November 11 facts for kids

November 11 is a special day around the world, marked by many important events throughout history. It's a day when we remember big moments, from ancient empires to modern times. Many countries celebrate this day to honor peace and remember those who served in wars. It's also a day when famous people were born or passed away, and different cultures celebrate unique holidays.

Important Events in History

Early Times (Before 1600)

• 308 – Roman Emperors Diocletian and Galerius met to try and stop civil wars in the Roman Empire.
• 1028 – Constantine VIII died, ending his very long time as emperor or co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1100 – Henry I of England married Matilda of Scotland. She was crowned queen on the same day!
• 1215 – A major church meeting called the Fourth Council of the Lateran took place. They discussed important beliefs.
• 1500 – The Treaty of Granada was signed. Louis XII of France and Ferdinand II of Aragon agreed to divide the Kingdom of Naples between them.
• 1572 – The famous astronomer Tycho Brahe observed a supernova, which is a huge star explosion.

Later Years (1601–1900)

• 1620 – The Mayflower Compact was signed by the Pilgrims in what is now Provincetown Harbor in America. This was an important agreement for their new colony.
• 1673 – In the Second Battle of Khotyn in Ukraine, forces from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the Ottoman army. Rockets were used successfully in this battle!
• 1675 – The mathematician Gottfried Leibniz showed off a new math idea called integral calculus for the first time.
• 1750 – Riots broke out in Lhasa, Tibet, after the murder of the Tibetan leader.
• 1750 – The F.H.C. Society, also known as the Flat Hat Club, was formed in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was the very first college fraternity.
• 1778 – During the American Revolutionary War, a violent attack happened at Cherry Valley in New York, where many people died.
• 1805 – In the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Dürenstein took place, where French troops tried to slow down a larger Russian and Austrian army.
• 1813 – In the War of 1812, British and Canadian forces won the Battle of Crysler's Farm against a larger American force.
• 1831 – In Jerusalem, Virginia, Nat Turner, who led a violent slave uprising, was executed.
• 1839 – The Virginia Military Institute was founded in Lexington, Virginia.
• 1855 – A very strong earthquake hit Edo, Japan, causing a lot of damage and loss of life.
• 1865 – The Treaty of Sinchula was signed, where Bhutan gave up some land to the British East India Company.
• 1869 – The Aboriginal Protection Act was passed in Australia. This law gave the government a lot of control over the lives of Indigenous people, leading to sad events like the Stolen Generations.
• 1880 – The famous Australian bushranger (outlaw) Ned Kelly was executed at Melbourne Gaol.
• 1887 – Four anarchists were executed because of the Haymarket affair, a bombing that happened in Chicago.
• 1889 – The state of Washington officially joined the United States as the 42nd state.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1911 – Many cities in the Midwestern United States experienced extreme weather, with record high and low temperatures on the same day due to a strong cold front.
• 1918 – World War I officially ended when Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies. This happened in a railroad car in France.
• 1918 – Józef Piłsudski took control of Poland's military, marking the symbolic start of Polish independence.
• 1918 – Emperor Charles I of Austria gave up his power.
• 1919 – The Industrial Workers of the World attacked an Armistice Day parade in Centralia, Washington, leading to several deaths.
• 1919 – Latvian forces defeated the West Russian Volunteer Army in Riga during the Latvian War of Independence.
• 1921 – The Tomb of the Unknowns was dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery in the US, honoring soldiers whose remains were not identified.
• 1923 – Adolf Hitler was arrested in Munich for high treason after his role in the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed attempt to take over the government.
• 1926 – The United States Numbered Highway System was created, making it easier to travel across the country.
• 1930 – Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd received a Patent for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator.
• 1934 – The Shrine of Remembrance was opened in Melbourne, Australia, to honor those who served in wars.
• 1940 – World War II: In the Battle of Taranto, the Royal Navy launched the first-ever all-aircraft naval attack from ships.
• 1942 – World War II: German forces occupied France's "free zone" in an operation called Case Anton.
• 1942 – The Turkish parliament passed the Varlık Vergisi, a special tax mostly on non-Muslim citizens.
• 1960 – A military coup against President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam was stopped.
• 1961 – Thirteen Italian Air Force servicemen, who were part of a UN peacekeeping group, were killed by a mob in Kindu, Congo.
• 1962 – Kuwait's National Assembly approved the Constitution of Kuwait.
• 1965 – Southern Rhodesia's Prime Minister Ian Smith declared the colony independent, creating the unrecognized state of Rhodesia.
• 1966 – NASA launched the Gemini 12 space mission.
• 1967 – During the Vietnam War, three American prisoners of war were released by the Viet Cong in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• 1968 – Vietnam War: Operation Commando Hunt began. Its goal was to stop the movement of soldiers and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh trail into South Vietnam.
• 1972 – Vietnam War: The United States Army handed over the huge Long Binh military base to South Vietnam.
• 1975 – In Australia, the Governor-General dismissed the government and called for a new election.
• 1975 – Angola gained its independence.
• 1977 – A munitions explosion at a train station in Iri, South Korea killed many people.
• 1981 – Antigua and Barbuda joined the United Nations.
• 1992 – The General Synod of the Church of England voted to allow women to become priests.
• 1993 – A sculpture honoring women who served in the Vietnam War was dedicated at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• 1999 – The House of Lords Act was approved, changing how members of the British House of Lords are chosen.
• 2000 – The Kaprun disaster occurred in Austria, where a cable car caught fire in a tunnel, killing many skiers and snowboarders.
• 2004 – The New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was dedicated in Wellington, honoring unknown soldiers.
• 2004 – The Palestine Liberation Organization confirmed the death of Yasser Arafat.
• 2006 – Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the New Zealand War Memorial in London, honoring soldiers from New Zealand and Britain.
• 2012 – A strong earthquake hit northern Burma, killing many people.
• 2020 – Typhoon Vamco hit Luzon in the Philippines, causing severe floods and many deaths.
• 2022 – Russo-Ukrainian War: Ukrainian armed forces entered the city of Kherson after a successful counteroffensive.

