Osun Defender History Corner: November 19 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

November 19th, 1493

Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico during his second voyage to the Americas.

November 19th, 1620

The Mayflower Compact is signed by the Pilgrims on board the Mayflower ship in Cape Cod Bay.

November 19th, 1861

Julia Ward Howe writes “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” during the American Civil War.

November 19th, 1863

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address during the American Civil War.

November 19th, 1919

The Allied occupation of Constantinople ends, marking the official end of World War I in the Middle East.

November 19th, 1942

Soviet forces launch Operation Uranus, a counter-offensive against the German Army during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.

November 19th, 1950

U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes Supreme Commander of NATO.

November 19th, 1954

The first automatic toll collection machine is used on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, USA.

November 19th, 1969

Apollo 12, the sixth crewed mission in the Apollo program, lands on the Moon.

November 19th, 1977

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to visit Israel.

November 19th, 1985

Cold War tensions rise as U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time in Geneva.

November 19th, 1988

Serbian communist leader Slobodan Milošević becomes the President of Serbia.

November 19th, 1990

Pop group Milli Vanilli is stripped of their Grammy Award after it is revealed they did not sing on their album.

November 19th, 1998

The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton.

November 19th, 2002

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security officially begins operations.

November 19th, 2005

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected as the first female president of Liberia.

November 19th, 2013

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft is successfully launched by NASA.

November 19th, 2015

Paris experiences a series of terrorist attacks, including shootings and bombings, resulting in over 130 deaths.

November 19th, 2019

Hong Kong police surround a university campus, clashing with protesters during ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on November 19th. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.