On this day: November 30
POSTED: 08:03 PM PST Nov 29, 2012
UPDATED: 11:00 PM PST Nov 29, 2012
Mark Twain is born, Lucy and Desi elope, civil war breaks out in Palestine, Bing and Bowie sing a Christmas duet, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is released, all on this day.
Public domain
1803: In New Orleans, La., Spanish representatives officially transfer the Louisiana Territory to a French representative. Just 20 days later, France would sell the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million, or 3 cents an acre. The property, which included all of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska and parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Louisiana.
