Holidays
Veterans Day
U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. Originally created to commemorate the November 11, 1918 signing of the armistice ending World War I, it was changed in 1954 to honor all military veterans. In 1971 it was moved to the fourth Monday of October to comply with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. However, it was moved back to November 11 in 1977.
What Happened On
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
November 11, 1982
The Vietnam Memorial is dedicated. Engraved on a black granite wall are the names of more than 58,000 Americans killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War.
The tomb ceremonies on November 11, 1921
The tomb ceremonies on November 11, 1921
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
November 11, 1921
The remains of an unidentified American serviceman from World War I are interred at Arlington National Cemetery. U.S. President Warren G. Harding officiated over the ceremonies.
Three weeks before, four unidentified Americans were exhumed from French graveyards and one was selected at random for interment in the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The other three were returned to their resting places in France.
First Woman to Receive the U.S. Medal of Honor
November 11, 1865
Mary Edwards Walker is awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor. She is the only woman to have received the medal and one of only eight civilians to receive it. She received the award for her efforts to treat the wounded during the Civil War.
The medal was revoked in 1916 when Congress created a pension act for Medal of Honor recipients and in the process reviewed and removed 911 names from the Medal of Honor roll. Walker was removed on the grounds that she was not an officer or enlisted member of the army. It was reinstated in 1977.
Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882
Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882
The Mayflower Compact
November 11, 1620
The Mayflower lands at Cape Cod. The Pilgrims then wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact. Originally titled "Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth", it was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony.
The Pilgrims' intended destination had been the Colony of Virginia, but storms forced them to anchor at the hook of Cape Cod in Massachusetts and with provisions running short it was deemed unwise to continue.
Teacher of Year Guilty of Child Molestation
November 11, 1992
The 1987 National Teacher of the Year, Eliot Wigginton, pleads guilty to child molestation and is sentenced to one year in prison. He founded the Foxfire program (1966) to help students get interested in education.
Photo Credit: dave_7
Photo Credit: dave_7
The Three Servicemen
November 11, 1984
The statue The Three Servicemen is unveiled at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. It was of three soldiers facing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as if reading the names on the wall of the more than 58,000 Americans killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War. The soldiers represented a Latino American (left), a European American (center), and an African American (right). This was the first representation of an African American on the National Mall.
The Execution of Private Slovik
November 11, 1944
U.S. Army private Eddie Slovik is court-martialed for desertion. He later became the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion during World War II, and the first since the Civil War.
While serving in German-occupied France, Slovik turned himself in to authorities with a note saying he had deserted and that he would desert again if sent back into battle. He was given several chances to return to duty and have the charges dropped, but refused. He assumed he would be dishonorably discharged and given a prison sentence that would be commuted after the war was over. However, he was sentenced to death. Slovik had a prison record prior to being drafted into the service, and as he was being prepared for execution, he said "They're not shooting me for deserting the United States Army, thousands of guys have done that. They just need to make an example out of somebody and I'm it because I'm an ex-con. I used to steal things when I was a kid, and that's what they are shooting me for. They're shooting me for the bread and chewing gum I stole when I was 12 years old."
Although over 21,000 U.S. soldiers were sentenced for desertion during World War II, Slovik was the only one executed.
The TV movie The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), starring Martin Sheen, was based on his execution.
Adolf Hitler - Beer Hall Putsch
November 11, 1923
The future German leader Adolf Hitler is arrested and imprisoned after a revolt, he organized in Munich three days earlier, failed. He used the time in prison to write Mein Kampf, which included Hitler's plans for transforming Germany into a society based on race. The revolt became known as the Beer Hall Putsch.
Mein Kampf became a bestseller, earning Hitler about 1.2 million Reichsmarks by 1933 (over 200 times the German average annual income). Mein Kampf would go on to earn Hitler 7.8 million Reichsmarks (about $190 million in current inflation-adjusted US dollars).
Hitler used these earnings to help finance his political ambitions. In 1934, one year after becoming Chancellor and failing to pay a tax bill of 405,494 Reichsmarks, he had himself declared tax-exempt.
World War I - Armistice day
November 11, 1918
Armistice signed in Paris ending the war.
Washington's State Flag
Washington's State Flag
Washington
November 11, 1889
Washington becomes the 42nd U.S. state. It was the first state named for a native-born American.
Birthdays
Heidi (L) and Heather Burge (R)
Photo Credit: Russpitt
Heidi (L) and Heather Burge (R)Photo Credit: Russpitt
World's Tallest Female Identical Twins
Heidi and Heather Burge
Born November 11, 1971
American twins. They are the world's tallest female identical twins, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m). They both went on to play professional basketball.
Jonathan Winters (Jonathan Harshman Winters)
Born November 11, 1925 d. 2013
American Emmy-Grammy-winning comedian. Film: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). TV: Mork & Mindy (1981-82, their son Mearth). Comedy Albums: The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters (1960).
George S. Patton (George Smith Patton, Jr.)
Born November 11, 1885 d. 1945
American four-star general, called "Old Blood and Guts." He led the 3rd Army during World War II.
He competed as the Army's entry for the first modern pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games.
