This day in history: 25 november

Europa

• 1034: King Máel Coluim mac Cináeda (Malcolm II) of Scotland dies, leading to the succession of Donnchad (Duncan I).
• 1165: Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa visits Utrecht, Netherlands.
• 1277: Giovanni Gaetano Orsini is elected as Pope Nicholas III.
• 1357: Charles IV issues a letter of protection for the Jews of Strasbourg, Alsace.
• 1456: Jacques Cœur, influential French merchant and banker, dies in battle.
• 1491: The siege of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins, marking a pivotal moment in the Reconquista.
• 1659: Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter conquers the Danish city of Nyborg.
• 1703: The Great Storm of 1703, the most severe windstorm recorded in southern Britain, reaches peak intensity, causing widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.
• 1905: Prince Carl of Denmark arrives in Norway to become King Haakon VII, marking the start of Norway’s modern monarchy.
• 1912: The newspaper Românul de la Pind, the longest-running publication by and about Aromanians, ceases publication.
• 1915: Albert Einstein presents the field equations of general relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, a milestone in physics.
• 1918: Vojvodina, formerly part of Austria-Hungary, proclaims its secession and joins the Kingdom of Serbia, a significant event in the post-World War I reordering of Central Europe.
• 1936: Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact in Berlin, forming a key part of the Axis alliance in the lead-up to World War II.
• 1968: The Old Student House in Helsinki, Finland, is occupied by University of Helsinki students, reflecting student activism of the era.
• 1973: A military coup in Greece ousts President Georgios Papadopoulos, following the violent suppression of student protests at the Athens Polytechnic.
• 1974: Britain outlaws the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after deadly pub bombings in Birmingham.
• 1975: A failed far-left military coup takes place in Portugal, as radical elements attempt to influence the country’s transition to democracy after the Carnation Revolution.
• 1975: Suriname, a former Dutch colony, gains independence from the Netherlands, a major event in Dutch and Surinamese history.
• 1992: The Czechoslovak parliament votes to divide the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, effective January 1, 1993, peacefully ending the federation.
• 1995: Ireland votes by a narrow margin to legalize divorce, marking a significant social change in the country.

America

• Revolutionary War and Early America
  1783: The last British troops evacuated New York City, marking the end of British military presence in the United States after the Revolutionary War.
• 1863: Union General Ulysses S. Grant led his forces to a decisive victory over Confederate General Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, a turning point in the American Civil War.
• 1864: Confederate agents attempted to set fires in more than 20 locations in New York City, known as the “Confederate Army of Manhattan” plot, but the blazes were quickly extinguished.
• 1915: The second incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan was founded by William Joseph Simmons, targeting Black Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants.
• 1942: Los Alamos, New Mexico, was selected as the site for Project Y, the secret facility for the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb.
• 1950: The “Great Appalachian Storm” struck the eastern United States, bringing blizzard conditions and causing widespread damage and fatalities.
• 1963: The funeral of President John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, D.C., with a Requiem Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral and burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
• 2002: The U.S. Office of Homeland Security was established, later becoming the Department of Homeland Security.
• 1940: Woody Woodpecker made his debut in the animated short “Knock Knock”.
• 1947: Hollywood studio executives agreed to blacklist the “Hollywood Ten,” screenwriters and directors cited for contempt of Congress during the Red Scare.
• 1951: The first North American YMCA chapter opened in Montreal, Canada.
• International Day
  November 25 is recognized as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a United Nations observance inspired by the 1960 assassination of the Mirabal Sisters in the Dominican Republic.

Asia

• 1839: Coringa Cyclone in India
  One of the deadliest natural disasters in history, the Coringa cyclone struck Andhra Pradesh, India, destroying the city’s harbor and causing the deaths of nearly 3 million people. The cyclone devastated the region, with widespread loss of life, destruction of ships, and inundation of croplands and homes.
• 1866: Inauguration of Allahabad High Court, India
  The Allahabad High Court, one of India’s oldest high courts, was inaugurated on this day, marking a major development in the Indian judicial system.
• 1949: Final Session of India’s Constituent Assembly
  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar delivered his concluding speech at the last meeting of the Constituent Assembly, a pivotal moment in the framing of the Indian Constitution.
• 1950: China Enters the Korean War
  The People’s Republic of China officially joined the Korean War, sending troops to fight against United Nations forces, a turning point in the conflict and a major event in Asian and world history.
• 1970: Yukio Mishima’s Coup Attempt in Japan
  Renowned Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima and members of his Shield Society attempted a coup by seizing a military headquarters in Tokyo. The coup failed, and Mishima committed ritual suicide (seppuku) shortly after.
• 1974: Nepal Bridge Collapse
  Around 140 people died when a bridge collapsed in Nepal, highlighting infrastructure challenges in the region.
• 1987: Death of Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
  Indian Army officer Major Parameswaran, awarded the Param Vir Chakra for bravery, died in Sri Lanka during military operations.
• 1998: Pakistan Tests Anti-Tank Missile
  Pakistan successfully test-fired its “Bhaktar Shikan” anti-tank missile, demonstrating advancements in its defense technology.

Africa

• 1965: Mobutu’s Coup in Congo (Zaire)
  On November 25, 1965, Joseph Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko) orchestrated a coup d’état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Congo-Léopoldville or Zaire), removing both the president and prime minister. This marked the start of Mobutu’s long and often authoritarian rule, which would last until 1997. The coup was a pivotal moment in post-colonial African politics, deeply influencing the region’s Cold War dynamics and internal stability.
• 1917: Battle of Ngomano (Mozambique)
  During World War I, on November 25, 1917, German forces led by General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck defeated a Portuguese army at the Battle of Ngomano, on the border of Mozambique and Tanzania. The Germans captured significant supplies, allowing them to continue their campaign in East Africa until the end of the war.
• 1975: Suriname Gains Independence
  Although geographically in South America, Suriname’s independence from the Netherlands on November 25, 1975, is a significant event in African diaspora history. Many Surinamese are of African descent, and the country’s independence was closely followed by African and Caribbean nations as part of the broader decolonization movement.