On Nov. 23, 1940, Romania officially allied itself with Germany, Italy and Japan by signing the Tripartite Pact.
On Nov. 24, 1807, Mohawk Chief Thayendanegea, who was also known by the English name of Joseph Brant, died at his home in Burlington, Ontario, reportedly beseeching just before his passing, "Have pity on the poor Indians. If you have any influence with the great, endeavor to use it for their good." Thayendanegea had ranked among the top British commanders during the American Revolutionary War.
On Nov. 25, 1959, four months after his release from 43 years of solitary confinement and transfer to the mainland from Alcatraz, convicted killer Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz, asked a federal judge to set him free. Stroud had become famous when Thomas Gaddis wrote a biography describing his ornithological expertise. His plea was rejected and he died in a Missouri prison in 1963.
On Nov. 26, 2012, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Hurricane Sandy had racked up a bill of $32 billion worth of damages in the state and the nation's largest city.
On Nov. 27, 1933, singer Billie Holiday made her recording debut with the tune "Your Mother's Son-in-Law" alongside the Benny Goodman Orchestra in New York City. In a 1956 interview, she claimed that she was just 14 years old at the time, though she was actually 18, and that the song "sounds like I was doing comedy" as "my voice sounds so funny and high."
On Nov. 28, 1582, William Shakespeare, age 18, and 26-year-old Anne Hathaway paid a 40-pound bond for their marriage license in Stratford-upon-Avon. Six months later, Anne gave birth to their daughter Susanna, who was followed by twin siblings Hamnet and Judith two years later.
On Nov. 29, 2001, English musician and songwriter George Harrison passed away at the age of 58 after battling cancer. Harrison had achieved global fame as a member of the Beatles before going on to a successful solo career that included collaborations with many of the top musicians of his generation.
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