December 2, 1903, the trustees of Trinity College—the predecessor institution of Duke University—voted not to accept the resignation of history professor John Spencer Bassett, opting instead to issue a stro
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On December 2, 1924, the Bob Julian Roundhouse at the Spencer Shops Southern Railway Repair Facility opened. The structure replaced a smaller 15-stall roundhouse that had been built in 1896.
On December 1, 1566, Spanish Captain Juan Pardo left Santa Elena (in present day South Carolina) to explore the region. He built Fort San Juan at Joara, a large native town in the upper Catawba Valley near the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. In so doing, he founded the earliest European settlement in the interior of what is now the United States.
On December 1, 1922, the Rowland Lumber Company in New Bern caught fire. While firefighters were still battling the Rowland blaze, a second fire started in a residence on Kilmarnock Street.
On December 1, 1875, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was lit for the first time.
On November 21, 1894, the Asheville Farm School, primary forerunner of Warren Wilson College, was established as a mission school by the Presbyterian Church.
On November 30, 1956, Cleveland County native Floyd Patterson, only 21-years-old at the time, became the youngest undisputed heavyweight champion in history after knocking out Archie Moore in the fifth round of a boxing match.
On November 30, 1853, Hyde County resident and Baptist preacher George Washington Carawan shot the prosecutor who secured his murder conviction and then turned the gun on himself.
On November 30, 1952, Charles George died at age 20 near Songnae-dong, Korea.