November 11 in Pop Culture History

November 11th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

November 11th History Highlights

  • The Mayflower Compact was signed in what is now Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod in 1620.
  • The F.H.C. Society, also known as the Flat Hat Club, was formed at Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the first college fraternity in 1750.
  • The United States Numbered Highway System was established in 1926.
  • November 11, 19** Birthday (fictional) Bond, James Bond
  • In 1968, Veterans Day was changed to the fourth Monday in October by President LBJ. It was changed back to November 11, 1975, by President Gerald Ford.
  • If you were born on November 11th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… February 18th (same year)

November 11th Is Veterans Day

Americans honor their veterans on November 11th (it was originally in honor of Armistice Day celebrating WWI Vets, but post-WWII it was changed to Veterans Day to honor veterans from all wars in 1954)

Veterans Day observance was at one time moved to the fourth Monday of October in order to allow for long weekends. However, after protests by veterans groups, it was moved back to November 11th in an effort to retain the importance of the holiday.

US President Warren G. Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the guards take 21 steps. It references the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. The rifle is always carried in the shoulder away from the tomb. The Tomb of the unknown soldier has been guarded every minute since July 2, 1937.

The 21-gun salute is sometimes given by three soldiers, each shooting seven times, or seven soldiers shooting three times.

National Sundae Day

National Sundae Day is a day for ice cream lovers to celebrate their love of this delicious treat. There are always one or two scoops worth and various toppings that can be added on top! How will you be celebrating National Sundae Day this year? Will you be enjoying a classic sundae with chocolate sauce and nuts? Or, perhaps you’ll try something new and unique like an ice cream taco or an ice cream pizza! No matter how you choose to enjoy your sundae, make sure to do so with friends and family – after all, sharing is half the fun!

Related: July 25 is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, and July 7 is National Strawberry Sundae Day.

The Codex Leicester

Da Vinci’s Notebook

The world’s most expensive painting, “Codex Leicester,” was created in 1503-1504 and ranks as one of da Vinci’s greatest achievements. It is also noted for being the first completed manuscript illustration done entirely by him instead of previous works, which contain sketchy notes that had been written down rather than drawn from life like this period paintings typically were done before World War II when artists couldn’t travel abroad because they would have needed a permit which no government could permit them, so all drawings were made at home using models or reference materials.

Da Vinci was not only a painter but also an architect, sculptor, musician, and scientist. He is one of the most famous painters in history, with works like the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.” Da Vinci’s “Codex Leicester” is the only painting by him that is privately owned. Bill Gates bought it in 1994 for $30.8 million.

“Codex Leicester” is a 72-page notebook that da Vinci kept between 1503 and 1505. The notebook contains his thoughts and observations on various topics, including astronomy, mathematics, botany and engineering.

Da Vinci’s notebooks are some of the most famous in history.

The “Codex Leicester” is named after Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, who purchased it in 1717. The notebook was passed down through the generations of the Leicester family before being sold at auction in 1980. It was bought by Armand Hammer, who then sold it to Gates in 1994.

Gates has said he plans to keep the “Codex Leicester” for his personal collection and will loan it out to museums occasionally. He has also made high-quality facsimiles of the notebook available to the public.

November 11th is also …

National Metal Day (in honor of the fictional band, Spinal Tap)
National Sundae Day
Origami Day
Singles’ Day
Remembrance Day (England)

November 11th Birthday Quotes

“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains that victory. “
– George S. Patton

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved. “
– Kurt Vonnegut

“I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.”
– Jonathan Winters

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

– John McCrae

“A dream that you don’t fight for can haunt you for the rest of your life.”
– Stanley Tucci

