Today in History: November 23, former KGB spy and Putin critic dies in London
Today is Saturday, Nov. 23, the 328th day of 2024. There are 38 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Nov. 23, 2006, former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko (leet-vee-NYEN’-koh) died in London from radiation poisoning after making a deathbed statement blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Also on this date:
In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed Nov. 25 a day of national mourning following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
In 1971, the People’s Republic of China was seated in the United Nations Security Council.
In 1980, an estimated 2,500-3,000 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy.
In 1984, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie completed one of the most famous passes in college football history, connecting with Gerald Phelan for a 48-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock as Boston College defeated the Miami Hurricanes 47-45.
In 1996, a commandeered Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the water off the Comoro Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board, including all three hijackers.
In 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia, becoming the first woman to lead an African country.
In 2008, the U.S. government unveiled a bold plan to rescue Citigroup, injecting a fresh $20 billion into the troubled firm as well as guaranteeing hundreds of billions of dollars in risky assets.
In 2011, Yemen’s authoritarian President Ali Abdullah Saleh (AH’-lee ahb-DUH’-luh sah-LEH’) agreed to step down amid a fierce uprising to oust him after 33 years in power.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is 74.
- Singer Bruce Hornsby is 70.
- TV journalist Robin Roberts (“Good Morning America”) is 64.
- Olympic gold medal sprinter Asafa Powell is 42.
- NHL center Nicklas Bäckström is 37.
- Singer-actor Miley Cyrus is 32.