On This Day in History - November 2nd - Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 2, the 307th day of 2016 with 59 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning star is Jupiter. The evening stars are Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Mars, Neptune and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include frontiersman Daniel Boone in 1734; Marie Antoinette, queen of France, in 1755; U.S. President James Polk in 1795; U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1865; astronomer Harlow Shapley, a pioneer in studies of the Milky Way, in 1885; jazz trumpeter Bunny Berigan in 1908; actors Burt Lancaster in 1913 and Ray Walston in 1914; Australian tennis Hall of Fame member Ken Rosewall in 1934 (age 82); columnist, commentator and GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan in 1938 (age 78); author Shere Hite and actor Stefanie Powers, both in 1942 (age 74); country-rock singer-songwriter J.D. Souther in 1945 (age 71); author Dale Brown in 1956 (age 60); singer k.d. lang in 1961 (age 55); actor David Schwimmer in 1966 (age 50); GOP presidential candidate and 45th Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker in 1967 (age 49); and rapper Nelly, born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., in 1974 (age 42).

On this date in history:

In 1889, North and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states of the union.

In 1920, in the first significant news broadcast, KDKA in Pittsburgh reported the U.S. presidential election results in Warren G. Harding's win over James Cox.

In 1947, Howard Hughes built and piloted the world's largest airplane, the 200-ton flying boat Spruce Goose, on its only flight, at Long Beach, Calif. The Goose remained airborne for just under 1 mile.

In 1959, Charles Van Doren told a U.S. congressional investigation he had been given questions and answers in advance of appearances on a television game show.

In 1962, U.S. President John Kennedy announced that Soviet missile bases in Cuba were being dismantled.

In 1976, Democrat Jimmy Carter, former governor of Georgia, was elected the 39th U.S. president, defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford.

In 1983, U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill establishing a national holiday to mark the birthday anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1992, legendary filmmaker Hal Roach died at age 100. He was credited with discovering the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy and producing the "Our Gang" comedies.

In 1996, Britain announced a plan to ban ownership of large-caliber handguns.

In 2001, the U.S. Labor Department announced that October unemployment jumped to 5.4 percent, highest in five years and that 415,000 non-farm jobs had been lost, highest monthly figure since 1980.

In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush was re-elected in a race with Democrat John Kerry.

In 2013, two French journalists, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, were kidnapped and killed after interviewing a rebel leader in northern Mali. President Francois Hollande expressed "indignation at this odious act."

A thought for the day: After winning the 1997 Masters tournament, golfer Tiger Woods said: ''I'm the first [African-American winner] but I wasn't the pioneer. Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Teddy Rhodes, those guys paved the way for me to be here. I thank them."