Florida’s 2000 Recount Reshaped Presidential History

The 312th day of 2026 marks the anniversary of a pivotal moment in modern American politics. On November 8, 2000, a statewide recount began in Florida. The process emerged as the deciding factor in the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democratic Vice President Al Gore. The recount officially concluded on December 12 of that year. A U.S. Supreme Court order ended the proceedings, delivering Florida’s electoral votes and the presidency to Bush.

Other historical events occurred on this date across the past five centuries. In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his soldiers entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. The site is now present-day Mexico City. The ruler Moctezuma II welcomed the expedition, which would later lead to the downfall of the Aztec empire.

In 1793, the Louvre began admitting the public. The French museum had been officially open since August of that year. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won reelection. He defeated his Democratic challenger, George B. McClellan. The following year, 1889, saw Montana admitted to the Union as the 41st state.

Political and military events defined the date in the 20th century. In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt to seize power in Germany. The failed coup in Munich became known as the Beer Hall Putsch. In 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch during World War II. U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa. In 1950, the first air-to-air combat between jet warplanes took place during the Korean War. U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.

Presidential elections featured prominently on this day in later decades. In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy won the U.S. presidential election over Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon. In 2016, Republican Donald Trump was elected America’s 45th president. He defeated Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in a victory for the political novice.

Legal and natural events also mark this date. In 1974, a federal judge in Cleveland dismissed charges against eight Ohio National Guardsmen. The judge cited insufficient evidence regarding the civil rights of students killed or wounded in the 1970 Kent State shootings. In 2012, Jared Lee Loughner received a life sentence without parole for the January 2011 Tucson shootings. The attack killed six people and wounded 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines. The storm left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced more than 5 million residents.

Recent events include the 2018 Northern California wildfire, which became the state’s deadliest ever. The fire killed 85 people and nearly destroyed the community of Paradise. In 2022, a total lunar eclipse turned the moon coppery red across North America, parts of Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. In 2024, Notre-Dame Cathedral’s eight restored north tower bells rang together for the first time since the 2019 fire. Three new bells will be installed above the altar ahead of the cathedral's reopening in December.

Today’s birthdays include Racing Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., who is 84. Singer Bonnie Raitt is 77. Actor Alfre Woodard is 74. Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 72. Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is 72. Filmmaker Richard Curtis is 70. Former guitarist Pearl Thompson is 69. Actor Leif Garrett is 65. Chef Gordon Ramsay is 60. Actor Courtney Thorne-Smith is 59. Actor Parker Posey is 58. News anchor David Muir is 53. Actor Matthew Rhys is 52. Actor Tara Reid is 51. Baseball player Giancarlo Stanton is 37. R&B singer SZA is 37. Singer Lauren Alaina is 32. Actor Benjamin Wadsworth is 27.