Who Shot J.R.?

November 21, 1980

* SPOILER ALERT * 78 million people watch Dallas to find out Kristin shot J.R., making this the highest-rated TV episode to date.
Kristin was J.R.'s scheming sister-in-law and mistress who shot him in a fit of anger. J.R. did not press charges, as Kristin claimed she was pregnant with his child.

Elvis Presley - "No Singer is Worth that Much"

November 21, 1955

Elvis Presley signs with RCA Victor for $40,000 ($460,000 in 2023 dollars). The high amount paid prompted a Columbia executive to comment "No singer is worth that much."

Frankenstein

November 21, 1931

Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as the monster, opens in theaters.
What is arguably one of its most famous scenes, the scene of the girl being thrown into the lake, was cut from the film in 1934 due to enforcement of the Production Code. The footage was thought lost, but was rediscovered in the 1980s and it has been reincorporated into modern copies of the film.
"We are about to unfold the story of Frankenstein, a man of science who sought to create a man after his own image without reckoning upon God. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation; life and death. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even horrify you. So, if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now's your chance to uh, well,--we warned you." - Producer Carl Laemmie before the opening credits.
Puzzle: Who played Frankenstein? Answer

First Woman U.S. Senator

November 21, 1922

Mrs. Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia is sworn in as Senator for Georgia. She only served for 24 hours.
When Senator Thomas E. Watson died in September, 1922, then Governor Thomas W. Hardwick had to appoint a replacement. Since Hardwick was running for this Senate seat, he wanted someone who would not be a viable opposing candidate in the upcoming election and who could also help pacify the women voters he had alienated with his opposition to women's right to vote. Congress was not expected to reconvene until after the election, so Hardwick didn't think Felton would get sworn in. However, Walter F. George won the election and when Congress reconvened, George allowed Felton to be sworn in before he took office the following day.

Sinking of the HMHS Britannic

November 21, 1916

The sister ship of the RMS Titanic and the RMS Olympic sinks after striking a mine during World War I. 1,035 of the 1,065 people on board were rescued from the water and lifeboats. The Britannic was the largest ship lost during World War I. Her remains were located in 1975 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and is the largest passenger ship on the sea floor.
One of the survivors, Violet Jessop, also survived the sinking of the Titanic and had been aboard the Olympic when it collided with a British warship in 1911.

Dr. John (Malcolm Rebennack, Jr.)

Born November 21, 1940 d. 2019

American Grammy-winning musician. Music: Walk on Guilded Splinters (1968), Iko Iko (1972), Right Place, Wrong Time (1973), and Makin' Whoopee (1989, Grammy).
Prior to a show, a motel manager was pistol whipping Dr. John's friend and lead vocalist, Ronnie Barron, over a tryst that Barron was having with the manager's wife. When Dr. John stepped in, the motel manager shot him, nearly taking his left-hand ring finger completely off. After surgery, the finger healed at an awkward angle, making it difficult to play guitar, so he concentrated on piano and organ.
As a child, he was pictured on Ivory Soap packages.

Inventor of the Six-Pack

Virgil Browne

Born November 21, 1877 d. 1979

American bottler. In 1923, he developed the six-pack beverage carton, which he developed for Coca Cola. He got the idea after acquiring a Coca-Cola bottler operating in Oklahoma City the previous year.
He was also a pioneer in vending machines and parking meters.

World's Greatest Miser

Hetty Green (Henrietta Howland Green)

Born November 21, 1834 d. 1916

American financial wizard and miser, called the Witch of Wall Street and the World's Greatest Miser. She wore the same black dress for years (eventually it turned green and then brown), used old newspapers for lingerie and lived in an unheated apartment. Her estate was valued at $100,000,000.

François-Marie Voltaire

Born November 21, 1694 d. 1778

French author, philosopher. Quote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" is attributed to Voltaire.
Quote: "Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities."