So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.
November 4th - holidays
- The first day of the Ludi Plebeii, celebrated until November 17 (Roman Empire) 
 
 - Earliest day on which Return Day can fall, while November 10 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday following the first Monday of November of every even numbered year. (Georgetown, Delaware) 
 
 - Christian Feast Day: 
 
 - Day of Love (1970s Egypt) 
 
 - Feast of Qudrat (Power), first day of the month of Qudrat of the Bahá'í calendar (Bahá'í Faith) 
 
 - Flag Day (Panama) 
 
 - National Unity and Armed Forces Day or Giorno dell'Unitŕ Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate (Italy) 
 
 - Unity Day (Russia) 
 
 - Yitzhak Rabin Memorial (unofficial, but widely commemorated) 
 
 
November 4th - events
- 2008 - Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. 
 
 - 2008 - Proposition 8 passes in California, revoking state recognition of LGBT marriages. 
 
 - 2002 - Chinese authorities arrest cyber-dissident He Depu for signing a pro-democracy letter to the 16th Communist Party Congress. 
 
 - 1995 - Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated by an extremist Orthodox Israeli. 
 
 - 1994 - San Francisco: First conference that focuses exclusively on the subject of the commercial potential of the World Wide Web. 
 
 - 1993 - A China Airlines Boeing 747 overruns Runway 13 at Hong Kong's Kai Tak International Airport while landing during a typhoon, injuring 22 people. 
 
 - 1979 - Iran hostage crisis begins: a group of Iranians, mostly students, invades the US embassy in Tehran and takes 90 hostages (53 of whom are American). 
 
 - 1973 - The Netherlands experiences the first Car Free Sunday caused by the 1973 oil crisis. Highways are deserted and are used only by cyclists and roller skaters. 
 
 - 1970 - Vietnam War: Vietnamization – The United States turns control of the Binh Thuy Air Base in the Mekong Delta over to South Vietnam. 
 
 - 1970 - Genie, a 13-year-old feral child is found in Los Angeles, California having been locked in her bedroom for most of her life. 
 
 - 1966 - Two-thirds of Florence, Italy is submerged as the River Arno floods; together with the contemporaneous flood of the Po River in northern Italy, this leads to 113 deaths, 30,000 made homeless, and the destruction of numerous Renaissance artworks and books. 
 
 - 1962 - In a test of the Nike-Hercules air defense missile, Shot Dominic-Tightrope is successfully detonated 69,000 feet above Johnston Island. It would also be the last atmospheric nuclear test conducted by the United States. 
 
 - 1956 - Soviet troops enter Hungary to end the Hungarian revolution against the Soviet Union, that started on October 23. Thousands are killed, more are wounded, and nearly a quarter million leave the country. 
 
 - 1955 - After being totally destroyed in World War II, the rebuilt Vienna State Opera reopens with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio. 
 
 - 1952 - The United States government establishes the National Security Agency. 
 
 - 1944 - World War II: Bitola Liberation Day 
 
 - 1942 - World War II: Second Battle of El Alamein – Disobeying a direct order by Adolf Hitler, General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel leads his forces on a five-month retreat. 
 
 - 1939 - World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the United States Customs Service to implement the Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing cash-and-carry purchases of weapons by belligerents. 
 
 - 1924 - Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming is elected the first female governor in the United States. 
 
 - 1922 - In Egypt, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his men find the entrance to Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. 
 
 - 1921 - The Sturmabteilung or SA is formed by Adolf Hitler 
 
 - 1921 - Japanese Prime Minister Hara Takashi is assassinated in Tokyo. 
 
 - 1921 - The Italian unknown soldier is buried in the Altare della Patria (Fatherland Altar) in Rome. 
 
 - 1918 - World War I: Austria-Hungary surrenders to Italy. 
 
 - 1918 - The German Revolution begins when 40,000 sailors take over the port in Kiel. 
 
