Friday, November 14, 2014

On This Day in History - November 14 Moby Dick Published

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Nov 14, 1851: Moby-Dick published

On this day in 1851, Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville about the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod, is published by Harper & Brothers in New York. Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: "Call me Ishmael." Initially, though, the book about Captain Ahab and his quest for a giant white whale was a flop.  

Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1819 and as a young man spent time in the merchant marines, the U.S. Navy and on a whaling ship in the South Seas. In 1846, he published his first novel, Typee, a romantic adventure based on his experiences in Polynesia. The book was a success and a sequel, Omoo, was published in 1847. Three more novels followed, with mixed critical and commercial results. Melville's sixth book, Moby-Dick, was first published in October 1851 in London, in three volumes titled The Whale, and then in the U.S. a month later. Melville had promised his publisher an adventure story similar to his popular earlier works, but instead, Moby-Dick was a tragic epic, influenced in part by Melville's friend and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, neighbor, Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose novels include The Scarlet Letter.  

After Moby-Dick's disappointing reception, Melville continued to produce novels, short stories (Bartleby) and poetry, but writing wasn't paying the bills so in 1865 he returned to New York to work as a customs inspector, a job he held for 20 years.  

Melville died in 1891, largely forgotten by the literary world. By the 1920s, scholars had rediscovered his work, particularly Moby-Dick, which would eventually become a staple of high school reading lists across the United States. Billy Budd, Melville's final novel, was published in 1924, 33 years after his death.












Nov 14, 1914: Ottoman Empire declares a holy war 

On November 14, 1914, in Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire, the religious leader Sheikh-ul-Islam declares an Islamic holy war on behalf of the Ottoman government, urging his Muslim followers to take up arms against Britain, France, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro in World War I.  

By the time the Great War broke out in the summer of 1914, the Ottoman Empire was faltering, having lost much of its once considerable territory in Europe with its defeat in the First Balkan War two years earlier. Seeking to ally themselves with one of the great European powers to help safeguard them against future loss, the ambitious Ottoman leaders--members of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), known collectively as the Young Turks--responded favorably to overtures made by Germany in August 1914. Though Germany and Turkey secretly concluded a military alliance on August 2, the Turks did not officially take part in World War I until several months later. On October 29, the Ottoman navy--including two German ships, Goeben and Breslau, which famously eluded the British navy in the first week of the war to reach Constantinople--attacked Russian ports in the Black Sea, marking the beginning of Turkey's participation in the war.  

The sheikh's declaration of a holy war, made two weeks later, urged Muslims all over the world--including in the Allied countries--to rise up and defend the Ottoman Empire, as a protector of Islam, against its enemies. "Of those who go to the Jihad for the sake of happiness and salvation of the believers in God's victory," the declaration read, "the lot of those who remain alive is felicity, while the rank of those who depart to the next world is martyrdom. In accordance with God's beautiful promise, those who sacrifice their lives to give life to the truth will have honor in this world, and their latter end is paradise."





Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:


