History Nov. 24: Hollywood 10

Nov. 24 in history

In 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species,” which explained his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

In 1865, Mississippi became the first Southern state to enact laws which came to be known as “Black Codes” aimed at limiting the rights of newly freed Blacks; other states of the former Confederacy soon followed.

In 1947, a group of writers, producers and directors, who would become known as the “Hollywood Ten,” were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in the movie industry.

In 1960, Philadelphia Warrior Wilt Chamberlain snags 55 rebounds in a game against the Boston Celtics and sets an NBA record for the most rebounds in a single game. He broke more than 70 NBA records across his 14-year career and in March 1962, he scored 100 of his team’s 169 points in a game against the New York Knicks - more than any NBA player had ever scored in one game. 

In 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, in a scene captured on live television from the underground garage of the Dallas Police Department. 

In 1971, a hijacker calling himself “Dan Cooper” (popularly known as “D.B. Cooper”) parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after receiving $200,000 in ransom. His fate remains unknown.

In 1974, the bone fragments of a 3.2-million-year-old hominid were discovered by scientists in Ethiopia; the skeletal remains were nicknamed “Lucy.”

In 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed on terms to scrap shorter- and medium-range missiles.

In 1991, Queen singer Freddie Mercury died in London at age 45 of AIDS-related pneumonia.

In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the bitter overtime struggle for the White House, agreeing to consider George W. Bush’s appeal against the hand recounting of ballots in Florida.

In 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly condemned the international community’s nuclear deal with Iran, calling it a “historic mistake” and saying he was not bound by the agreement.

In 2014, it was announced that a grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, had decided against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. The decision enraged protesters who set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in the area where Brown had been fatally shot.

In 2020, Pennsylvania officials certified Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential vote in the state. The Trump campaign had gone to court trying to prevent the certification.

In 2021, three men were convicted of murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the Black man who was running through a Georgia subdivision in February 2020 when the white strangers chased him, trapped him on a quiet street and blasted him with a shotgun. (History.com 11/24/23)