Moments in time • On Nov. 14, 1851, Herman Melville publishes “Moby-Dick.” Initially the book about Captain Ahab and his quest to catch a giant white whale was a flop, but it would eventually become a staple of high-school reading lists across the U.S. • On Nov. 12, 1892, William “Pudge” Heffelfinger becomes the first professional football player when Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Athletic Association pays him $500 to play as a ringer in a game. Before then, players had traded their services for expense money or trinkets, not cash. • On Nov. 8, 1900, Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone with the Wind” (1936), is ...