1860

Former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln of the Republican Party was elected President of the United States as he defeated John Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas.

1861

James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada.

1888

Republican presidential candidate Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote over incumbent Democrat Grover Cleveland, despite Cleveland gaining 90,000 more total votes; it would be the last time the popular vote winner would lose the election until 2000.

1984

President Ronald Reagan easily won reelection over former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic challenger who won just one state, his native Minnesota

2012

President Barack Obama won reelection, vanquishing Republican former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 332 electoral votes to Romney’s 206.

Birthdays

Actor Sally Field is 78. Jazz musician Arturo Sandoval is 75. Author Michael Cunningham is 72. Journalist-author Maria Shriver is 69. Actor Ethan Hawke is 54. Actor Thandiwe Newton is 52. Model-actor Rebecca Romijn is 52. Actor Taryn Manning is 46. Actor Emma Stone is 36. Comedian-actor Bowen Yang is 34.