 - 1890 - City & South London Railway: London's first deep-level tube railway opens between King William Street and Stockwell. 
 
 - 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Johnsonville – Confederate troops bombard a Union supply base and destroy millions of dollars in material. 
 
 - 1861 - The University of Washington opens in Seattle, Washington as the Territorial University. 
 
 - 1852 - Count Camillo Benso di Cavour becomes the prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia, which soon expands to become Italy. 
 
 - 1839 - The Newport Rising: the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain. 
 
 - 1825 - The Erie Canal is completed with Governor DeWitt Clinton performing the Wedding of The Waters ceremony in New York Harbour. 
 
 - 1791 - The Western Confederacy of American Indians wins a major victory over the United States in the Battle of the Wabash. 
 
 - 1783 - W.A. Mozart's Symphony No. 36 is performed for the first time in Linz, Austria. 
 
 - 1737 - The Teatro di San Carlo is inaugurated. 
 
 - 1677 - The future Mary II of England marries William, Prince of Orange. They would later jointly reign as William and Mary. 
 
 - 1576 - Eighty Years' War: In Flanders, Spain captures Antwerp (after three days the city is nearly destroyed). 
 
 - 1501 - Catherine of Aragon (later Henry VIII's first wife) meets Arthur Tudor, Henry VIII's older brother – they would later marry. 
 
 - 1429 - Joan of Arc liberates Saint-Pierre-le-Moűtier. 
 
 - 1333 - The River Arno flooding causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani. 
 
 
November 4th - births
- 1997 - Bea Binene, Filipina actress 
 
 - 1987 - T.O.P, Korean rapper (Big Bang) 
 
 - 1986 - Alexz Johnson, Canadian singer and actress 
 
 - 1986 - Adrian Zaugg, South African racing driver 
 
 - 1982 - Devin Hester, American football player 
 
 - 1981 - Vince Wilfork, American football player 
 
 - 1981 - Guy Martin, English motorcycle racer 
 
 - 1980 - Jerry Collins, New Zealand rugby union footballer 
 
 - 1980 - Richard Owens, American football player 
 
 - 1980 - Marcy Rylan, American actress 
 
 - 1980 - Sabrina Colie, Jamaican actress 
 
 - 1979 - Jesse Camp, American VJ 
 
 - 1979 - Trishelle Cannatella, American reality TV cast member and model 
 
 - 1979 - Audrey Hollander, American pornographic actress 
 
 - 1978 - Carmen Cali, American baseball player 
 
 - 1978 - John Grabow, American baseball player 
 
 - 1978 - Danny Salomon, American actor 
 
 - 1977 - Larry Bigbie, American baseball player 
 
 - 1977 - So Ji-sub, South Korean swimmer, model and actor 
 
 - 1977 - Tonicha Jeronimo, British actress 
 
 - 1976 - Bruno Junqueira, Brazilian racing driver 
 
 - 1976 - Mario Melchiot, Dutch footballer 
 
 - 1975 - Éric Fichaud, Canadian ice hockey player 
 
 - 1975 - Eduard Kokcharov, Russian handball player 
 
 - 1975 - Mikki Moore, American basketball player 
 
 - 1975 - Curtis Stone, Australian chef and television personality 
 
 - 1975 - Orlando Pace, American football player 
 
 - 1975 - Heather Tom, American actress 
 
 - 1975 - Lorenzen Wright, American basketball player (d. 2010) 
 
 - 1974 - Cedric Bixler-Zavala, American musician (At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta) 
 
