TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Today is Tuesday, November 24, the 328th day of 2009. There are 37 days left in the year.

1639 _ First observation of transit of Venus occurred (only two, record event)

1759 _ Destructive eruption of Vesuvius

1859 _ Charles Darwin publishes ``On the Origin of Species"

1944 _ U.S. bombers based on Saipan, first attack Tokyo

1949 _ Britain nationalizes its steel and iron industry

1952 _ Agatha Christie's ``The Mousetrap" opens in London

1960 _ Wilt Chamberlain pulls down 55 rebounds in a game (NBA record)

1983 _ PLO exchanges six Israeli prisoners for 4,500 Palestinians and Lebanese

1989 _ Communist Party resigns in Czechoslovakia

1992 _ Chinese air crash kills 141