On This Day for November 1 - First thermonuclear bomb tested by the United States, Sholem Asch is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. November 01 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Sholem Asch READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1952 First thermonuclear bomb tested by the United States READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2006: American novelist William Styron —known for his treatment of tragic themes and his rich classical prose style, highlighted in such works as Sophie's Choice (1979)—died at age 81. [Test your knowledge of famous writers.] 1999: American professional gridiron football player Walter Payton, who was one of the game's greatest running backs, died from bile duct cancer. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about American football.] 1997: James Cameron's Titanic, a drama about the doomed ocean liner, had its first public screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival; the movie would become one of the highest grossing of all time, and it made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet international stars. [How much do you know about the movie Titanic?] 1994: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched its Wind spacecraft on a mission that would include a "halo orbit" between the Sun and Earth to explore the space environment there. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about space exploration.] 1981: Antigua and Barbuda achieved independence from the United Kingdom, with Vere Bird serving as the first prime minister. [ Take our quiz about islands.] 1967: The film classic Cool Hand Luke opened in American theatres, and it became especially known for Paul Newman's performance in one of his iconic antihero roles. [Test your knowledge of Paul Newman.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1973 Aishwarya Bachchan Rai Indian actress 1960 Tim Cook American business executive 1972 Toni Collette Australian actress 1880 Alfred Wegener German meteorologist and geophysicist 1935 Edward Said American professor and literary critic 1957 Lyle Lovett American musician SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help