Nov. 1, 1512: This day in history brought an awe-inspiring spectacle to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. During the Renaissance, Michelangelo painted many ceilings in Rome. On this day he opened the ceiling of the chapel to the public. The image he had painted is his famous painting of The Creation of Adam which depicts Adam and God reaching out and touching hands.

Nov. 2, 1948: On this day in history, Harry Truman defeated Governor Thomas Dewey to become the new President of the United States. Truman won by a mere 2 million popular votes. It was an upset no one had expected. The Chicago Tribune had already made an early edition with the headline “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.”

Nov. 3, 1957: On this day in history, Soviet Russia launched the first animal, a dog named Laika, into space on Sputnik 2. The dog survived as a passenger until her life support system’s batteries failed.

Nov. 4, 2008: On this day in history, Barack Obama was elected the first black president ever in the United States. Obama defeated Republican John McCain and his running mate from Alaska, Sarah Palin. Obama’s running mate was Senator Joe Biden of Delaware. Obama is the 44^th president of the USA and is still president today.

Nov. 5, 1994: On this day in History, George Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion. At age 45, Foreman defeated age 26, and undefeated Michael Moorer in the 10^th round of the WBA fight in Las Vegas. It was certainly an upset with 12,000 spectators watching. Foreman dedicated the win to “all my buddies at the nursing home and all the guys in jail.”

Nov. 6, 1854: On this day in history, one of the most prolific and important composers of all time was born. This day was John Phillip Sousa’s birthday. Famous for many marches, such as “Stars and Stripes Forever”, Sousa became one of the most renowned composers ever. American marching bands have been greatly influenced by his music.

Nov. 7, 1991: On this day in history, Magic Johnson shocked the world by going public with his HIV-positive test. He had retired from the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team, and announced to the world he was HIV-positive. Since that time, he has gotten the disease under control and has not suffered from AIDS. He is a spokesperson for AIDS awareness, and a successful business man co-owning the Los Angeles Dodgers MLB team.