Fyodor Dostoevsky (Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky)
Born November 11, 1821 d. 1881
Russian author. Writings: Crime and Punishment (1866) and The Brothers Karamazov (1880).
His 1864 novella Notes from Underground is considered to be one of the first works of existentialist literature.
Quote: "Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles."
Philip McKeon
Born November 11, 1964 d. 2019
American actor. Best known for his role as Alice's son on the TV sitcom Alice (1976-85).
He died at the age of 55 after a long illness.
Demi Moore (Demi Guynes)
Born November 11, 1962
American actress. In the mid 1990s, she was the world's highest-paid actress. Moore was married to musician Freddy Moore (m. 1981; div. 1985), actor Bruce Willis (m. 1987; div. 2000), and actor Ashton Kutcher (m. 2005; div. 2013).
Film: St. Elmo's Fire (1985), Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), and Indecent Proposal (1993). TV: General Hospital (1982-84, Jackie Templeton).
Paul Cowsill
Born November 11, 1952
American keyboardist, member of the singing family The Cowsills (They were the basis for TV's The Partridge Family). Music: The Rain, The Park & Other Things (1967, #2) and the title song for the musical Hair (1969, #2).
First Health-Care Provider to Infect a Patient with AIDS
David Acer
Born November 11, 1949 d. 1990
American dentist. He is the first known health-care provider to infect a patient with AIDS. He is accused of infecting six people, including Kimberly Bergalis. Acer believed he had contracted HIV in 1986 through sexual contact, but didn't show symptoms until 1987. Bergalis won a $1,000,000 settlement from his insurer shortly before her death.
Vincent Schiavelli
Born November 11, 1948 d. 2005
American actor. Known as "the man with the sad eyes" and the first recurring gay character on network American TV.
His distinctive looks were due to Marfan syndrome.
Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982, Mr. Vargas the biology teacher), Ghost (1990, the sad-eyed subway ghost).
TV: The Corner Bar (1972, Peter Panama, the first recurring gay character on network American TV).
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Born November 11, 1922 d. 2007
American author. Writings: Slaughterhouse-Five (1969).
George Case
Born November 11, 1915 d. 1989
American baseball player. Led the American League in stolen bases six times.
Pat O'Brien
Born November 11, 1899 d. 1983
American actor. Film: Angels With Dirty Faces (1938, Father Connolly) and Knute Rockne - All American (1940, title role).
Ephraim McDowell
Born November 11, 1771 d. 1830
American surgeon. He was the first to perform the removal of an ovarian tumor (1809).
Charles IV
Born November 11, 1748 d. 1819
King of Spain (1788-1808). His loss of Trinidad to England (1797) and destruction of the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) made him unpopular.
Henry IV
Born November 11, 1050 d. 1106
Holy Roman Emperor (1056-1106).
Deaths
Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon)
Died November 11, 1938 b. 1869
Irish-born American cook, typhoid carrier. Mallon was the first recorded U.S. case of a healthy carrier of typhoid. She is suspected of directly infecting 51 people, three of whom died, with typhoid while working as a cook. She herself remained healthy. Outbreaks of typhoid followed her wherever she worked. She was put in quarantine for three years, but released when she promised not to work as a cook. However, after release she resumed working as a cook causing several more typhoid outbreaks. She was then put in quarantine for the remainder of her life.
Gallagher (Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.)
Died November 11, 2022 b. 1946
American comic. Gallagher was a prop and observational comic known for smashing melons with his Sledge-O-Matic. His first comedy special, Gallagher: An Uncensored Evening (1980), was the first comedy stand-up special ever to air on cable television.
Robert Vaughn
Died November 11, 2016 b. 1932
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Napoleon Solo) and The A-Team (Gen. Stockwell).
Yasser Arafat
Died November 11, 2004 b. 1929
Palestinian political leader. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969-2004), President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) (1993-2004), and a co-recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.
Robert Brown
Died November 11, 2003 b. 1921
British actor. 'M' in the James Bond movies starting with Octopussy (1983) till Licence to Kill (1989).
Pedro Zamora
Died November 11, 1994 b. 1972
Cuban-American AIDS activist. He appeared in MTV's Real World series. He was one of the first openly gay men with AIDS in the media.
Alexander Calder and his La Grande Vitesse (1969)
Alexander Calder and his La Grande Vitesse (1969)
Inventor of the Mobile
Alexander Calder
Died November 11, 1976 b. 1898
American sculptor, painter. He invented the mobile (1931). He is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.
Jerome David Kern
Died November 11, 1945 b. 1885
American composer. Music: Show Boat (1927, which included the song Ol' Man River) and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (1933).
Billy De Beck (William Morgan De Beck)
Died November 11, 1942 b. 1890
American cartoonist. Creator of Barney Google (1919) and Snuffy Smith (1934).
Thomas Coleman du Pont
Died November 11, 1930 b. 1863
American industrialist, president of E.I. du Pont Company (1902-15), and U.S. Senator (1921-28).
Lili'uokalani (Lydia Lili'u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka'eha)
Died November 11, 1917 b. 1838
Hawaiian Queen (1891-93). She was the last Hawaiian monarch. She also wrote the song Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee).