November 19: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, based on J.K. Rowling’s 2007 fantasy novel, was released worldwide.

The Nintendo Wii was released in the US.

The Wii was Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube.

The People’s Republic of China launched Shenzhou 1, the first uncrewed Shenzhou spacecraft.

Television broadcasting company CBS banned a Calvin Klein Jeans advertisement.

The advertisement featured 15-year-old Brooke Shields, and broadcasters thought it was too suggestive. In the ad, Shields says, "You know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing," and this was seen as inappropriate for a 15-year-old to be speaking in a slightly seductive way.

Pelé, the legendary Brazilian soccer star, scored his 1,000th goal.

Known primarily as Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento started playing for the Brazilian national soccer team when he was just 16. Over his twenty-year career, he scored close to an average of one goal per game, totaling 1,279 goals.

Goldwyn Pictures film studio was founded by Samuel Goldwyn, Edgar Selwyn, and Archibald Selwyn.

The film studio is most famed for its roaring lion logo.

Inventor Frederick E. Blaisdell patented the pencil in the US.

He called it "sheathing with paper sheaths."

A meteorite weighing 8kg landed southwest of Odessa, Ukraine.

Witnesses reported a giant fireball as it entered Earth's atmosphere, with the meteorite touching down just outside of the village Grossliebenthal. Most of the meteorite now lies at the Academy of Science in Moscow.

One of the greatest speeches of all American history, The Gettysburg Address, was given by Abraham Lincoln.

The British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson became Britain’s Poet Laureate.

He succeeded William Wordsworth and was followed by Alfred Austin. Some of his most celebrated poems include "Claribel" and "Mariana."

The Great Flood of St Petersburg killed 10,000 people and affected almost half a million more.

The Neva River was blocked by an ice jam that stopped the river flow. When that ice melted, the entire city became flooded.

The University of Warsaw, Poland, was founded as a Royal University following the Partitions of Poland.

Alexander I permitted the university to be formed with five faculties, following the partitions of the country, which meant that the prestigious University of Kraków was no longer accessible for all of Poland.

Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on his second voyage.

Pope Hilarius became the Bishop of Rome.

He continued his position until his death on February 29, 468.