
"Key Events on November 9 Throughout History"
On November 9, 1989, East Germany opened its borders, allowing citizens to freely travel to the West for the first time in decades. Other notable events on this date include the sighting of Cape Cod by the Mayflower in 1620, the destruction of nearly 800 buildings in Boston by fire in 1872, and the start of the great Northeast blackout in 1965. Additionally, November 9 marks the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria in 1938, the death of former French President Charles de Gaulle in 1970, and the firing of Joe Paterno as Penn State's head football coach in 2011. In 2020, President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, adding to the uncertainty of the transition period as Joe Biden prepared to assume the presidency.
