141 things happened on 28 November, from AD 587 to 2021. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1582 · 444 years ago
In Stratford-upon-Avon, a bond of £40 was paid so that William Shakespeare, aged 18, could marry Anne Hathaway, aged 26, straight away. Normally, a couple's plans to marry had to be announced in church first, and these announcements are called banns. Shakespe…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
In Stratford-upon-Avon, a bond of £40 was paid so that William Shakespeare, aged 18, could marry Anne Hathaway, aged 26, straight away. Normally, a couple's plans to marry had to be announced in church first, and these announcements are called banns. Shakespeare went on to become one of the greatest writers in the English language. His works include about 39 plays and 154 sonnets.
UK story
Twelve thinkers, including Robert Boyle, John Wilkins and Christopher Wren, met at Gresham College in London. They decided to start a society to promote learning through experiments, which became the Royal Society. It is the oldest scientific academy in the world that has existed without a break. Its motto, Nullius in verba, is Latin for 'Take nobody's word for it', because facts should be tested by experiment.
UK story
The Times of London became the first newspaper to be printed on a steam-powered printing press. The machine was built by a German team, Koenig & Bauer. Until then, printing presses had been worked by hand. The Times had started in 1785 as The Daily Universal Register, and took its famous name in 1788.
UK story
Notts County Football Club was founded in Nottingham, England. It is the oldest professional football club in the world. The club first played in the FA Cup in 1877, and in 1888 it helped to found the Football League. It has played in each of the top five divisions of English football.
UK story
Nancy Astor was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). She became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, and served as an MP until 1945. Countess Markievicz had been the first woman elected, but she refused to take her seat. Astor was born in Virginia in the United States and moved to England, where she married Waldorf Astor.
UK story
Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a research student from Northern Ireland, noticed a 'bit of scruff' in data from a radio telescope. It turned out to be a signal from PSR B1919+21, the first pulsar ever discovered. A pulsar is a spinning star that sends out regular pulses of radio waves. Her discovery led to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974, although she was not one of the winners.
UK story
Margaret Thatcher stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party, and so as Prime Minister. John Major took over both roles. Thatcher had been Prime Minister since 1979 and was the first woman to hold the job. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, and was nicknamed the 'Iron Lady'.
UK story
Ka Lā Hui (Hawaiian Independence Day): The Kingdom of Hawaii is officially recognized by the United Kingdom and France as an independent nation.
UK story
Irish nationalist Arthur Griffith founds Sinn Féin as a political party with the main aim of establishing a dual monarchy in Ireland.
UK story
World War II: Tehran Conference: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin meet in Tehran, Iran, to discuss war strategy.
After 38 days, a Spanish expedition led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the Strait of Magellan into the Pacific Ocean. This passage at the southern tip of South America links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Magellan did not survive the voyage, but in 1522 his crew made it back to Spain. They had completed the first journey all the way around the world.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, known in English as the 'Emperor' Concerto, was first performed in public in Leipzig, Germany. Friedrich Schneider played the piano part. Beethoven usually played the piano himself, but he could not because his hearing was getting worse. He is regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.
New Zealand held a general election in which women could vote for the first time. After years of campaigning led by Kate Sheppard, it had become the first country where all women could vote in parliamentary elections. The election was won by the Liberal Party, and Richard Seddon became prime minister.
NASA launched the Mariner 4 space probe towards Mars. In July 1965 it made the first successful flyby of Mars and sent back the first close-up pictures of its surface. They were the first images of another planet ever sent back from deep space. The photos showed a planet covered in craters and changed scientists' ideas about life on Mars.
Treaty of Andelot: King Guntram of Burgundy recognizes Childebert II as his heir.
Shi Jingtang is enthroned as the first emperor of the Later Jin by Emperor Taizong of Liao, following a revolt against Emperor Fei of Later Tang.
Having deserted the Ottoman army, Skanderbeg (pictured) arrived in the Albanian city of Krujë and, using a forged letter from Sultan Murad II to the governor of Krujë, became lord of the city.
Đại Việt emperor Lê Thánh Tông launched a military expedition against Champa, beginning the Champa–Đại Việt War.
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy has its greatest and last naval victory in the Battle of Oliwa.
The first Treaty of Hopewell is signed, by which the United States acknowledges Cherokee lands in what is now East Tennessee.
Trade between the United States and modern-day Uruguay begins when John Leamy's frigate John arrives in Montevideo.
Panama Independence Day: Panama separates from Spain and joins Gran Colombia.
American Civil War: The Confederate States of America accept a rival state government's pronouncement that declares Missouri to be the 12th state of the Confederacy.
American Civil War: In the Battle of Cane Hill, Union troops under General James G. Blunt defeat General John Marmaduke's Confederates.
Bulgarian victory in the Serbo-Bulgarian War preserves the Unification of Bulgaria.
The Chicago Times-Herald race, the first automobile race in the U.S., was held in Chicago.
SS Petriana struck a reef near Point Nepean, leading to Australia's first major oil spill and a debate over the White Australia policy.
At the All-Albanian Congress, the Assembly of Vlorë was constituted, which declared the independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire.
World War I: Following a war-induced closure in July, the New York Stock Exchange re-opens for bond trading.
The Estonian Provincial Assembly declares itself the sovereign power of Estonia.
The Soviet Forces move against Estonia when the 6th Red Rifle Division strikes the border town of Narva, marking the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence.
FIDAC (The Interallied Federation of War Veterans Organisations), the first international organization of war veterans is established in Paris, France.
Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running radio broadcast in the United States, first aired on WSM in Nashville, Tennessee.
Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon become autonomous republics within the French Community.
First successful flight of SM-65 Atlas; the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), developed by the United States and the first member of the Atlas rocket family.
Mauritania becomes independent of France.
Vietnam War: In response to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson's call for "more flags" in Vietnam, Philippine President-elect Ferdinand Marcos announces he will send troops to help fight in South Vietnam.
In a military coup, Michel Micombero abolished the Burundian monarchy and declared the country a republic with himself as president.
Timor-Leste declares its independence from Portugal.
Iran–Iraq War: Operation Morvarid: The bulk of the Iraqi Navy is destroyed by the Iranian Navy in the Persian Gulf. (Commemorated in Iran as Navy Day.)
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-9, the first mission to carry the European Space Agency's Spacelab module.
Cold War: Velvet Revolution: In the face of protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announces it will give up its monopoly on political power.
South Ossetia declares independence from Georgia.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “The Royal Society, the world's oldest science academy, is founded”?
A: 1660. 1660 — that’s 366 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “William Shakespeare is allowed to marry Anne Hathaway”?
C: 1582. 1582 — that’s 444 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: William Shakespeare is allowed to marry Anne Hathaway. 1660: The Royal Society, the world's oldest science academy, is founded · 1967: Jocelyn Bell Burnell spots the signal of the first known pulsar · 1582: William Shakespeare is allowed to marry Anne Hathaway Find it on the page
“Jocelyn Bell Burnell spots the signal of the first known pulsar” happened in 1967. How many years ago was that?
A: 59 years. 2026 − 1967 = 59. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 28 November.
UK story
William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. He was not well known during his lifetime. He is now seen as one of the most important figures in the poetry and art of the Romantic Age. Blake lived in London almost all his life, apart from three years in Felpham, and his work celebrated the power of the imagination.
Well-known people who died on 28 November.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 28 November somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “November 28” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.