On this day in History - Nov. 28

• 1520 Having sailed from the Atlantic Ocean through the passage that came to be known as the Straits of Magellan, three ships under the command of native Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães entered "The Sea of the South" on November 28, 1520. Thus the first westward crossing of the Pacific Ocean was launched. Learn more about Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan). See also :Ferdinand Magellan and the First Circumnavigation of the World
• 1582 - William Shakeaspeare 18, got married ; Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, 26, pay a 40-pound bond for their marriage license in Stratford-upon-Avon.
• 1757 - William Blake, born (d. 12 Aug 1827) - English poet, painter, and engraver; Author of the citation: "To generalize is to be an idiot". Guided and encouraged by his visitations from the spiritual world, he engraved and painted many illustrated books, his finest works adorn the National Gallery and many of his poems have been put to music including Jerusalem.
• 1820 - Friedrich Engels , born , German social philosopher and Marx's collaborator
• 1821 - Official date of Independence of Panama from Spain
• 1870 - Jean Frédéric Bazille, died, French Impressionist painter born on 06 December 1841.
• 1880 - Inauguration of the railway service between Temiya and Sapporo (Japan)
• 1895 - The first American (gasoline-powered) automobile race takes place in Chicago. Learn more about automobiles.. . The winner, travelled at a speed of 7 and 1/2 miles per hour! It took him 7 hrs. 53 minutes to make the trek. He won $2,000 for the effort.
• 1905 - The Irish political party Sinn Fein was founded by Arthur Griffith in Dublin.
• 1907 - Alberto Moravia, born , Italian author
• 1912 - Albania - Declaration of Independence and subsequent formation of a National Government headed by Ismail Qemali.Read "A brief constitucional history of Albania"
• 1919 - American-born Nancy Astor is the first woman in British history elected to a seat in Parliament.
• 1942 - nearly 500 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.
• 1943 - President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin met in Tehran during World War II.
• 1958 - the African nation of Chad became an autonomous republic within the French community
• 1960 - Mauritania achieves independence from France.
• 1967 - TV personality Anna Nicole Smith born in Houston, Texas, USA.
• 1979 - An Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.
• 1987 - Civilian convoy is attacked by RENAMO in Mozambique, 60 killed.
• 1990 - John Major took over as prime minister of Great Britain after resignation of Margaret Thatcher.
• 1994 - Noruega rechaza su integración en la Unión Europea, mediante referéndum
• 1998 - Albania - New Constitution adopted on Independence Day.
• 1999 - Jorge Batlle Ibáñez, el candidato del Partido Colorado, gana las elecciones presidenciales de Uruguay.
• First Sunday of Advent (4th Sunday before Christmas).