Updated November 4, 2013, 1:28 pm

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On Nov. 4, 2008, Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States, as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.

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On Nov. 4, 1879, Will Rogers, the American actor and comedian, was born. Following his death on Aug. 15, 1935, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On Nov. 4, 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain.

1842	Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in Springfield, Ill.
1879	Humorist Will Rogers was born in Oologah, Okla.
1880	The first cash register was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, Ohio.
1922	The entrance to King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in Egypt.
1924	Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming was elected the nation's first woman governor.
1939	The United States modified its neutrality stance in World War II to allow "cash and carry" purchases of arms by belligerents, a policy favoring Britain and France.
1942	During World War II, Axis forces retreated from El Alamein in North Africa in a major victory for British forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery.
1952	Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president, defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson.
1955	Baseball Hall of Famer Cy Young died at age 88.
1956	Soviet troops moved in to crush a revolt in Hungary.
1979	The Iranian hostage crisis began as militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
1980	Ronald Reagan won the White House, defeating President Jimmy Carter.
1995	Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist after speaking at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
2001	The first movie based on the best-selling "Harry Potter" books by J.K. Rowling has its world premiere in London.
2008	California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.
2010	. Hall of Fame baseball manager Sparky Anderson died at age 76.

Historic Birthdays

66	Guido Reni 11/4/1575 - 8/18/1642 Italian painter
86	Thomas Johnson 11/4/1732 - 10/26/1819 American Revolutionary War leader; governor of Maryland (1777-9); associate justice (1792-93) of U.S. Supreme Court
68	Gaspard Gourgaud 11/4/1783 - 7/25/1852 French historian
80	James Douglas 11/4/1837 - 6/25/1918 Canadian industrialist
84	George Edward Moore 11/4/1873 - 10/24/1958 British philosoher
71	Charles Despiau 11/4/1874 - 10/30/1946 French sculptor
75	Harry George Ferguson 11/4/1884 - 10/25/1960 British designer
74	Carlos Garcia 11/4/1896 - 6/14/1971 Philippine president (1957-61)