1380 - King Charles VI of France crowned at age 12
1524 - Francisco Pizarro begins his 1st great expedition, near Colombia
1550 - Pope Julius III proclaims new seat on Council of Trente
1666 - Samuel Pepys reports on 1st blood transfusion (between dogs)
1675 - Pope Clemens X declares Gorcumse martyrs divine
1680 - Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680 (Kirch's Comet/Newton's Comet)
1698 - Spanish king Carlos appoints grandson prince Jozef Ferdinand as heir
1732 - 1st US professional librarian, Louis Timothee, hired in Phila
1755 - Henry Fox appointed British 'Secretary of State for the Southern Department'
1775 - -15] Floods ravage Dutch coast provinces
1792 - Capt George Vancouver is first Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay
1832 - 1st streetcar (horse-drawn) (John Mason) debuts in NYC; fare 12 cents rode on 4th Avenue between Prince and 14th Sts
1833 - Charles Darwin departs by horse to Montevideo
1834 - William Thomson enters Glasgow University at 10 yrs 4 months
1851 - "Moby Dick," by Herman Melville, published
1863 - Nathan Bedford Forrest is assigned to command of West Tennessee
1863 - Skirmish at Danville, Mississippi
1881 - Charles J Guiteau went on trial for assassination of President Garfield
1881 - Leon Gambetta forms French government
Confederate General/KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford ForrestConfederate General/KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest 1888 - St Andrews Golf Club, Yonkers NY, opens with just 6 holes
1888 - USC Trojans (then Methodists) play their 1st football game
1889 - New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) began her attempt to surpass fictitious journey of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg by traveling around world in less than 80 days She succeeded, finishing the trip in January in 72 days and 6 hours
1893 - Gerhart Hauptmanns "Hanneles Himmelfahrt" premieres in Berlin
1894 - Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Golden Pince-Nez" (BG)
1896 - Power plant at Niagara Falls begins operation
1905 - David Belasco's "Girl of Golden West" premieres in NYC
1906 - President Theodore Roosevelt visits Panama
1908 - Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light
1908 - Oscar Strauss' musical "Der tapfere Soldat" premieres in Vienna
1910 - 1st airplane flight from deck of a ship, Norfolk, Va
1914 - Billy Mallett of Hamilton Tigers kicks 10 singles in a game
1915 - Thomas Masaryk demands independence for Czechoslovakia
1918 - Republic of Czechoslovakia created with T.G. Masaryk as president
1919 - Red Army captures Omsk, Siberia
Theoretical Physicist Albert EinsteinTheoretical Physicist Albert Einstein 1920 - American Pro Football League's Chic Tiger Joe Guyon punts 95 yards
1921 - The Communist Party of Spain is founded.
1922 - BBC begins domestic radio service from 2LO at Marconi House
1922 - German Reichs Chancellor Joseph Wirth term ends
1923 - Kentaro Suzuki completes his ascent of Mount Iizuna.
1927 - Worlds largest gas tank in Pittsburgh Penn explodes; 28 die
1931 - Ottawa Mint Act is proclaimed in Britain
1935 - FDR proclaims Philippine Islands a free commonwealth
1935 - Nazis deprive German Jews of their citizenship
1936 - Bradman scores 192 for S A v Vic before a MCG crowd of 21000
1938 - Dutch DC3 crashes at Schiphol, 6 die
1939 - Oil refinery fire kills 500 & destroys Lagunillas, Venezuela
1940 - During WW II, German planes destroy most of Coventry, England
1941 - British aircraft carrier Ark Royal sank in Mediterranean, having been torpedoed by a German submarine the day before
1941 - Gov-Gen Wouters of Dutch Antilles refuses Jews refuge
32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1942 - -Nov 15th) Japanese/US sea battle at Savo-Island in Guadalcanal)
1942 - Last Vichy-French troops in Algeria surrender
1943 - Chic Bear Sid Luckman passes for 7 touchdowns vs NY Giants (56-7)
1943 - J Postma, C Schalker, D Goulooze arrested for leading illegal CPN
1945 - H Lindsay & R Crouse's "State of the Union," premieres in NYC
1945 - Java: Sutan Sjahrir appointed as forming government
1946 - Dutch Dakota flight to Schiphol crashes, kills 11
1952 - Greek general Papagos wins elections
1952 - First regular UK singles chart published by the New Musical Express.
1953 - WCIA TV channel 3 in Champaign, IL (CBS) begins broadcasting
1954 - Egyptian pres Naguib fire, state of emergency declared
1956 - Hungarian revolt put down by Soviet invasion
1957 - Dick Hutton beats Lou Thesz in Toronto, to become NWA wrestling champ
1957 - Henry Aaron wins NL MVP
1957 - The Apalachin Meeting outside Binghamton, New York is raided by law enforcement, and many high level Mafia figures are arrested.
1959 - "Girls against the Boys" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 16 perfs
1959 - Kilauea's most spectacular eruption (in Hawaii)
1960 - 2 passenger trains collided at high-speed killing 110 (Czech)
1960 - Belgium threatens to leave UN due to criticism on its policy on Congo
1960 - OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), forms
Musician Ray CharlesMusician Ray Charles 1960 - Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" reaches #1
1960 - Riot due to school integration in New Orleans
1964 - "Fade Out-Fade In" closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 199 perfs
1964 - "Follies Bergere" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 191 perfs
1964 - "Oliver!" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 774 performances
1964 - Detroit Red Wings Gordie Howe sets NHL record 627th career goal
