In History, Today on November 25

The Kerch Strait incident occurred when Russian border patrol boats fired upon and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait, escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Fidel Castro, the former President of Cuba and revolutionary leader, dies at the age of 90, marking the end of an era in Cuban history.

Pope Francis visited Kenya as part of his first trip to Africa. He focused on issues such as climate change, poverty, and interfaith dialogue during meetings and Mass with Kenyan leaders and people.

Iran and the P5+1 countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, France, and Germany), reached an interim agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program that put temporary freezes on Iranian nuclear activity in exchange for some sanctions relief.

NASA launches the Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its rover Curiosity, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to explore the Gale Crater on Mars.

Historic Queensland floods in Australia led to the evacuation of towns and severe property damage as heavy rains caused rivers to overflow.

Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko dies in London after being poisoned with polonium-210, leading to a major international investigation.

The first human face transplant was conducted by French surgeons on Isabelle Dinoire, who had been mauled by her dog. The operation took place in Amiens, France.

U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law, creating the Department of Homeland Security in response to the September 11 attacks.

The Republic of Albania adopted a new constitution after a referendum held in October 1998, coming into force on this date. This marked a significant step in the post-communist democratization of the country.

The United Nations General Assembly passes Resolution 54/134, designating November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Czechoslovak Federal Assembly votes to split the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, effective January 1, 1993, peacefully dissolving Czechoslovakia.

The Iran-Contra affair became public as U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran were diverted to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

36 top musicians gather in a Notting Hill studio to record 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, marking a significant moment in charity music.

Suriname gains independence from the Netherlands, becoming a sovereign nation.

Greek dictator George Papadopoulos was ousted in a military coup led by Brigadier General Dimitrios Ioannidis.

The funeral of John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, D.C., three days after his assassination.

Agatha Christie's play 'The Mousetrap' opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London, beginning the longest initial run of any play in history.

Chinese forces launch a massive counter-offensive in the Korean War, known as the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, driving United Nations forces back into South Korea.

The Hollywood Ten were blacklisted by the film industry after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

The deadliest tornado in U.S. history, the Tri-State Tornado, strikes Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.

The first Formula One automobile race held at the Race Course at Thanksgiving Day in South Providence, Rhode Island.

American inventor Willis Haviland Carrier, known for inventing modern air conditioning, was born.

Alfred Nobel patents dynamite in the United States, revolutionizing construction and demolition industries.

The Battle of Missionary Ridge took place as part of the Chattanooga Campaign during the American Civil War, where Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg.

A cyclone caused the Coringa cyclone disaster in India, killing an estimated 300,000 people and destroying the port city of Coringa.

The last British troops leave New York City, marking the end of British occupation in the United States after the American Revolutionary War.

British forces captured Fort Duquesne from the French during the French and Indian War, renaming it Fort Pitt.

The Battle of Drogheda took place during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, leading to the capture of Drogheda by the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.

The siege of Granada begins, marking the final phase of the Reconquista.

William Caxton, an English merchant and diplomat, established the first book printed in English, "Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres," in his shop in Westminster, thus marking the start of printing in England.

A massive tsunami hits the Tyrrhenian Sea, devastating the city of Naples and causing significant loss of life and property.

The Battle of Montgisard occurs, where Baldwin IV of Jerusalem defeats Saladin.

The White Ship sinks in the English Channel, leading to the death of William Adelin, heir to the English throne.

Duncan I becomes King of Scotland following the death of Malcolm II.

The Siege of Paris begins as a Viking fleet, led by Sigfred and Sinric, arrives at the city, marking a significant event in the Viking invasions of France.

The birth of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is traditionally celebrated on this date according to some Islamic traditions, although the exact date is subject to historical debate.