What Happened on November 23?

November 23 is Fibonacci Day — because 11/23 mirrors the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3 — on the same date Doctor Who premiered in 1963, newspapers spread Hubble's galaxy breakthrough in 1924, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won Liberia's presidency in 2005.

• 1644 — John Milton publishes Areopagitica against censorship

  On November 23, 1644, John Milton published Areopagitica — a powerful pamphlet arguing against pre-publication censorship. Read the full story →

• 1889 — The first jukebox is installed in San Francisco

  On November 23, 1889, Louis Glass and William S. Arnold installed an early coin-operated phonograph — often called the first jukebox — in a San Francisco salon. Read the full story →

• 1924 — New York Times reports Hubble's island-universe breakthrough

  On November 23, 1924, The New York Times reported Edwin Hubble's finding that Andromeda is a separate galaxy — hugely expanding the known universe. Read the full story →

• 1963 — Doctor Who premieres on the BBC

  On November 23, 1963, the BBC aired the first episode of Doctor Who — launching the world's longest-running science-fiction TV drama. Read the full story →

• 1992 — IBM Simon, often called the first smartphone, is unveiled

  On November 23, 1992, IBM previewed the Simon Personal Communicator at COMDEX — a phone that also handled apps like a calendar and email. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Franklin Pierce (1804–1869) · Boris Karloff (1887–1969) · Billy the Kid (1859–1881) · Miley Cyrus (1992)

Days & observances

Fibonacci Day · National Espresso Day · National Cashew Day · Wolfenoot