November 28: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Australia became the first country in the world to pass laws banning kids and teens from using social media.

The controversial bill, which banned anyone under 16 from accessing apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, was passed despite a huge public outcry.

A Virgin Airlines plane became the first to fly using 100% sustainable jet fuel.

Flight VS100, which flew from London to New York, used a sustainable fuel made from a blend of used cooking oils, tallow, and other waste products. While planes using sustainable jet fuel emit the same amount of carbon, their net carbon emissions are 70% lower.

The teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was released, which first introduced the droid, BB-8.

Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher, handed in her resignation to the Queen and stepped down after being prime minister for 11 years.

East Timor declared its independence from Portugal.

In the 16th Century, Portugal began to colonize modern-day East Timor, taking complete control by 1702 and naming it Portuguese Timor. Portugal's rule over the following centuries was somewhat limited, as they saw it as little more than a trading post. By 1975, Portugal had all but given up on the colony, and civil unrest was rife, which allowed East Timor to break away from Portugal.

NASA launched the Mariner 4 space probe on a mission to Mars.

The US SM-65 Atlas missile completed the first successful intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

SM-65 Atlas missiles were already being deployed for full operational use within a year. By 1965, they were already dated and replaced with newer, higher-tech intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). This was just the first of many Atlas missiles, with newer variants still in use today.

Explorer Richard E. Byrd became the first person to fly over the South Pole.

Irish Republican Army (IRA) ambushed British soldiers near Kilmichael in County Cork.

The IRA managed to kill 17 British personnel.

Lady Nancy Astor became the first woman to become a member of the British House of Commons.

She was elected with a large majority, taking the place of her husband Waldorf Astor, who moved into the House of Lords.

The Marianna Coal Mine in Pennsylvania exploded and killed 154 men.

The Chicago Times-Herald sponsored the United States’ first-ever car race, with the winning car going an average of 7 miles per hour.

Women voted in a general election for the first time in New Zealand.

England and France formally recognized Hawaii’s independence.

It is now celebrated each year as the state's Independence Day.

The Times of London was first issued.

The female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read were found guilty of piracy.

The two were sentenced to death but were spared as it was found later that they were both pregnant.

Navigator Ferdinand Magellan began his exploration of the Pacific Ocean.