On this day

2 November in history.

5 moments from 1868 to 2016: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

The International Space Station against the darkness of space.

2000

The space station gets its first crew. Astronaut William Shepherd and cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko arrived at the International Space Station to stay. Someone has been living aboard ever since.

Wikipedia: Expedition 1

Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 2 November

  1. 1868

    New Zealand sets one time for the whole country

    New Zealand officially adopted a single standard time for the whole country to follow.

    Wikipedia: Time zoneWikipedia: Time in New Zealand

  2. 1936

    The BBC starts regular TV broadcasts

    The BBC Television Service went on air. It was the world's first regular "high-definition" TV service, and the channel, now BBC One, still broadcasts today.

    Wikipedia: BBC TelevisionWikipedia: BBC OneWikipedia: 1964

  3. Howard Hughes in 1938.

    1947

    The Spruce Goose takes off

    Howard Hughes flew his giant Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the "Spruce Goose", over California. It was the plane's first and only flight, and it held the record as the biggest fixed-wing aircraft ever built until 2017.

    Wikipedia: Howard HughesWikipedia: Hughes H-4 HerculesWikipedia: Scaled Composites Stratolaunch

    Photo: Acme Newspictures / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  4. 2016

    The Chicago Cubs end a 108-year wait

    By beating the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, the Chicago Cubs became champions again after 108 years, the longest dry spell in Major League Baseball.

    Wikipedia: Chicago CubsWikipedia: Cleveland GuardiansWikipedia: World Series

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.