On this day in History - 25 Nov.

• 1844 - Karl (Friedrich) Benz born. Benz was a German mechanical engineer who designed and built in 1885 the world's first practical automobile to be powered by an internal-combustion engine.
• 1845 - José Maria de Eça de Queirós (1845-1900), portuguese writer born in Póvoa de Varzim. Eça de Queiroz is the author of "O Crime do Padre Amaro" (1875), "O Primo Basílio" (1878), "Os Maias" (1888), A Ilustre Casa de Ramires (1894, mas só publicada após a sua morte), entre outros romances.
• 1867 - Alfred Nobel patented dynamite.
• 1881 - Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte, Italy. In 1958 he become Pope John XXIII.
• 1897 - Spain grants Puerto Rico autonomy
• 1958 - Senegal becomes an autonomous state in the French Community
• 1975 - Netherlands grants Surinam independence (National Day)
• 1975 - An important day for the normalization of portuguese democratic life after the revolutionary process following 25 th April (Revolução dos Cravos) that ended the fascist politic regimen .
• 1978 - American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from Chicago, kills 275
• 1990 - Lech Walesa wins in Poland's 1st popular election
• 1992 - The Czech parliament voted to split the country into separate Czech and Slovak republics beginning January 1, 1993.
• 1999 - International day to eliminate violence against women. The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution designating November 25 the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women. The resolution, which was introduced by the Dominican Republic, marked the anniversary of the death of three sisters, Maria, Teresa, and Minerva Mirabel, who were brutally murdered there in 1961
• 2004 - Begins today the trial of the case "Casa Pia" (Portugal)