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What Happened Today in History on November 25

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on November 25th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

The White Ship, carrying King Henry I's 17-year-old son and heir, William Adelin, and about 300 other nobles, rapidly sinks in the English Channel after striking a well known rock. Only one person, a butcher survived. The disaster left Henry with no legitimate male heir, resulting in a succession crisis and a devastating 18-year civil war known as "The Anarchy" after his death.

The last British troops evacuate New York City, marking the end of the American Revolutionary War.

The Anti-Comintern Pact is signed between Germany and Japan, laying the groundwork for the Axis Powers during World War II. More

“The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950,” system blanketed areas from western Pennsylvania southward deep into West Virginia with over 30 inches of snow for several days. Some locations received more than 50 inches of snow, and Coburn Creek, West Virginia, reported a staggering 62 inches of snow fall. More

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, three days after his assassination in Dallas, Texas while riding in an open-car motorcade with his wife and Texas Governor John Connally on a campaign trip. Kennedy's alleged assassin, was Ex-Marine and communist sympathizer Lee Harvey Oswald. More

Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname and previously, Dutch Guiana gains its independence from the Netherlands on November 25, 1975 after negotiations with the Dutch government. 

The Iran-Contra scandal unravels - On a televised press conference, President Reagan assures viewers that he was “not fully informed on the nature of the activities undertaken in connection with this initiative” and announces that he was relieving the officials involved of their duties. 

Seattle's 50-year old, Lacey V. Murrow Bridge breaks apart and plunges into the mud beneath Lake Washington after a week of high winds and rain. The bridge was undergoing a $35.6 million renovation. It was later discovered later, that hatchways into the concrete pontoon air pockets were left open, allowing water to enter. A new Lacey V. Murrow Bridge opened the following year. More