November 3 Birthday
On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying a dog named Laika. Laika was the first living animal to orbit the Earth. She died within hours of launch from overheating, though the Soviets did not reveal this until 2002. The original story was that she lived for a week and was euthanized. Sputnik 2 was not designed to return to Earth. Laika was a stray found on the streets of Moscow — strays were chosen because they were thought to be hardier. Her death sparked animal rights protests worldwide. In 1998, Oleg Gazenko, one of the scientists who worked on the project, said: "The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it." The 1964 election was the most lopsided in American history. Johnson won 61% of the popular vote and 444 of 486 electoral votes. Goldwater won only his home state of Arizona and five Deep South states. The election established the modern political realignment — the South, which had been solidly Democratic since the Civil War, began voting Republican. People born on November 3 fall under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. The birthstone is Topaz and the birth flower is Chrysanthemum. Historical events on November 3 include 1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2 carrying dog Laika (first living animal in orbit), 1903: Panama declares independence from Colombia with US support, 1964: Lyndon Johnson elected president in a landslide over Barry Goldwater. Famous people born on November 3 include Charles Bronson (1921), Michael Dukakis (1933), Roseanne Barr (1952).