Famous Birthdays

Many interesting people were born on November 11. Here are a few:

• 1493 – Paracelsus, a Swiss-German physician and scientist.
• 1821 – Fyodor Dostoevsky, a famous Russian novelist who wrote books like Crime and Punishment.
• 1863 – Paul Signac, a French painter known for his pointillist style.
• 1885 – George S. Patton, an important American general during World War II.
• 1922 – Kurt Vonnegut, an American novelist known for his unique writing style.
• 1925 – Jonathan Winters, a popular American actor and comedian.
• 1940 – Barbara Boxer, an American journalist and politician.
• 1945 – Daniel Ortega, the current President of Nicaragua.
• 1962 – Demi Moore, a well-known American actress.
• 1964 – Calista Flockhart, an American actress famous for her TV roles.
• 1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio, a very famous American actor and producer.
• 1996 – Tye Sheridan, a young American actor.

People Who Passed Away

November 11 is also the day some notable people died:

• 1028 – Constantine VIII, Byzantine emperor.
• 1831 – Nat Turner, an American slave and rebel leader.
• 1855 – Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher.
• 1880 – Ned Kelly, the Australian outlaw.
• 1917 – Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii.
• 1918 – George Lawrence Price, a Canadian soldier who was one of the last casualties of World War I.
• 1973 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, a Finnish chemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2004 – Yasser Arafat, a Palestinian political leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
• 2021 – F. W. de Klerk, a South African lawyer and politician, and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Holidays and Celebrations

November 11 is a day of many celebrations and observances around the world:

• End of World War I Observances:

* Armistice Day (New Zealand, France, Belgium, and Serbia) * National Independence Day (Poland) – Celebrates Poland becoming independent in 1918. * Remembrance Day (United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia and Canada) – A day to remember soldiers who died in wars. * Veterans Day (United States) – Honors all American military veterans. It was called Armistice Day until 1954.

• Independence Day (Angola) – Celebrates Angola's independence from Portugal in 1975.
• Independence of Cartagena (Colombia)
• Lāčplēsis Day (Latvia) – Celebrates a victory in the Battle of Riga in 1919.
• Opening of Carnival (Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries) – The carnival season officially begins at 11:11 AM on 11/11!
• National Education Day (India)
• Republic Day (Maldives)
• Singles' Day (China) – A day for single people, which has also become a huge online shopping event.
• St. Martin's Day (Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Women's Day (Belgium)
• Pepero Day (South Korea) – A day where people exchange Pepero snacks.

See also

In Spanish: 11 de noviembre para niños