November 5

Today in History
• 1492 - Christopher Columbus learns how to grow and harvest maize (corn)
• 1500 - 6th Nov astronomer Copernicus observes a lunar eclipse in Rome
• 1605 - Gunpowder Plot: Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes attempts to blow up King James
• 1639 - First post office in the colonies is set up in Massachusetts
• 1781 - John Hanson elected first "President of US in Congress assembled"
• 1789 - French National Meeting declares all citizens equal under law
• 1872 - Ulysses S. Grant re-elected US President
• 1895 - 1st US patent granted for auto (George B Selden) for gasoline driven car


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• American Football Day
• Bonfire Night
• Colón Day
• Gunpowder Day
• Guy Fawke's Night
• National Bison Day
• National Redhead Day
• World Numbat Day

Birthdays
• 1534 - Joachim Camerarius, German botanist (horticulture catalog)
• 1563 - Anna van Nassau, daughter of prince Willem I/Anna of Saksen
• 1615 - Ibrahim I, 18th Ottoman Sultan (1640-48)
• 1846 - Duncan Gordon Boyes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross
• 1851 - Charles Dupuy, 3 times Prime Minister of France
• 1869 - Chittaranjan Das, Indian lawyer and politician (founded the Swaraj Party)
• 1906 - George Trevelyan, educational pioneer and a founding father of the New Age movement
• 1917 - Banarsi Das Gupta, Indian 4th Chief Minister of Haryana (1975-77)