November 1 in history

MANILA, Philippines – November 1 is marked in most calendars as All Saints’ Day, a day in honor of all the blessed souls now believed to be in heaven.

But in countries like the Philippines, the commemoration extends as well to all of the departed. Traditions being practiced on this day include visiting departed loved ones in cemeteries.

History shows that apart from the dead and the blessed, there are other important milestones in the past that are also worth commemorating on this day.

Here are just some of the key events in the past that happened on November 1.

1512 The Sistine Chapel ceiling was shown to the public.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City was presented to the public for the first time. It was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, and it features characters and events in the Bible. The chapel recently underwent a makeover to enhance and protect the artwork.

1520 The Strait of Magellan was first discovered.

The Strait of Magellan, located at the southern tip of South America, was first discovered and navigated by European explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It used to be the main route of sea travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.

1542 Ruy Lopez de Villalobos sailed to the Philippines.

De Villalobos started his expedition to the Philippines from Mexico. He was the first Spaniard to explore Mindanao, and was considered to be the one to give the name “Felipinas” to the country.

1897 The Biak-Na-Bato Republic was formed.

The Biak-Na-Bato Republic was created in a cave in Bulacan. A constitution, which was based on the Cuban Constitution, was also signed there.

1901 Sigma Phi Epsilon was formed.

Sigma Phi Epsilon, regarded as one of the largest national male collegiate fraternities, was established at Richmond College in Virginia.

1939 The first rabbit born from artificial insemination was shown to the public.

The rabbit was the product of Dr Gregory Pincus’ experiment at Harvard University. It was exhibited at the 12th Annual Graduate Fortnight at the New York Academy of Medicine.

1946 The future Pope John Paul II was ordained to the priesthood.

Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II, was ordained to the priesthood by Krakows archbishop Adam Sapieha in Poland. He, along with Pope John XXIII, was recently declared a saint.

1957 The Mackinac Bridge was opened.

The Mackinac Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge between anchorages at the time, opened to traffic. The bridge connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas.

1960 Tim Cook was born.

Tim Cook, who currently serves as chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple Inc, was born. He was promoted after Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs resigned due to health reasons. He recently announced he was gay.

1974 Hello Kitty was born.

Sanrio presented the first pictures of its then latest cartoon character, Hello Kitty. Sanrio released this year a statement saying that Hello Kitty – or Kitty White, her “real” name – is really born on this day in England. The company added that she’s not really a cat. 

1982 Honda opened in the US.

Honda opened a factory in Ohio, making it the first Asian automobile company to produce cars in the United States. The Honda Accord is the first car produced there. – Rappler.com

SOURCES: Wikipedia, Kahimyang.info, Philippine-history.org, The Great Geek Manual