1986 Renault President Georges Besse is shot to death by leftists of the Direct Action Group in Paris.
1989 Student demonstration in Prague put down by riot police, leading to an uprising (the Velvet Revolution) that will topple the communist government on Dec. 29.
1993 US House of Representatives passes resolution to establish the North American Free Trade Agreement.
1993 Gen. Sani Abacha leads a military coup in Nigeria that overthrows the government of Ernest Shonekan.
2000 Controversial President of Peru Alberto Fujimori removed from office.
Born on November 17
1755 Louis XVIII, King of France.
1887 Bernard Law Montgomery, British field marshal who defeated Rommel in North Africa and led Allied troops from D-Day to the end of World War II.
1902 Eugene Paul Wigner, Hungarian-born physicist.
1916 Shelby Foote, American writer, famous for his three-volume narrative on America's Civil War.
1925 Rock Hudson, actor (McMillan & Wife TV series; Giant).
1938 Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian singer, songwriter, musician ("Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," "In the Early Morning Rain").
1942 Martin Scorsese, film director (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull).
1944 Gene Clark, singer, songwriter; member of the bands The Byrds, The New Christy Minstrels, and Dillard & Clark.
1944 Danny DeVito, actor, director, producer (Taxi TV series; Throw Momma from the Train, Pulp Fiction).
1944 Lorne Michaels, israeli-American TV producer; created Saturday Night Live.
1949 Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam (2006– )