ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 323rd day of 2024 and the 58th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1883, American and Canadian railroads instituted five standard continental time zones.

In 1928, the first cartoon with sound, Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie," premiered.

In 1963, the first push-button telephones were test-marketed in Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1966, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops eliminated the rule against eating meat on Fridays.

In 1985, the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" made its first newspaper appearance.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Louis Daguerre (1787-1851), inventor; George Gallup (1901-1984), pollster; Klaus Mann (1906-1949), publicist/dramatist; Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), lyricist; Alan Shepard (1923-1998), astronaut; Margaret Atwood (1939- ), writer; Alan Dean Foster (1946- ), author; Alan Moore (1953- ), author; Elizabeth Perkins (1960- ), actress; Owen Wilson (1968- ), actor; Chloe Sevigny (1974- ), actress; David Ortiz (1975- ), baseball player; Denny Hamlin (1980- ), race car driver; Nasim Pedrad (1981- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: The average American consumed 58.1 pounds of beef and 116 pounds of poultry in 2023.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1985, New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann during a Monday Night Football game. Theismann suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg on the play, an injury that resulted in his retirement from football.

TODAY'S QUOTE: " As I see it, part of the art of being a hero is knowing when you don't need to be one anymore." -- Alan Moore, "Watchmen"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 4 -- number of major league no-hitters pitched by Sandy Koufax during his career. Koufax, who retired on this day in 1966, is second only to Nolan Ryan (seven) on the all-time no-hitters list.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Nov. 15) and last quarter moon (Nov. 22).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 322nd day of 2024 and the 57th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1800, the United States Congress met for the first time in Washington, D.C., in the unfinished Capitol building.

In 1869, the Suez Canal was officially opened.

In 1871, the National Rifle Association was granted a charter by the state of New York.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy dedicated Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Shelby Foote (1916-2005), author/historian; Rock Hudson (1925-1985), actor; Martin Scorsese (1942- ), film director; Lauren Hutton (1943- ), actress; Jim Boeheim (1944- ), basketball coach; Danny DeVito (1944- ), actor; Lorne Michaels (1944- ), producer; Stephen Root (1951- ), actor; RuPaul (1960- ), drag queen performer/singer; Jeff Buckley (1966-1997), singer-songwriter; Rachel McAdams (1978- ), actress; Christopher Paolini (1983- ), writer.

TODAY'S FACT: The U.S. Capitol dome is made of 8.9 million pounds of cast-iron.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, with about a minute on the clock and the New York Jets leading the Oakland Raiders 32-29, NBC switched to a scheduled broadcast of "Heidi." Oakland then scored two touchdowns in nine seconds, winning 43-32, as thousands of angry football fans overloaded NBC's telephone switchboard.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Adversity and success both contribute largely to making you what you are. If you don't experience either one of those, you're being deprived of something." -- Shelby Foote

TODAY'S NUMBER: 60,000 -- average number of airline passengers traveling through Washington Dulles International Airport per day.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Nov. 15) and last quarter moon (Nov. 22).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 321st day of 2024 and the 56th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1801, the first New York Post newspaper was published.

In 1841, the first underwater tunnel was completed beneath the Thames River in London.

In 1907, Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th U.S. state.

In 1914, the Federal Reserve System of the United States officially opened.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed legislation authorizing the construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: W.C. Handy (1873-1958), composer; George Kaufman (1889-1961), playwright; Burgess Meredith (1907-1997), actor; Jose Saramago (1922-2010), author; Chinua Achebe (1930-2013), author; Marg Helgenberger (1958- ), actress; Dwight Gooden (1964- ), baseball player; Lisa Bonet (1967- ), actress; Oksana Baiul (1977- ), figure skater; Maggie Gyllenhaal (1977- ), actress/filmmaker; Amar'e Stoudemire (1982- ), basketball player; Pete Davidson (1993- ), actor/comedian.

TODAY'S FACT: The $5 bill is the U.S. currency with the shortest life span, lasting an average of 4.7 years in circulation.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, the longest winning streak in college football history ended at 47 games, when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset the Oklahoma Sooners.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "As so often happens, the thing left undone tires you most of all, you only feel rested when it has been accomplished." -- Jose Saramago

TODAY'S NUMBER: 800 -- length (in miles) of the trans-Alaska pipeline system.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Nov. 15) and last quarter moon (Nov. 22).