Today is Thursday, December 1, the 336th day of 2016. There are 30 days left in the year.
1626 — Pasha Muhammad ibn Farukh tyrannical Governor of Jerusalem, driven out
1640 — Portugal regains independence after 60 years of Spanish rule
1641 — Massachusetts becomes 1st colony to give statutory recognition to slavery
1653 — An athlete from Croydon is reported to have run 20 miles from St Albans to London in less than 90 minutes
1656 — Germany promises Poland aid against Sweden
1708 — Great Alliance occupies Brussels
1742 — Empress Elisabeth orders expulsion of all Jews from Russia
1750 — First American school to offer manual training courses opens, Maryland
1783 — J van North launches unmanned balloon