What Happened on November 10?

November 10 is World Science Day for Peace and Development — a UNESCO observance — on the same date the Marines were founded in 1775, Sesame Street premiered in 1969, and Stanley met Livingstone in 1871.

• 1775 — The Continental Marines are founded in Philadelphia

  On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines — the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. Read the full story →

• 1871 — Henry Morton Stanley finds David Livingstone in Africa

  On November 10, 1871, journalist Henry Morton Stanley greeted missing missionary-explorer David Livingstone with the famous line, 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume?' Read the full story →

• 1951 — The first direct-dial coast-to-coast U.S. telephone call is placed

  On November 10, 1951, the first customer-dialed coast-to-coast telephone call linked New Jersey and California without an operator connecting every step. Read the full story →

• 1969 — Sesame Street premieres on public television

  On November 10, 1969, Sesame Street debuted, mixing Muppets, songs, and street scenes to teach preschool kids letters and numbers. Read the full story →

• 1975 — The freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sinks on Lake Superior

  On November 10, 1975, the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior storm, inspiring memorials and a famous ballad. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Martin Luther (1483–1546) · Neil Gaiman (1960) · Richard Burton (1925–1984) · Brittany Murphy (1977–2009)

Days & observances

World Science Day for Peace and Development · Marine Corps Birthday · Sesame Street Day · National Vanilla Cupcake Day