 - 1974 - Louise Redknapp, English singer, television presenter 
 
 - 1972 - Luís Figo, Portuguese footballer 
 
 - 1972 - Tabassum Hashmi, Indian actress 
 
 - 1970 - Malena Ernman, Swedish opera singer 
 
 - 1970 - Tim DeBoom, American triathlete 
 
 - 1970 - Bethenny Frankel, American chef and television personality 
 
 - 1969 - Sean "Diddy" Combs, American record producer and rapper 
 
 - 1969 - Matthew McConaughey, American actor 
 
 - 1968 - Carlos Baerga, Puerto Rican baseball player 
 
 - 1968 - Miles Long, American pornographic actor and director 
 
 - 1967 - Eric Karros, American baseball player 
 
 - 1965 - Wayne Static, American musician (Static-X) 
 
 - 1965 - Malandra Burrows, English actress and singer 
 
 - 1965 - Pata, Japanese musician 
 
 - 1965 - Jeff Scott Soto, American musician (Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey) 
 
 - 1964 - Kurt Krakowian, Child Actor 
 
 - 1963 - Marc Déry, Canadian singer and guitarist (Zébulon) 
 
 - 1963 - Rosario Flores, Spanish singer and actress 
 
 - 1963 - Michel Therrien, Canadian ice hockey coach 
 
 - 1963 - Lena Zavaroni, Scottish artist and singer (d. 1999) 
 
 - 1962 - Jeff Probst, American television host 
 
 - 1961 - Daron Hagen, American composer 
 
 - 1961 - Edward Knight, American composer 
 
 - 1961 - Ralph Macchio, American actor 
 
 - 1961 - Les Sampou, American musician 
 
 - 1961 - Nigel Worthington, Northern Irish footballer 
 
 - 1960 - Marc Awodey, American artist and writer 
 
 - 1960 - Frl. Menke, German pop singer of the Neue Deutsche Welle 
 
 - 1960 - Kathy Griffin, American comedian 
 
 - 1958 - Anne Sweeney, American television executive 
 
 - 1957 - Tony Abbott, Australian politician 
 
 - 1956 - Jordan Rudess, American musician (Dream Theater) 
 
 - 1956 - James Honeyman-Scott, English guitarist (The Pretenders) (d. 1982) 
 
 - 1955 - Matti Vanhanen, Finnish politician, former Prime Minister 
 
 - 1954 - Chris Difford, English musician and songwriter (Squeeze) 
 
 - 1953 - Richie Green, Canadian actor 
 
 - 1953 - Carlos Gutierrez, American politician and 35th United States Secretary of Commerce 
 
 - 1953 - Jacques Villeneuve, Canadian racing driver 
 
 - 1953 - Dr. Marvel Williamson, American educator 
 
 - 1951 - Traian B?sescu, President of Romania 
 
 - 1951 - Cosey Fanni Tutti, English performance artist (Throbbing Gristle, Chris and Cosey) 
 
 - 1950 - Charles Frazier, American author 
 
 - 1950 - Markie Post, American actress 
 
 - 1946 - Robert Mapplethorpe, American photographer (d. 1989) 
 
 - 1946 - Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States 
 
 - 1946 - Frederick Elmes, American cinematographer 
 
 - 1944 - Scherrie Payne, American singer (The Supremes) 
 
 - 1944 - Linda Gary, American voice actress (d. 1995) 
 
 - 1943 - Marlčne Jobert, French actress 
 
 - 1943 - Clark Graebner, American tennis player 
 
 - 1943 - Bob Wollek, French race car driver (d. 2001) 
 
 - 1940 - Delbert McClinton, American musician 
 
 - 1939 - Shakuntala Devi, Indian calculating prodigy 
 
 - 1937 - Loretta Swit, American actress 
 
 - 1937 - Michael Wilson, Canadian politician 
 
 - 1936 - C. K. Williams, American poet 
 
 - 1933 - Tito Francona, American baseball player 
 
 - 1933 - C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Nigerian politician 
 
 - 1932 - Tommy Makem Irish folk singer-songwriter (d. 2007) 
 
 - 1932 - Thomas Klestil, former President of Austria (d. 2004) 
 
