1776 The first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
1791 Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.
1848 President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of 1848 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.
1872 Having left New York on Nov. 5, the brigantine Mary Celeste was found adrift off Portugal with everyone aboard mysteriously missing.
1933 The 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing prohibition, was ratified.
1955 The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO.
2002 At Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday celebration, Senate Republican leader Trent Lott praised Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential bid. Lott subsequently resigned his leadership position.