1965 - "Baker Street" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 313 performances
1965 - George Abbott Theater (Adelphi, 54 St) at 152 W 54th NYC, demolished
1965 - KCST TV channel 39 in San Diego, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1965 - Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Alamo Golf Open
1965 - US government sends 90,000 soldiers to Vietnam
1966 - Muhammad Ali TKOs Cleveland Williams in 3 for heavyweight title
1967 - The Congress of Colombia in commemoration of the 150 years of the death of Policarpa Salavarrieta, declares this day as "Day of the Colombian Woman".
1968 - "National Turn in Your Draft Card Day" features draft card burning
1968 - 1st European lung transplant
1968 - Yale University announces it is going co-educational
1969 - 2nd Vietnam Moratorium Day in US
1969 - Apollo 12 (Conrad/Gordon/Bean) launched for 2nd manned Moon landing
1970 - DC-9 crashes in West Virginia, 75 killed
1970 - Marshall U football team wiped out in air crash at Kenova WV
1971 - Enthronment of Pope Shenouda III as Pope of Alexandria
1972 - Dow Jones closes above 1,000 for 1st time (1003.16)
1973 - "Good Evening" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 438 performances
1973 - Canada begins production of Olympic coins
1973 - Jim Palmer is named AL Cy Young winner
1973 - Reggie Jackson wins AL MVP Award unanimously
1975 - Spain, Morocco & Mauretania sign accord about Spanish Sahara
1976 - "Don't Step on My Olive Branch" closes at Playhouse NYC after 16 perfs
1976 - Cleveland Browns' Jerry Sherk sets club record with 4 sacks
1976 - War criminal Pieter Menten captured 1 day after fleeing
1977 - Egypt Pres Sadat repeats willingness to visit Israel to Cronkite
1979 - California's Don Baylor, wins AL MVP
1980 - Guinee-Bissau premier Vieira fires president Luis Cabral
1980 - Kimberley Santos, 19 of Guam, crowned 30th Miss World
1980 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1981 - 2nd Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 2-returns to Earth
1981 - Old Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park repaired & working again
1981 - Pakistan all out 62 v Australia at WACA, Lillee 5-18
1981 - Paul 'Bear' Bryant ties Amos Alonzo Stagg with 314 football wins
1982 - Polish Solidarity chairman Lech Walesa freed
1983 - 1st cruise missile placed at Greenham Common England
1984 - Astronauts aboard "Discovery" pluck a 2nd satellite from orbit
1984 - NASA launches NATO-3D
1984 - Zamboanga City mayor Cesar Climaco, a prominent critic of the government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, is assassinated in his home city.
1985 - Brewers release 39-year-old pitcher Rollie Fingers
1985 - Holmfriour Karlsottir of Iceland, 22, crowned 35th Miss World
1985 - Volcano Nevado del Ruiz Colombia erupts, 1000s killed
1986 - Doubleday Publishing sells NY Mets to Nelson Doubleday & Fred Wilpon
1986 - FCC issues Notice Of Apparent Liability to WYSP Phila
1986 - SEC imposes a record $100 million penalty against Ivan Boesky
1987 - "La Cage aux Folles" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 1761 perfs
1987 - Sam's Town National Bowling Pro-Am won by Debbie Bennett
1989 - Padres reliever Mark Davis wins NL Cy Young Award
1990 - Doug Drabek (22-6) wins NL Cy Young Award
1990 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1990 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1990 - Michael Heseltine contests Margaret Thatcher's leadership of party
1990 - Philippines hit by typhoon, 110 die
King of Pop Michael JacksonKing of Pop Michael Jackson 1991 - Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video premieres on FOX TV
1991 - Pittsburgh Steelers guard Terry Long loses his steroids appeal & is suspended without pay by NFL for 4 weeks
1991 - American and British authorities announce indictments against two Libyan intelligence officials in connection with the downing of the Pan Am Flight 103.
1991 - Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk returns to Phnom Penh after thirteen years of exile.
1992 - Actress Peg Phillips (Northern Exposure), falls & breaks 3 fingers
1993 - "Kentucky Cycle" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 34 performances
1993 - "Twilight of the Golds" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 29 perfs
1993 - 23rd NYC Women's Marathon won by Uta Pippig in 2:26:24
1993 - 24th NYC Marathon won by Andres Espinosa in 2:10:04
1993 - Don Shula becomes winningest coach in NFL history
1993 - Puerto Rico votes against becoming the 51st US state
1994 - 1st trains for public run in Channel Tunnel under English Channel
1994 - Space shuttle STS-66 (Atlantis 13), lands
1996 - "Chicago" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC
1996 - Texas Ranger Juan Gonzalez wins AL MVP
King of Cambodia Norodom SihanoukKing of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk 1997 - Colo Rockie Larry Walker wins NL MVP
1997 - Disney's "Lion King" sets Broadway record of $2,700,000 daily sale
2001 - War in Afghanistan: Afghan Northern Alliance fighters takeover the capital Kabul.
2002 - Argentina defaults on an $805 million World Bank payment.
2002 - The United States House of Representatives votes not to create an independent commission to investigate the September 11 attacks.
2007 - the last direct-current distribution by Con Edison was shut down.
2012 - A series of protests against austerity measures occur across Europe including Spain, Portugal, and Greece
2012 - CFBDSIR 2149-0403 is discovered, the closest rogue planet to earth (100 light-years away)




