annapolis. Never before had a visiting team played within the sacred precincts of West Point, and never before had the two schools tried conclusions against each other in the athletic arena. It was, therefore, a remarkable occasion, and one long to be remembered by the cadets themselves, and by the crowd of visitors who witnessed the contest. This first meeting of the embryonic army and navy had been widely heralded by the alumni of Annapolis, who were mainly instrumental in bringing about the innovation, and in consequence an extended interest in the contest was aroused.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1892, the Eagle reported, “The corner stone of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will be laid in New York on December 27.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, the Eagle reported, “ROME, NOV. 29 (AP) — The death of Giacomo Puccini, the famous operatic composer, in Brussels today has cast a pall of gloom over Rome, although the gravity of his illness was known to all here. There is deep grief throughout Italy, as of the three modern great Italian composers he was the most popular and most prolific. While Puccini was dying, his ‘Madame Butterfly’ was being triumphantly presented at the Costanzia Theater here. His death prevents the completion by him of his latest opera, ‘Turandot,’ which, like Boito’s ‘Nero,’ will be finished on notes left by the composer. Puccini had not been in good health for the last two years, but only about two months ago the attending physicians discovered a tumor at the root of the tongue, which rendered necessary either a surgical operation or treatment by radium. The composer preferred radium. Later he went to Brussels, where similar treatment was administered. His wife remained at their country house at Torre Del Lago, near Pisa, but on receiving unsatisfactory reports about the condition of her husband attempted to proceed to Brussels. She got no farther than Milan, where friends induced her to stop because of illness.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “UNITED NATIONS HALL, FLUSHING, NOV. 29 (U.P.) — The United Nations General Assembly, in the most important decision yet made, tonight voted to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, giving the Jews the homeland that they have sought for more than 2,000 years. The decision defied Arab threats to bathe the Holy Land in blood to prevent creation of a Jewish state in the Middle East. After the action, the Assembly adjourned until next September. The partition plan, engineered by the United States and Russia, called for Great Britain to leave Palestine by Aug. 1, letting a five-nation U.N. commission split the territory into Arab and Jewish states that will receive independence by Oct. 1. This plan won Assembly approval, 33 to 13, with 10 nations abstaining. The vote was easily the two-thirds majority required for the Assembly to act. In computing the two-thirds requirement, only the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes were counted. Arab delegates walked out of the great blue-and-tan Assembly Hall when the Assembly began electing members of a five-nation commission to administer the partition.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Prime Minister Winston Churchill celebrated his 80th birthday anniversary today, and friend and foe alike turned out to pay him tribute greater than to any other living man. Drums of the Grenadier Guards beat out in a thunderous tattoo of Morse Code the ‘V for Victory’ signal he made famous when he led Britain through its darkest hour to its finest in World War II. Gifts showered upon him, the houses of Parliament met in joint session to honor him, and from President Eisenhower, former President Harry Truman and leaders around the world came messages of congratulations. And around him was all the pomp and pageantry of empire. Most of it was in his honor and Churchill loved it — even though it reduced the old bulldog to tears. There was silence only behind the Iron Curtain. And London’s Communist Daily Worker stayed true to form by urging him to resign. Churchill told the peers and commoners assembled in ancient Westminster Hall that ‘This, to me, is the most memorable public occasion of my life.’”

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Chrissy Teigen
Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Sesame Street” creator Joan Ganz Cooney, who was born in 1929; Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen, who was born in Brooklyn in 1935; “Alien” director Ridley Scott, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roger Glover (Deep Purple), who was born in 1945; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, who was born in 1947; “The Princess Bride” star Mandy Patinkin, who was born in 1952; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David Sancious (E Street Band), who was born in 1953; “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” star Colin Mochrie, who was born in 1957; Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie, who was born in 1959; former baseball and football player Bo Jackson, who was born in 1962; “Zoolander” star Ben Stiller, who was born in 1965; “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” star Walter Emanuel Jones, who was born in 1970; singer and TV personality Clay Aiken, who was born in 1978; “24” star Elisha Cuthbert, who was born in 1982; “The Big Bang Theory” star Kaley Cuoco, who was born in 1985; and model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen, who was born in 1985.