ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 337th day of 2020 and the 72nd day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1823, President James Monroe announced a policy aimed at preventing further European colonization of the Americas, later known as the Monroe Doctrine.

In 1927, Ford Motor Co. introduced the new Model A.

In 1988, Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan, becoming the first female leader of an Islamic nation.

In 2001, the energy trading company Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In 2015, terrorists shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 in San Bernardino, California.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Georges Seurat (1859-1891), painter; Maria Callas (1923-1977), opera singer; Gianni Versace (1946-1997), fashion designer; Stone Phillips (1954- ), journalist; Ann Patchett (1963- ), author; Lucy Liu (1968- ), actress; Britney Spears (1981- ), singer; Aaron Rodgers (1983- ), football player; Charlie Puth (1991- ), singer-songwriter.

TODAY'S FACT: In 1942, a team led by Enrico Fermi engineered the first controlled nuclear fission chain reaction under the stands of the University of Chicago's Stagg Field.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1967, Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers missed 22 free throws in a single game, setting an NBA record that stood until Jan. 20, 2016, when the Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond missed 23.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find." -- Ann Patchett, "State of Wonder"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 112 -- days Barney Clark, the recipient of the first artificial heart, lived after it was implanted on this day in 1982.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Nov. 30) and last quarter moon (Dec. 7).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 336th day of 2020 and the 71st day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1913, the Ford Motor Company began operation of its first assembly line.

In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking a new era in the civil rights movement.

In 1969, the United States instituted its first draft lottery since World War II.

In 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the United States had been in an official recession since December 2007.

In 2013, China launched Yutu, its first lunar rover.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Marie Tussaud (1761-1850), museum founder; Rex Stout (1886-1975), author; Mary Martin (1913-1990), actress; Lou Rawls (1933-2006), singer-songwriter; Woody Allen (1935- ), filmmaker; Lee Trevino (1939- ), golfer; Richard Pryor (1940-2005), actor/comedian; Bette Midler (1945- ), singer/actress; Nestor Carbonell (1967- ), actor; Sarah Silverman (1970- ), actress/comedian; Akiva Schaffer (1977- ), actor/filmmaker; DeSean Jackson (1986- ), football player; Zoe Kravitz (1988- ), actress/singer.

TODAY'S FACT: At the time of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, about 70 percent of bus riders in the city were African American.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1924, Brooklyn pitcher Dazzy Vance (28 wins, 2.16 ERA, 262 strikeouts) won the National League MVP award over Rogers Hornsby of St. Louis, who had batted .424 for the season.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Sure, I have friends, plenty of friends, and they all come around wantin' to borrow money. I've always been generous with my friends and family with money, but selfish with the important stuff, like love." -- Richard Pryor

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1.86 million -- men inducted into the U.S. armed forces between 1965 and 1973 through the Selective Service System.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Nov. 30) and last quarter moon (Dec. 7).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 335th day of 2020 and the 70th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1782, provisional articles of peace were signed in Paris between Britain and the United States, under which Britain recognized U.S. independence.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Bill, a major gun-control measure.

In 1999, Exxon Corp. and Mobil Corp. completed their merger, creating the largest publicly held oil company in the world.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), clergyman/satirist; Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910), writer; Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British politician; Dick Clark (1929-2012), TV personality/producer; Bill Walsh (1931-2007), football coach; Abbie Hoffman (1936-1989), political activist; Ridley Scott (1937- ), filmmaker; Mandy Patinkin (1952- ), singer/actor; Billy Idol (1955- ), singer-songwriter; Bo Jackson (1962- ), football and baseball player; Ben Stiller (1965- ), actor; Amy Ryan (1969- ), actress; Clay Aiken (1978- ), singer; Chrissy Teigen (1985- ), TV personality; Magnus Carlsen (1990- ), chess grandmaster.

TODAY'S FACT: Mark Twain published a number of pieces in newspapers and periodicals under a variety of pen names, including Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab and John Snooks.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1991, the U.S. women's soccer team defeated Norway 2-1 to win the first Women's World Cup.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I am a firm believer in if you can't get it the old-fashioned way, you don't need it." -- Bo Jackson

TODAY'S NUMBER: 33 million -- certified units sold of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," making it the best-selling solo album of all time, according to Business Insider. The album was released on this day in 1982.

TODAY'S MOON: Full moon (Nov. 30).