On This Day - What Happened On November 30 | Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos A Britannica Newsletter Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP ADD TO YOUR INBOX Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! By clicking "Add To Your Inbox"tapping "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Home On This Day TODAY IN HISTORY November 30 What Happened On Your Bday? Go to Today's Date

Featured Event

1966 Independence of Barbados Barbados, an island nation in the Caribbean situated about 100 miles (160 km) east of the Windward Islands, had gained internal self-rule in 1961 and achieved its full independence from Britain on this day in 1966. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Featured Biography

Mark Twain American writer bornNovember 30, 1835Florida, MissouridiedApril 21, 1910 (aged 74)Redding, ConnecticutPrints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-5513) 1978 Gael García Bernal Mexican actor and director 1965 Ben Stiller American actor, writer, and director 1937 Ridley Scott British director and producer 1935 Woody Allen American actor and director 1874 Winston Churchill prime minister of United Kingdom See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

2018 American politician George H.W. Bush, who was the 41st president of the United States (1989–93), died at the age of 94. Take our quiz about U.S. presidentsWhite House photo/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 2007 American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel—who was known for his death-defying stunts, which included a spectacular jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas (1968)—died at the age of 69. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous AmericansChris O'Meara/AP/Shutterstock.com 2001 The hunt for the Green River Killer ended as Gary Ridgway was arrested in Washington, and he later pled guilty to killing 48 women, though he claimed to have murdered as many as 80; he was the deadliest convicted serial killer in the United States. Learn about seven of history's most notorious serial killers.]ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy 1999 Exxon and Mobil formally merged, becoming ExxonMobil, one of the world's leading oil and energy businesses. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about oil and natural gas 1996 A block of gray sandstone known as the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland, 700 years after it had been taken to England as war booty by King Edward I. Test your knowledge of England, Scotland, and WalesHulton Archive/Getty Images 1982 American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson released Thriller, which became the best-selling album in the world and won a record-setting eight Grammy Awards. Test your knowledge of pop musicWhite House Photo/Ronald Reagan Library/The National Archives (ARC identifier # 198548 ) 1979 The British rock band Pink Floyd released their 11th studio album, The Wall. How much do you know about rock and roll?Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 1939 After Finland refused to grant the Soviet Union a naval base and other concessions in the fall of 1939, Soviet troops totaling about one million men attacked Finland on several fronts, initiating the Russo-Finnish War. Take our history of warfare quizEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1936 A fire virtually destroyed the Crystal Palace, the giant exhibition hall that housed the Great Exhibition of 1851.Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1924 Politician Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress, was born. Test your knowledge of famous firsts for womenAP 1908 The United States and Japan signed the Root-Takahira Agreement, which averted a drift toward possible war through the mutual acknowledgment of certain international policies and spheres of influence in the Pacific. Take our quiz about JapanPrints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital. id. ppmsca 08816) 1874 British statesman, orator, and author Sir Winston Churchill, who as prime minister (1940–45, 1951–55) rallied the British people during World War II and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory, was born in Oxfordshire, England. Take our quiz about notable prime ministersKarsh/Woodfin Camp and Associates 1782 Britain and the United States signed the preliminary articles of the Treaty of Paris as part of the Peace of Paris, a collection of treaties concluding the American Revolution. How much do you know about the American Revolution?National Archives, Washington, D.C. 1718 Charles XII, king of Sweden, was killed during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten, east of Oslo Fjord, ending Sweden's “Age of Greatness.” Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about European historyCourtesy of the Svenska Portrattarkivet, Stockholm SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.