1832 - The first streetcar went into operation in New York City, NY. The vehicle was horse-drawn and had room for 30 people.   1851 - Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick" was first published in the U.S.   1881 - Charles J. Guiteau's trial began for the assassination of U.S. President Garfield. Guiteau was convicted and hanged the following year.   1889 - New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) began an attempt to surpass the fictitious journey of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg by traveling around the world in less than 80 days. Bly succeeded by finishing the journey the following January in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.   1922 - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began domestic radio service.   1935 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Philippine Islands a free commonwealth after its new constitution was approved. The Tydings-McDuffie Act planned for the Phillipines to be completely independent by July 4, 1946.   1940 - During World War II, German war planes destroyed most of the English town of Coventry when about 500 Luftwaffe bombers attacked.   1943 - Ernie Nevers of the St. Louis Cardinals became the first professional football player to score six touchdowns in a single game.   1951 - The first telecast of a world lightweight title fight was seen coast to coast. Jimmy Carter beat Art Aragon in Los Angeles.   1956 - The USSR crushed the Hungarian uprising.   1968 - Yale University announced it was going co-educational.   1969 - Apollo 12 blasted off for the moon from Cape Kennedy, FL.   1969 - During the Vietnam War, Major General Bruno Arthur Hochmuth, commander of the Third Marine Division, became the first general to be killed in Vietnam by enemy fire.   1972 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 1,000 (1,003.16) level for the first time.  1972 - Blue Ribbon Sports became Nike.   1973 - Britain's Princess Anne married a commoner, Capt. Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey. They divorced in 1992, and Princess Anne re-married.   1979 - U.S. President Carter froze all Iranian assets in the United States and U.S. banks abroad in response to the taking of 63 American hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran.   1983 - The British government announced that U.S.-made cruise missiles had arrived at the Greenham Common air base amid protests.   1988 - Israeli President Chaim Herzog formally asked Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to form a new government.   1989 - The U.S. Navy ordered an unprecedented 48-hour stand-down in the wake of a recent string of serious accidents.   1990 - Simon and Schuster announced it had dropped plans to publish Bret Easton Ellis novel "American Psycho."   1991 - After 13 years in exile Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk returned to his homeland.   1994 - U.S. experts visited North Korea's main nuclear complex for the first time under an accord that opened such sites to outside inspections.   1995 - The U.S. government instituted a partial shutdown, closing national parks and museums while most government offices operated with skeleton crews.







1851 Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick was published. 1889 Nellie Bly set out to beat Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg's time of 80 days to travel around the world. She did it in 72. 1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation began its domestic radio service. 1969 Apollo 12, the second manned lunar expedition, was launched. 1995 The U.S. federal government began a partial shut down of government services after the U.S. Congress could not pass a budget. 2002 Nancy Pelosi of California became the first woman to lead a party in Congress. 2003 The most distant object ever found in our solar system, named Sedna, was discovered by astronomers at the Mount Palomar Observatory.



The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/nov14.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

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