What Happened on November 21?

November 21 is World Television Day — celebrating TV's global reach — on the same date humans first flew freely by hot-air balloon in 1783, Mayflower passengers signed their Compact in 1620, and Edison announced the phonograph in 1877.

• 1620 — Pilgrims sign the Mayflower Compact

  On November 21, 1620 (November 11 Old Style), Mayflower passengers signed the Mayflower Compact before going ashore in New England. Read the full story →

• 1783 — First untethered hot-air balloon flight lifts off in Paris

  On November 21, 1783, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes made the first free hot-air balloon flight over Paris. Read the full story →

• 1789 — North Carolina ratifies the Constitution and joins the Union

  On November 21, 1789, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and became the 12th state. Read the full story →

• 1877 — Thomas Edison announces the phonograph

  On November 21, 1877, Thomas Edison announced the phonograph — a machine that could record and play back sound. Read the full story →

• 1964 — Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opens in New York

  On November 21, 1964, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened — then the world's longest suspension span, linking Brooklyn and Staten Island. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Voltaire (1694–1778) · René Magritte (1898–1967) · Goldie Hawn (1945) · Björk (1965)

Days & observances

World Television Day · National Stuffing Day · National Gingerbread Cookie Day · World Hello Day