Celebration Excuse

1874

The elephant in the room: The Republican Party is symbolized as an elephant for the first time, in a cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper’s Weekly magazine.

1893

You go, girls: Colorado grants women the right to vote.

1916

Another milestone for the ladies: Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman elected to Congress.

1944

President Franklin D. Roosevelt wins an unprecedented fourth term in office, defeating Thomas E. Dewey.

1991

The gasp heard ’round the world: Basketball star Magic Johnson announces that he has tested positive for the AIDS virus and is retiring.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

And finally, here are some birthday shout-outs to velvet-voiced crooner Joni Mitchell and original Brady Bunch-er Christopher Knight.

Daybook

It’s Election Day, folks. And you know what that means: politics. Desitny. Winners. Losers. Parties! Whether you’re taking a shot for every seat the GOP loses or watching Wolf Blitzer mispronounce names, we hope you have a politically informative — and safe — evening. Meanwhile, here’s what everyone else will be doing:

PARTIES

Jim Webb: VA senate candidate Jim Webb will hold an Election Night celebration at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner in Virginia.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) will host an Election Night party at the Hyatt Regency Washington in Washington, DC.

MEANWHILE...

Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani will spend election night with Iowa gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle. He’ll hold rallies for IA 01 candidate Mike Whalen and for Nussle in Iowa.