What Happened on November 28?

November 28 is National French Toast Day — flip a golden breakfast — on the same date Magellan entered the Pacific in 1520, NASA launched Mariner 4 to Mars in 1964, and the Grand Ole Opry first broadcast in 1925.

• 1520 — Magellan's expedition enters the Pacific Ocean

  On November 28, 1520, Ferdinand Magellan's ships emerged from a South American strait into a calm ocean he named the Pacific. Read the full story →

• 1660 — The Royal Society holds its first meeting in London

  On November 28, 1660, scholars met at Gresham College after a Christopher Wren lecture and formed what became the Royal Society of London. Read the full story →

• 1912 — Albania declares independence from the Ottoman Empire

  On November 28, 1912, Albanian leaders in Vlorë proclaimed independence — a national holiday still celebrated as Flag Day (Dita e Flamurit). Read the full story →

• 1925 — The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville

  On November 28, 1925, Nashville radio station WSM aired the Barn Dance that became the Grand Ole Opry — still the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. Read the full story →

• 1943 — Allied leaders open the Tehran Conference in World War II

  On November 28, 1943, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin began meeting in Tehran to coordinate the fight against Nazi Germany. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

William Blake (1757–1827) · Friedrich Engels (1820–1895) · Rita Mae Brown (1944) · Jon Stewart (1962)

Days & observances

National French Toast Day · Red Planet Day · Turkey Leftovers Day · National Alan Day