November 28th

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Egyptians voted in the first parliamentary elections since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. Islamist parties were the big winners.

Enron Corp., once the world's largest energy trader, collapsed after would-be rescuer Dynegy Inc. backed out of an $8.4 billion deal to take it over.

President Bill Clinton signed a bill that ended the federal 55 mph speed limit.

South Ossetia declares independence. The disputed region of the country of Georgia calls itself the Republic of South Ossetia. The declaration of independence was not recognized by Georgia and was followed by the South Ossetia War. Only a few countries, including Russia and Venezuela, recognize it as a sovereign country.

Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister of Great Britain. John Major took over.

President Gerald R. Ford nominated federal Judge John Paul Stevens to the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated by William O. Douglas.

First pulsar observed. Graduate student Jocelyn Bell and her advisor Antony Hewish at Cambridge University were the first people to observe and discover pulsars. Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron magnetized stars that emit radiation.

NASA launches Mariner 4. The first spacecraft to make a flyby of Mars, the spacecraft was the first one to send images of a planet back to Earth.

The African nation of Chad became an autonomous republic within the French community.

Tehran Conference begins. The Tehran Conference between the US, the UK and the Soviet Union began at the Soviet Embassy in Tehran. The conference dealt with the Axis powers in Europe and Asia and made plans to open up a second front against the Germans in France during WW II.

Fire destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killing nearly 500 people.

The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville made its debut on radio station WSM.

American-born Lady Astor became the first woman to take a seat on the British Parliament.

Sinn Fein was founded in Dublin.

The first automobile race took place, between Chicago and Waukegan, Ill.

Women vote in a national election for the first time, in the New Zealand general election.

The Times of London first printed by automatic, steam powered presses built by German inventors Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer - makes newspapers available to a mass audience.

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.