Today is Sunday, Nov. 8, the 312th day of 2009. There are 53 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 8, 1909, the original Boston Opera House first opened with a performance of "La Gioconda" by Amilcare Ponchielli.
On this date:
In 1859, philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered a lecture in Boston in which he described abolitionist John Brown, condemned for his raid on Harpers Ferry, Va., as "the new saint awaiting his martyrdom."
In 1889, Montana became the 41st state.
In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power in Germany with a failed coup in Munich that came to be known as the "Beer-Hall Putsch."
In 1929, New York's Museum of Modern Art first opened to the public at its original location in the Heckscher Building on Fifth Avenue, a day after an invitation-only showing.
In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated incumbent Herbert Hoover for the presidency.
In 1939, the play "Life with Father," based on the stories of Clarence Day, opened on Broadway.
In 1942, Operation Torch, resulting in an Allied victory, began during World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.
In 1960, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency.
In 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush won the presidential election, defeating Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.
In 1994, midterm elections resulted in Republicans winning a majority in the Senate while at the same time gaining control of the House for the first time in 40 years.
Ten years ago: Israeli and Palestinian negotiators launched landmark talks, giving themselves an ambitious 100-day deadline to craft the broad outlines of a peace agreement. Former President George H.W. Bush was honored in Germany for his role in the fall of the Berlin Wall 10 years earlier. President Bill Clinton participated in a "virtual town hall meeting" on the Internet, answering questions from prescreened online users.
