Welcome to Friday, November 21, 2025. It is the 325th day of the year, with only 40 days remaining.
Historical Events on This Day:
On November 21, 1985, U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard was arrested for spying for Israel. Pollard later admitted to espionage, leading to a life sentence which was eventually commuted in 2015.
Other notable events include:
– In 1920, the Irish Republican Army carried out the infamous “Bloody Sunday” by killing 14 suspected British intelligence officers in Dublin, triggering a violent response from British forces.
– 1964 witnessed the opening of New York City’s Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time.
– In 1980, a tragic fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas claimed 85 lives due to smoke inhalation. The same day, the TV show “Dallas” captivated 83 million viewers with the revelation of “who shot J.R.”
– 1990 saw junk-bond financier Michael R. Milken receiving a 10-year prison sentence for securities violations, serving only two years.
– In 1995, Balkan leaders gathered in Dayton, Ohio, to sign a peace plan ending years of ethnic conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
– Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe resigned in 2017 after facing impeachment, marking the end of his 37-year rule.
– Tragedy struck in 2021 as an SUV plowed through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people. The perpetrator, Darrell Brooks Jr., was later sentenced to life in prison.
– The year 2022 was marked by a devastating earthquake on Indonesia’s Java island, claiming at least 162 lives and injuring many more.
– Additionally in 2022, NASA’s uncrewed Orion capsule made history by reaching the moon, surpassing the record for human-carrying spacecraft distance traveled since the Apollo program.
Notable Birthdays Today:
- – Actor Marlo Thomas turns 88.
- – Basketball Hall of Famer Earl Monroe celebrates his 81st birthday.
- – Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois also turns 81.
- – Actress Goldie Hawn marks her 80th birthday.
- – Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana celebrates his 74th birthday.
- – Journalist Tina Brown turns 72.
- – Actress Cherry Jones celebrates her 69th birthday.
- – Gospel musician Steven Curtis Chapman turns 63.
- – Musician Björk marks her 60th birthday.
- – Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman celebrates his 59th birthday.
- – Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. turns 56.
- – Football Hall of Famer and TV host Michael Strahan celebrates his 54th birthday.
- – Actress Jena Malone turns 41.
- – Actor-comedian Ronny Chieng celebrates his 40th birthday.
- – Pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen marks her 40th birthday.
