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