Today in Oklahoma History
Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007
Thursday, November, 1, 2007 – On this day a strict immigration reform law meant to discourage illegal immigration went into effect. The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 denies illegal immigrants state identification, and requires all state and local agencies to verify citizenship status of applicants before authorizing benefits. The law also require public employers to enter job applicants into an electronic immigration database to verify legal status. more...
First Female Governor of Oklahoma
Tuesday, November, 2, 2010 – On this day in a historic election Oklahomans went to the polls to decide whether Democratic Lt. Governor Jari Askins or Republican Congresswoman Mary Fallin would become the state's first female governor.
Will Rogers Born
Tuesday, November, 4, 1879 – William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 - August 15, 1935) was an American comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, and actor. more...
Darla Hood Born
Wednesday, November, 4, 1931 – Born: Darla Hood, Leedey Oklahoma, singer and actress, Little Rascals more...
Osage Indians cede Missouri and Arkansas lands
Thursday, November, 10, 1808 – In a decision that would eventually make them one of the wealthiest surviving Indian nations, the Osage Indians agree to abandon their lands in Missouri and Arkansas in exchange for a reservation in Oklahoma. More...
Route 66
Thursday, November, 11, 1926 – U.S. Route 66, (also known as Route 66, The Main Street of America, The Mother Road, and the Will Rogers Highway) was a highway in the U.S. Highway system. One of the original federal routes, US 66 was established on November 11th, 1926, though signs did not go up until the following year. It originally ran from Chicago, Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California before ending at Los Angeles for a total of 2,448 miles. more...
Grand
Sunday, November, 13, 1892 – On this day Grand was established as county seat of Day County, Oklahoma Territory. This was County 'E' when organizers at the opening of Cheyenne and Arapaho lands April 19, 1892 Day County and county seat were abolished at statehood in 1907. Many citizens of Grand became noted as leaders in the new state of Oklahoma. more...
Karen Silkwood dies in mysterious one-car crash
Wednesday, November, 13, 1974 – On this day in 1974, 28-year-old Karen Silkwood is killed in a car accident near Crescent, Oklahoma, north of Oklahoma City. Silkwood worked as a technician at a plutonium plant operated by the Kerr-McGee Corporation, and she had been critical of the plant's health and safety procedures. More...
Mary Fallin brings Oklahoma Centennial to Congress
Thursday, November, 15, 2007 – On this day U.S. Representative Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, spoke on the U.S. House floor about the Oklahoma centennial. "Tomorrow, the state of Oklahoma will celebrate its centennial anniversary," Fallin said. "Today, I come to you on the House floor to commemorate and honor our state's rich history. Most of all, I am here to honor the people of Oklahoma, our greatest strength, whose hard work and pioneer spirit have written a truly unique chapter in American history." more...
1st Governor of Oklahoma
Saturday, November, 16, 1907 – Charles Nathaniel Haskell, Democrat. Served from 1907 to 1911. Oklahoma's first State Governor was born March 13, 1860, in Putnam county, Ohio. He was educated as a lawyer, admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1881, and began practice in Ottawa, Ohio. In 1901, he moved to Muskogee, Indian Territory, where he added to his law practice the promotion of railroads. He was a leader in the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention in 1906. After his term as Governor, from November 16, 1907, to January 9, 1911, he engaged in the oil business. He died July 5, 1933, and is buried in Green Hill Cemetery in Muskogee. more...
Oklahoma, the 46th State
Saturday, November, 16, 1907 – Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union on November 16th, 1907. The state's name comes from the Choctaw words "okla" meaning people and "homma" meaning red, literally meaning "red people" more...
Notre Dame ends Oklahoma record winning streak
Saturday, November, 16, 1957 – Notre Dame beats Oklahoma 7-0, ending the Sooners’ 47-game, 1,512-day college football winning streak. The game also marked the first time in more than 120 games that Oklahoma didn’t score a single point. Sooners fans were stunned. Some cried; some sat in the stadium for more than an hour after the game was over. But, as Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson said in the locker room after the game, "There wasn’t anything mysterious about it. We just got beat." More...
