Today in History....November 1

On this day in …

1765, the Stamp Act went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists
1870, the United States Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations

1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an "axis" running between Rome and Berlin

1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in Washington to assassinate President Truman. The attempt failed, and one of the pair was killed

1952, the United States exploded the first hydrogen bomb, code-named "Mike," at Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands

1954, Algerian nationalists began their successful eight-year rebellion against French rule

1973, following the "Saturday Night Massacre," Acting Attorney General Robert H. Bork appointed Leon Jaworski to be the new Watergate special prosecutor, succeeding Archibald Cox

1991, Clarence Thomas took his place as the newest justice on the Supreme Court

1996, accused of peddling access to the Oval Office, President Clinton demanded an end to what he called the "escalating arms race" for political money. Bob Dole countered with his own solutions to what he called "a growing scandal" of Democratic financial sins

2001, President Bush issued an order allowing past presidents, beginning with Ronald Reagan, to have as much say as incumbent presidents in keeping some of their White House papers private

2005, Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session, questioning intelligence President Bush had used in the run-up to the war in Iraq; Republicans derided the move as a political stunt