 - 1930 - Doris Roberts, American actress 
 
 - 1930 - Dick Groat, American baseball player 
 
 - 1930 - John Hahn-Petersen, Danish actor (d. 2006) 
 
 - 1929 - Shaike Ophir, Israeli actor (d. 1987) 
 
 - 1929 - Dickie Valentine, British singer (d. 1971) 
 
 - 1928 - Hannah Weiner American experimental poet 
 
 - 1923 - Freddy Heineken, Dutch businessman (d. 2002) 
 
 - 1923 - Howie Meeker, Canadian ice hockey player and politician 
 
 - 1922 - Benno Besson, Swiss actor (d. 2006) 
 
 - 1919 - Martin Balsam, American actor (d. 1996) 
 
 - 1918 - Art Carney, American actor (d. 2003) 
 
 - 1918 - Cameron Mitchell, American actor (d. 1994) 
 
 - 1916 - Walter Cronkite, American news broadcaster (d. 2009) 
 
 - 1916 - Ruth Handler, American businesswoman and inventor of the Barbie doll (d. 2002) 
 
 - 1913 - Gig Young, American actor (d. 1978) 
 
 - 1912 - Vadim Salmanov, Russian composer (d. 1978) 
 
 - 1909 - Skeeter Webb, American baseball player (d. 1986) 
 
 - 1909 - Bert Patenaude, American soccer player (d. 1974) 
 
 - 1909 - Evelyn Johnson, American aviator 
 
 - 1908 - Józef Rotblat, Polish physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2005) 
 
 - 1908 - Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (d. 1997) 
 
 - 1907 - Draga Matkovic, German concert pianist 
 
 - 1906 - Sterling North, American author (d. 1974) 
 
 - 1904 - Tadeusz ?yli?ski, Polish technician and textilist (d. 1967) 
 
 - 1901 - Princess Bang-ja of Korea (d. 1989) 
 
 - 1901 - Spyridon Marinatos, Greek archaeologist (d. 1974) 
 
 - 1900 - Lucre?iu P?tr??canu, Romanian communist activist and sociologist (d. 1954) 
 
 - 1899 - Nicolas Frantz, Luxembourgish cyclist (d. 1985) 
 
 - 1896 - Carlos P. Garcia, 8th President of the Philippines (1957-1960) (d. 1971) 
 
 - 1890 - Alfred Henschke, ps. Klabund, German writer and poet (d. 1928) 
 
 - 1887 - Alfred Lee Loomis, American physicist, philanthropist, scientific research patron (d. 1975) 
 
 - 1884 - Harry Ferguson, British aviator and inventor (d. 1960) 
 
 - 1883 - Nikolaos Plastiras, Greek general (d. 1953) 
 
 - 1879 - Will Rogers, American humorist (d. 1935) 
 
 - 1874 - Aleksandr Vasilevich Kolchak, Russian military commander (d. 1920) 
 
 - 1868 - Carolina Otero, a.k.a La Belle Otero, Spanish actress, singer and courtesan (d. 1965) 
 
 - 1845 - Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, Indian revolutionary (d. 1883) 
 
 - 1836 - Henry J. Lutcher, American businessman (d. 1912) 
 
 - 1816 - Stephen Johnson Field, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1899) 
 
 - 1809 - Benjamin Robbins Curtis, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1874) 
 
 - 1765 - Pierre Girard, French mathematician (d. 1836) 
 
 - 1740 - Augustus Montague Toplady, English author of hymn "Rock of Ages" (d. 1778) 
 
 - 1661 - Karl III Philip, Elector Palatine (d. 1742) 
 
 - 1631 - Mary of Orange, eldest daughter of Charles I of England and mother of William III of England (d. 1660) 
 
 - 1575 - Guido Reni, Italian painter (d. 1642) 
 
 - 1470 - King Edward V of England, one of the two princes in the Tower (d. 1483) 
 
 - 1448 - King Alphonso II of Naples (d. 1495) 
 