November 24 is:
National Espresso Day
National Sardines Day
Sardines are the most plentiful, edible fish in the world.
Sardines, also referred to as pilchards, are a group of small, oily fish that were once found in great abundance around the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean. The sardine is a member of the Clupeidae family, which also includes herring, and there are at least 18 different species classified as sardines or pilchards.
Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, was born in Orange County, Va. on November 24, 1784. Taylor was President from 1849-1850. He officiated at the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument on July 4, 1850, and became ill from the heat. He died five days later, possibly from dysentery. Points of interest about Taylor include:
- Taylor refused all postage due correspondences. Because of this, he didn’t receive notification of his nomination for president until several days later.
- November 7, 1848 was the first time a presidential election was held on the same day in every state.
- Visitors to the White House would take souvenir horse hairs from Whitey, Taylor’s old Army horse that he kept on the White House lawn.
- Taylor was the first president who had not previously held public office.
- Taylor was the last southerner elected President until Lyndon Johnson, 116 years later.
Taylor was succeeded by Millard Fillmore.
In 1835 – The Texas Provincial Government authorized the creation of a horse-mounted police force called the Texas Rangers (which is now the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety).
On November 24, 1859 – Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, the anniversary of which is sometimes called “Evolution Day”. He was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. His proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors is now widely accepted, and considered a foundational concept in science.
Birthday of Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868), an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions and was dubbed the King of Ragtime. During his brief career, he wrote over 100 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas.
Birthday of Dale Carnegie, (November 24, 1888), an American writer and lecturer, and the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Born into poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, a bestseller that remains popular today.
From Today in Science:
In 1903, the first U.S. patent for an automobile electric self-starter was issued to Clyde J. Coleman of New York City (No. 745,157). He invented the self-starter in 1899, but the invention was impractical. The license was purchased by the Delco Company, which was taken over by the General Motors Corporation. Charles Kettering at General Motors perfected the self-starter, which was first installed on Cadillac cars in 1911. This was a response to the death of a friend, who had died from injuries suffered when a car hand-crank recoiled against him. Having eliminated the dangerous job of cranking the engine, it put women behind the wheel in greater numbers.
1954 – Air Force One, first US Presidential airplane, was christened.
November 24, 1963 – Lee Harvey Oswald, presumed assassin of President John F Kennedy, was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.