历史上的今天:11月15日

Today's Highlight in History:
On November 15th, 1939, President Roosevelt laid the cornerstone（基石） of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC.

On this date:
In 1777, the Continental¹ Congress approved the Articles of Confederation（联邦条例）, a precursor²（先驱者，前导） to the Constitution of the United States.

In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as "Pikes Peak."

In 1889, Brazil's monarchy³（君主政体） was overthrown（打翻，推翻）.

In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company debuted⁵ with a radio network of 24 stations.

In 1940, the first 75,000 men were called to armed forces duty under peacetime conscription（征兵）.

In 1966, the flight of "Gemini 12" ended successfully as astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Junior splashed down safely in the Atlantic.

In 1969, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration⁶ in Washington against the Vietnam War.

In 1982, funeral services were held in Moscow's Red Square for the late Soviet⁷ President Leonid I. Brezhnev.

In 1985, Britain and Ireland signed an accord giving Dublin an official consultative（协商的，协议的） role in governing Northern Ireland.

In 1998, Kwame Ture, the civil rights activist⁸ formerly⁹ known as Stokely Carmichael, died in Guinea at age 57.

Ten years ago: The Senate Ethics¹⁰ Committee began hearings on the "Keating Five," senators accused of going too far in helping¹¹ failed savings-and-loan owner Charles H. Keating Junior. The space shuttle "Atlantis" was launched on a secret military mission. Milli Vanilli's producer confirmed rumors¹² the duo had not done any of the singing on their debut⁴ album, "Girl You Know It's True."

Five years ago: A partial government shutdown stretched into a second day. The space shuttle "Atlantis" docked with the orbiting Russian space station "Mir."

One year ago: The Clinton administration claimed victory in a seven-year struggle to persuade Congress to pay nearly $1 billion in back dues to the United Nations, saying restrictions¹³ in the deal on backing for international family planning would have no practical effect. Chinese and US negotiators reached a breakthrough agreement to remove trade barriers, clearing the biggest hurdle¹⁴ to China's entry into the World Trade Organization.