Today is the 329th day of 2012 and the 64th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1639, Jeremiah Horrocks observed the first recorded transit of Venus, which occurs when Venus passes directly between the sun and the Earth and is visible as a small black disc on the sun.

In 1859, Charles Darwin published his theory of natural selection in "On the Origin of Species."

In 1963, John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was fatally shot by Jack Ruby on live national television.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), 12th U.S. president; Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), painter; Scott Joplin (1868-1917), musician; Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), author; William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008), columnist; Oscar Robertson (1938- ), basketball player; Pete Best (1941- ), drummer; Spider Robinson (1948- ), writer; Russell Watson (1966- ), singer; Katherine Heigl (1978- ), actress.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1960, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors set a record that still stands by grabbing 55 rebounds in one game. The Warriors lost the game to the Boston Celtics, 132-129.

TODAY'S FACT: In 1903, a moth with a 10-inch tongue was discovered in Madagascar, 41 years after Charles Darwin hypothesized its existence.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry." -- William F. Buckley Jr.

TODAY'S NUMBER: 224.7 -- length, in days, of Venus' year.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter (Nov. 20) and full moon (Nov. 28).

Today is the 328th day of 2012 and the 63rd day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1936, the first issue of Life magazine was published.

In 1954, more than 25 years after "Black Thursday," the Dow Jones industrial average finally surpassed its pre-Depression high.

In 2001, the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia charged former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic with genocide for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict.

In 2005, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was declared president of Liberia, becoming the first female head of state in Africa.

TODAY'S HISTORY: Franklin Pierce (1804-1869), 14th U.S. president; Billy the Kid (1859-1881), outlaw; Boris Karloff (1887-1969), actor; Erte (1892-1990), artist/designer; Paul Celan (1920-1970), poet; Joe Eszterhas (1944- ), screenwriter; Bruce Vilanch (1948- ), comedy writer; Miley Cyrus (1992- ), actress/singer.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1919, the first play-by-play of a football game was broadcast on the radio.

TODAY'S FACT: The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled Feb. 26, 2007, that Serbia was not directly responsible for genocide in the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "You have summoned me in my weakness. You must sustain me by your strength." -- Franklin Pierce, in his inaugural address

TODAY'S NUMBER: 60.8 -- percentage of Liberians who can read and write.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter (Nov. 20) and full moon (Nov. 28).

Today is the 327th day of 2012 and the 62nd day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1497, explorer Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as his replacement.

In 1990, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigned.

In 1995, "Toy Story," the first full-length film to be entirely computer-generated, was released.

In 2005, Angela Merkel took office as the first female chancellor of Germany.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: George Eliot (1819-1880), writer; Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), French president and general; Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981), songwriter; Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), composer; Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004), actor/comedian; Robert Vaughn (1932- ), actor; Billie Jean King (1943- ), tennis player; Jamie Lee Curtis (1958- ), actress; Boris Becker (1967- ), tennis player; Scarlett Johansson (1984- ), actress.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1986, Mike Tyson knocked out Trevor Berbick, becoming, at 20 years and 5 months of age, the youngest-ever heavyweight boxing champion.

TODAY'S FACT: In 2010, "Toy Story 3" was released, earning $415 million at the U.S. box office. The original "Toy Story" grossed $191.8 million.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheeses?" -- French President Charles de Gaulle

TODAY'S NUMBER: 12 -- Grand Slam women's singles titles won by Billie Jean King.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter (Nov. 20) and full moon (Nov. 28).