November 6, 1861 – James Naismith, the inventor of the sport of basketball, is born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. He wrote the basketball rulebook in 1891, founded the University of Kansas basketball program, and lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic sport in 1936 and creation of the NCAA tournament in 1939.
November 7, 1867 – Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered radium and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, is born in Warsaw, Poland.
November 8, 1656 – Astronomer and mathematician Edmund Halley is born in London. He discovers his namesake comet in 1682 and calculates its next appearance in 1758. Reappearing about every 76 years, it should next be visible in 2061.
November 10, 1483 – German Theologian and Reformation founder Martin Luther is born. He begins a separate religious movement after posting his 95 Thesis originally meant to reform the Catholic Church.