This Day in History - November 4

Looking back at this day in history, earlier in nineteen eighty, Ronald Reagan won the United States presidential election, defeating the sitting president, Jimmy Carter. Moving forward to nineteen ninety-five, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in Israel by an Israeli extremist, a tragic event during the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. In two thousand two, Chinese authorities arrested He Depu after he signed a letter calling for democracy and addressed it to a major Communist Party meeting. More recently, in two thousand fifteen, a cargo plane crashed soon after taking off from Juba International Airport in South Sudan, killing at least thirty-seven people. In two thousand twenty-five, a UPS cargo plane crashed into several buildings during takeoff at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, killing fifteen people, including all three crew members. These events remind us that history holds moments of change, loss, and consequence.

(UPDATED November 4, 2026 09:01 UTC)

On this day in history, November 4th we have some remarkable happenings. In 1980, Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter in the presidential election. In 1995, an Israeli extremist assassinated Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. In 2002, Chinese authorities arrested He Depu for signing a pro-democracy letter. In 2015, a cargo plane crashed after Juba takeoff, killing at least 37. In 2025, UPS Flight 2976 crashed into buildings during takeoff, killing 15 people