November 15, 1867 – Not a very exciting way to start this week off, but something very important did occur. The first stock ticker was unveiled in New York City. This revolutionized the way the stock market and Wall Street operated. Prior to this creation, all stock information had to be transmitted through mail. The stock ticker sped up the entire industry, and the ticker is what eventually led to stocks running off the Internet.
November 16, 1532 – On this rather violent day of history, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro executed a well-planned trap on the Incan emperor Atahualpa. Pizarro invited the emperor to a feast in honor of his ascension to the throne. However, a feast was not want Atahualpa was walking into. A friar came out to meet Atahualpa and his 5,000 unarmed men. The friar attempted to convert the Incan emperor to Christianity, but Atahualpa refused. The friar then gave a signal to the Spanish who opened fire on the Incans. Thousands of Incans were massacred, but Atahualpa was kept alive and taken prisoner.
November 17, 1558 – On this important date in history, the Elizabethan Age began. Queen Mary I of England passed away and was replaced by her 25-year-old half-sister Elizabeth. Elizabeth had at one point been imprisoned by Mary, a devout Catholic, for apparently aiding a Protestant Rebellion. Once Elizabeth had the crown, she began changing her half-sister’s Catholic legislation to Protestant legislation.
November 18, 1991 – Terry Waite, an admirable figure, was released from Shiite Muslim captivity on this date in history. Waite had been captured for 4 years after being kidnapped during a mission in Beirut. He had worked with the Shiite Muslims on the release of many missionaries and British hostages in previous years. In fact, he had successfully freed 10 hostages before he himself was captured.
November 19, 1863 – Perhaps one of the most important speeches in U.S. history was given on this day. President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address, a 272 word speech that encouraged the Union to keep fighting. This speech was just what an exhausted Union needed to here. Gettysburg had occurred only 4 months prior, and that battle marked the last Southern push into Northern territory. From there on out, the South’s chance of winning would begin to decline.
November 20, 1945 – An intense set of situations began on this date in history. Only a short time after the end of World War 2, the Nuremberg trials began. Twenty-four top ranking Nazi officials went to Nuremberg, Germany to be tried for war crimes. The United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France presided over the trials. The Nuremberg trials would last 10 months and see 216 court sessions. Many Nazis would be sentenced to death or life in prison for crimes against humanity.
November 21, 1980 – To close on a lighter note, in 1980, 350 million viewers tuned in to the incredibly popular TV show Dallas to find out, “Who shot J.R?” J.R. Ewing, the character everyone loved but hated, had been shot in the previous season finale. The world went crazy wondering who the culprit was. Media coverage went on about the cliffhanger for 8 months until the next season revealed that it had been J.R.’s mistress who had pulled the trigger.