Good News in History, November 1

67 years ago today, the Indian government passed the States Reorganization Act, something the British really should have done themselves, which redivided large swaths of India according to the common language spoken. The image below illustrates the difference. The major changes included the creation of Assam and Kerala states, and Andhra Pradesh being formed by the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State. READ more about the long-sought-after legislation… (1956)

Along with the above changes, Bihar was slightly reduced to create West Bengal, Mysore and Bombay’s borders were reorganized to reflect language use, and Madhya Pradesh was created from a merger of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal State.

The demand for states to be organized on a linguistic basis was developed even before India achieved independence from British rule, and even before the 20th century. The movement eventually achieved its objective in 1936, when Orissa Province became the first Indian state (pre-independence) to be organized on the basis of common languages.

Later, after independence, the movement to create a Telugu-speaking state out of the northern portion of Madras State gathered strength in the years after independence, and in 1953, the sixteen northern Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State became the new State of Andhra.

More Good News on this Date:

• Michelangelo’s paintings on the Sistine Chapel ceiling were unveiled to the public–a 12,000 sq ft canvas (1114 sq m) that took four years to complete and is widely considered his crowning achievement in painting (1512)
• The Strait of Magellan–the most important natural seafaring passage that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans–was first discovered and navigated by a European explorer when Ferdinand Magellan entered at the southern end of South America on his historic circumnavigation voyage. (1520)
• Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello was first performed in London’s Whitehall palace (1604); likewise, the romantic comedy, The Tempest premiered (1611)
• The Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse was lit for the first time–with a Fresnel lens that can be seen for about 19 miles (1859)
• The first Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public (1897)
• Bosnia peace talks opened in Dayton, Ohio (1995)
• Holidays on this day: Mexico–Day of the Dead; Catholicism–All Saints Day; Independence Day (from Britain in 1981) for Antigua and Barbuda; and it’s Algeria Day.

126 years ago today, The Old Lady, Juventus F.C. was founded by a group of sporty high-schoolers in Turin, Italy. Juventus is the juggernaut of Italian football, and holds the records for all domestic titles including Serie A (36), Coppa Italia (14), and Supercoppa Italiana (9). “She” has also won the UEFA Champions League/European Cup twice, and the Europa League/UEFA Cup thrice.

Founded with the name of Sport-Club Juventus, initially as an athletics club by the general high school Massimo d’Azeglio, it is the second-oldest of its kind still active in the country after Genoa’s team (1893) and has competed every season of the premier club division (reformulated in different formats until the Serie A inception in 1929) since its debut in 1900 with the exception of the 2006–07 season. It has been managed by the industrial Agnelli family almost continuously since 1923, and the relationship between the club and that dynasty is the oldest and longest in national sports.

The club has gone on several monopolistic rampages in Italy, driven on by some of the finest Italian football coaches in history, and a nigh-irrepressible force of destiny that seems to regularly imbue the players with the belief to win games seemingly beyond their reach.

Most recently, they won 9 consecutive Serie A titles in a row between 2011 and 2020, something never before achieved, and included an undefeated season. This wasn’t because they weren’t challenged by the other teams, in fact on 4 occasions they won the title over Milan or Naples by a margin of 1 or 2 games out of 38.

The club has cultured some of the greatest Italian footballers in history, such as Giampiero Boniperti, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Capello, Alessandro Del Piero, and Giorgio Chiellini. (1897)

82 years ago today, American photographer Ansel Adams took a picture of a moonrise in the half-light between sunset and dark. It would become one of the most famous images in the history of photography.

While driving through the countryside, Adams saw a church and cemetery near Hernandez, New Mexico, and pulled off to the side of Route 84. Desperate to capture the image in the fading light, he, his son, and another passenger scrambled to set up the tripod and camera, knowing that only moments remained before the light was gone.

He only managed to produce one exposure before the sunlight lifted from the gravesite crosses at 4:49 p.m. WATCH a clip of Ansel recounting the shot. (1941)

Also, Happy 66th birthday to country singer and actor Lyle Lovett. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both German and Journalism and started playing music in small bars on the Texas A&M campus. He was once married to Julia Roberts, supported Dire Straits on their 1990 world tour, and won four Grammy Awards for his records. (1957)

153 years ago today, the National Weather Service made its first meteorological forecast in the United States. The Weather Bureau was founded to provide weather, water, climate data, and warning forecasts for the protection of life and property—and there have been many success stories.

Real achievements in advanced forecasting have minimized loss, including the Louisiana tornado outbreak in early 2017 when accurate warnings, years of preparedness, relationship-building, and drills with core partners, all came together where EM officials, first responders, and residents took immediate action—resulting in zero deaths. (1870)

And, 54 years ago today, Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the singles chart with Suspicious Minds—one of the most notable hits of his career. Written and first recorded by Mark James, it was Presley’s 18th and last number-one single in the US.

The song is noted for its change of time signature in the bridge section, from 4/4 to a slower 6/8 and back again to the faster 4/4 rhythm. Suspicious Minds was one of the singles that revived Presley’s chart success, and in later years, whenever Elvis saw James he would cross the room to say hello. (1969)

Also on this day, in 1938, an undersized horse named Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in a miracle-upset victory, winning The Match of the Century while uplifting the spirits of an entire nation engulfed in the Great Depression.

The butt of stable jokes for his laziness, the small, knobby-kneed thoroughbred liked to sleep and eat for long periods, but his unlikely victory over the Triple Crown winner by 4 lengths became a symbol of hope to all Americans. If you’ve never seen the Oscar-nominated film starring Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire, WATCH the exciting trailer…

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