On this day: November 2
POSTED: 05:44 PM PDT Nov 01, 2012
UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Nov 01, 2012
Gen. George Washington says goodbye to his troops, cheerleading is born, the "Spruce Goose" takes off, Truman defeats Dewey, and a federal holiday is created to honor Martin Luther King Jr., all on this day.
Public domain
1898: University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell leads the crowd at a football game with a cheer of "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!" The event is recognized as the official birth date of organized cheerleading, making Campbell the very first cheerleader. Soon after, the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of six male students, who still use Campbell's original cheer.