Kate Barnard
Sunday, November, 17, 1907 – Kate Barnard was the first woman to be elected as a State official in Oklahoma. She held the office of Commissioner of Charities and Corrections for 2 terms. more...
Camp Supply Established
Wednesday, November, 18, 1868 – Established Nov., 1868 by Gen. Alfred Sully with 5 companies of 3rd Inf. This was the supply base for Col. Custer's 7th Cav. Here, Dec. 2, 1868 Gen Sheridan received Custer returning from the Battle of the Washita. Name changed to Ft. Supply, 1889. Post abandoned 1893. Buildings now used by State as hospital. more...
Wilma Mankiller Born
Sunday, November, 18, 1945 – Wilma Pearl Mankiller, born on this day in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, became the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985. more...
Battle of Round Mountain
Tuesday, November, 19, 1861 – American Civil War -- Col. Douglas H. Cooper, Confederate commander of the Indian Department, had not been able to reconcile differences with Chief Opothleyahola, who commanded a band of Unionist Creeks and Seminoles. Cooper set out on November 15, 1861, with about 1,400 men to either compel submission . . . or "drive him and his party from the country." His force rode up the Deep Fork of the Canadian River towards Chief Opothleyahola's camp which they found deserted. On the 19th, Cooper learned from captured prisoners that part of Chief Opothleyahola's band was at the Red Fork of the Arkansas River, where they were erecting a fort. Cooper's men arrived there around 4:00 pm and ordered a cavalry charge which discovered that Chief Opothleyahola's band had recently abandoned the camp. The Confederates did find some stragglers beyond the camp and followed them, blundering into Chief Opothleyahola's camp. The Federals fired into the Rebel cavalry and, in large force, came out to attack them. They chased the Confederates back to Cooper's main force. Darkness prevented Cooper from attacking until the main enemy force was within 60 yards. A short fight ensued but Chief Opothleyahola's men broke it off and retreated back to their camp. Cooper set out for Chief Opothleyahola's camp the next morning but found it gone. The Confederates claimed victory because Chief Opothleyahola had left the area. This was the first of three encounters between Chief Opothleyahola's Union bands and Confederate troops. The chief was forced to flee Oklahoma for Kansas at the end of the year. more...
Governor Walton Removed From Office
Monday, November, 19, 1923 – On this day Impeached Governor John "Jack" C. Walton was convicted and removed permanently from office. Walton had placed Okmulgee County under martial law and Tulsa County likewise with the additional penalty of suspension of habeas corpus; the latter step forbade by state constitution. When an Oklahoma City grand jury prepared to investigate the governor's office, Walton put the entire state under martial law on September 15, 1923 with "absolute martial law" applicable to the capital. Impeachment demands were rampant. more...
David Walters Born
Tuesday, November, 20, 1951 – David Walters was born near Canute, Oklahoma. He graduated as valedictorian from Canute High School in 1969. He was elected governor of Oklahoma in 1990. more...
William 'Alfalfa Bill' Murray Born
Sunday, November, 21, 1869 – William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray (November 21, 1869 - October 15, 1956) was an American teacher, lawyer, and politician who served as a Congressman representing Oklahoma in the U.S. House and would serve as Oklahoma's first Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and ninth Governor of Oklahoma. more...
Wiley Post Born
Tuesday, November, 22, 1898 – Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 - August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits. His plywood aircraft, the Winnie Mae is on display at the National Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center adjacent to Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, VA, and his pressure suit is being prepared for display at the same location. On August 15, 1935, Post and American humorist Will Rogers were killed when Post's plane crashed on takeoff from a lagoon near Point Barrow, in Alaska. more...
Battle of The Washita
Friday, November, 27, 1868 – Col. George A. Custer, commanding 7th Cavalry, attacked the Cheyenne village of Chief Black Kettle. 153 Cheyenne casualties, and 34 U.S. troops killed or wounded. Among the killed was Capt. L.M. Hamilton, grandson of Alexander Hamilton. Battle the start of Sheridan's Washita campaign. more...