What happened on this day in history: King Tut's tomb is discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, social workers learn of Genie the "feral" child, and other important events that happened on November 4th.
1677: William III And Mary II Of England Marry
Princess Mary of York, niece of King Charles II, and her first cousin William III of Orange are married in an arranged wedding that leaves Mary in tears. The royal family attended the public bedding ceremony between the 27-year-old groom and his 15-year-old bride, but though Mary became pregnant soon after the marriage, she and William were never able to have children. Beginning in 1689, the two ruled as king and queen regnant of England, Ireland, and Scotland.
1922: The Entrance To King Tut’s Tomb Is Discovered
Wikimedia CommonsHoward Carter opens the innermost shrine of King Tutankhamun’s tomb — to which one of Carter’s water boys found the steps.
British Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team begin excavating the tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. That day, they discovered the first step in a staircase leading into the tomb, and by the end of the month, they were able to peep into a room filled with gold and treasures.
Carter had been seeking Tut’s tomb for several years, and he found it just as he was about to lose financial support for his search.
1960: Jane Goodall Observes Chimpanzees Creating Tools
While studying chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, Jane Goodall records the first documented case of a non-human animal creating a tool. A chimpanzee she had named David Greybeard used a grass stalk to extract termites from a mound, and later Goodall saw a chimpanzee named Goliath pulling the leaves from a stick to use for the same purpose. This observation forever changed chimpanzee and primate research.
1970: Social Workers Learn Of Genie, The ‘Feral’ Child
Weird History/FacebookGenie Wiley’s father isolated and abused her for 13 years.
A social worker in Temple City, California notices “feral” child Genie when her mother walks into the wrong office while seeking disability benefits.
Genie was 13 years old, but she’d been kept in a locked room for her entire life with no stimulation, and she never learned to speak. She was extremely malnourished, and the social worker immediately contacted police when she learned Genie’s age. The girl soon became the subject of many scientific studies.
1982: Dominique Dunne Dies
American actress Dominique Dunne dies after being strangled by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, in the driveway of her West Hollywood home five days earlier. The two had broken up several weeks prior, and 22-year-old Dunne agreed to speak to Sweeney on the porch when he showed up at her house on October 30. The two began to argue, and Sweeney strangled her until she was unconscious. She remained in a coma until she was removed from life support on November 4.
