November 29 in History: Triumphs, Tragedies & Edison's Phonograph...

 
Good Morning! It’s Friday, November 29, 2024. I am Dom Einhorn, your lead curator, and here are your insights into what makes this day in history relevant today.

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KRONIKL is your daily lens into the events that shaped our world. With a focus on a truly global perspective, we bring you a curated look at the most remarkable events, notable birthdays, and influential milestones that make November 29 memorable. Discover the history that defines today!

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Marquee Event of the Day

> United Nations Approves Resolution to Partition Palestine

On this day in 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, proposing the partition of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, with the city of Jerusalem designated as a special international zone.

Why this matters: This decision laid the foundation for ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with ongoing consequences for international relations, regional stability, and the lives of millions in Israel and Palestine.

Find out how much you know about the U.N. with our special quiz.

Test your knowledge of November 29 with our engaging 15-question quiz—perfect for a quick refresher on this historic date!

Notable Events

• November 29, 1963. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

• November 29, 2011. Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the death of Michael Jackson.

• November 29, 1830. A Polish secret society of infantry cadets launched an uprising in Warsaw (the November Uprising), marking the start of the November Insurrection.

^{In partnership with Masters of Trivia}

Knowledge Gamified

A recent MSN article titled “Top 10 Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Turned Vision into Reality” featured Dom Einhorn, founder of Intelligent Games, in the #3 spot. For transparency, Intelligent Games is the parent company of both the KRONIKL newsletter and Masters of Trivia, the quiz platform linked to many topics featured in this newsletter. Additionally, the November 2024 issue of New York Weekly Magazine describes Masters of Trivia as follows:

Einhorn points to the company’s slogan to explain the value of Masters of Trivia’s platform. “Our slogan is ‘Knowledge Gamified’ and not ‘Gamified Knowledge’ for a good reason,” he explains. “We aim to educate and inform first and foremost, but we also know that most people need to be deeply engaged in the learning process. Hence, we added a heavy dose of entertainment and incentives to the mix.”

Ultimately, Einhorn and his team strive to turn Masters of Trivia into a global platform. They hope to bring their games to the masses, helping them create millions more budding trivia masters with games in any language and on any topic. In the future, they aim to ensure the platform can be accessed from anywhere in the world, “whether from a desktop running on a gigabit fiber connection or from a low bandwidth device in the middle of the Sahara desert,” Einhorn says.

Here are three events from November 29 that continue to resonate in the present day.

1. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine (November 29, 1947): The UN approved a plan to partition Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. This decision set the stage for the complex and ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shaping Middle Eastern geopolitics and international relations for decades.
   

2. The Zong Massacre (November 29, 1781): The British slave ship Zong's crew killed 54 enslaved Africans by throwing them overboard to claim insurance. This atrocity sparked outrage and helped galvanize the abolitionist movement in Britain, contributing to the eventual abolition of the slave trade.
   

3. First Atari Pong Release (November 29, 1972) and the evolution of digital gaming. On November 29, 1972, Atari released Pong, the first commercially successful video game, marking the start of the gaming industry. This modest table tennis simulation sparked a revolution in digital entertainment, leading to a multi-billion-dollar industry that has transformed how we interact, compete, and even learn. Today, gaming technology impacts fields as diverse as virtual reality, AI, and esports, underscoring how Pong opened doors to the digital age.

Birthdays, Passings & Milestones

Highlighting the influential figures who were born or died on this day, along with their legacies.

• Jacques Chirac (born November 29, 1932). Chirac was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007, known for his advocacy of social unity, opposition to the Iraq War, and focus on environmental and cultural issues.

• C.S. Lewis (born November 29, 1898). C.S. Lewis was a British writer, scholar, and Christian apologist best known for his beloved Chronicles of Narnia series and his influential works on theology and philosophy, including Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.

• Nathalie Wood (died November 29, 1981 at age 43). American film actress Natalie Wood tragically drowned under mysterious circumstances while vacationing on a yacht near Santa Catalina Island, California.

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• November 29, 1877 – Inventor Thomas Edison demonstrates his hand-cranked phonograph for the first time.

• November 29, 1910 – The first patent for inventing the traffic lights system is issued to Ernest Sirrine.

• November 29, 1972 – Atari releases Pong, the first commercially successful video game.

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Curated reads and interesting tidbits from the world of finance.

• November 29, 1923 – The Dawes Commission, led by banker Charles G. Dawes, is established to assess Germany's economic situation and provide recommendations acceptable to the United States.

• November 29, 1997 – The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agrees to raise its production ceiling to 27.5 million barrels per day for the first half of 1998.

• November 29, 1995 – Turner Enterprises launches CCCfn, a new financial network.

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• November 29, 1934 – The Chicago Bears defeat the Detroit Lions 19-16 in the first NFL game to be broadcast nationally.

• November 29, 1960 – the 26th Heisman Trophy is awarded to Joe Bellino, halfback for the Navy.

• November 29, 1987 – Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers sets an NFL record by completing 22 consecutive passes.

• November 29, 1899 – FC Barcelona is founded by a group of Catalan, Spanish, and English enthusiasts, later becoming one of Spanish football’s most iconic and successful teams.

• November 29, 1931 – Shintaro Katsu, renowned Japanese actor, singer, director, and producer, is born (d. 1997).

• November 29, 1955 – Howie Mandel, Canadian comedian, actor, and television host is born.

• November 29, 1957 – Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Belgian novelist, photographer and filmmaker is born.

• November 29, 1899 – Emma Morano, an Italian supercentenarian and the oldest Italian person on record, is born (d. 2017).

• November 29, 2013 – LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 crashes in Bwabata National Park in a tragic pilot murder-suicide, resulting in the deaths of all 33 people on board.

• November 29, 1963 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 crashes shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Dorval International Airport, claiming the lives of all 118 people on board.

• November 29, 1987 – North Korean agents plant a bomb on Korean Air Flight 858, resulting in the deaths of all 115 passengers and crew members on board.

  
  November 29 marks a dark day in airline history, with multiple disasters occuring on the same day.

Why KRONIKL? Inspired by the timeless concept of chronicles, KRONIKL is dedicated to bringing you insights from every day in history, enriching each moment with context and curiosity. We’re here to help you discover something new every day.

*Disclosure: Masters of Trivia is a quiz platform founded by Dom Einhorn and owned by Intelligent Games LLC—the same company that brings you the KRONIKL newsletter.