November 11th Birthdays

1493 – Paracelsus, Swiss-German alchemist, physician, botanist, astrologer, and occultist (died in 1541)
1885 – George S. Patton, American general (died in 1945)
1899 – Pat O’Brien, American actor (died in 1983)
1904 – Alger Hiss, American lawyer and convicted spy (died in 1996)
1918 – Stubby Kaye, American entertainer (died in 1997)
1922 – Kurt Vonnegut, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (died in 2007)
1925 – Jonathan Winters, American actor, and screenwriter (died in 2013)
1929 – LaVern Baker, American singer (died in 1997)
1940 – Barbara Boxer, American journalist, and politician
1948 – Robert John “Mutt” Lange, British-South African record producer and songwriter
1953 – Marshall Crenshaw, American Singer/Songwriter, and guitarist
1953 – Andy Partridge, English Singer/Songwriter, guitarist and record producer (XTC)
1960 – Stanley Tucci, American actor, and director
1962 – Demi Moore, American actress, director, and producer
1964 – Calista Flockhart, American actress
1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio, American actor, and producer

November 11th History

1215 – The Fourth Lateran Council met, defining the doctrine of transubstantiation, the process by which bread and wine are, by that doctrine, said to transform into the body and blood of Christ.

1750 – The F.H.C. Society, also known as the Flat Hat Club, was formed at Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the first American college fraternity.

1790 – Chrysanthemums were introduced to England from China by M. Cels (France).

1839 – The Virginia Military Institute was founded in Lexington, Virginia.

1851 – The first U.S. patent (Patent #8,509) for a telescope design was issued to Alvan Clark of Cambridge, Mass.

1864 – Sherman’s March to the Sea – General William Tecumseh Sherman began burning Atlanta, Georgia to the ground in preparation for his march south.

1918 – Armistice signed by the Allies and Germany comes into ending WW I.

1921 – President Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. It is also known as The Tomb of the Unknowns.

1926 – U.S. Route 66 was established. It has also been called The Will Rogers Highway.

1930 – Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd got the patent (#1,781,541) for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator.

1935 -A record 72,395 feet was reached by Lt. Col. Albert William Stevens and Captain Orvil Anderson by helium balloon in a sealed gondola, Explorer II.

1938 – Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) died. Fifty-one original cases of typhoid and three deaths were directly attributed to her, although she was immune to the typhoid bacillus (Salmonella typhi).

1938 – Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin’s God Bless America on her radio show. Irving Berlin had originally written it in 1918.

November 11, 19** Birthday (fictional) Bond, James Bond

1966 – Methodist Church & Evangelical United Brethren Church joined together as the United Methodist Church (USA)

1972 – Dow Jones Index moved above 1,000 for the first time. It closed under 1,000, though.

1978 – #1 Hit November 11, 1978 – December 1, 1978: Donna Summer – MacArthur Park

1980 – Too Close for Comfort premiered on ABC. It was modeled after the British series Keep It in the Family.

1982 – Star 80 was released in US theaters.

1987 – Van Gogh’s Irises sold for a (then) record 53.9 million dollars at auction via Sotheby’s, New York.

1989 – #1 Hit November 11, 1989 – November 24, 1989: Bad English – When I See You Smile

November 11, 19** Birthday (fictional) Dick Grayson, Batman, DC Comics

1994 – Bill Gates bought Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester for $30,800,000. It was an insightful overview of Leonardo’s thoughts on various topics. It was also the most expensive book or manuscript of all time.

2000 – #1 Hit November 11, 2000 – November 17, 2000: Creed – With Arms Wide Open

2004 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) confirmed the death of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas was elected chairman of the PLO minutes later.

2006 – #1 Hit November 11, 2006 – December 1, 2006: Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. – My Love

November 11, 2011Geek Charming aired on The Disney Channel

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

I tried disproving the saying “you will always find it in the last place you look” by continuing to look for something after I found it the first time and go and find it again.

I now have 42 identical copies of my schedule book.

US President #28 Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) WW was the first President to make an address to the military via radio. He proposed the “League of Nations,” the precursor to the United Nations, and nearly worked himself to death trying to promote it.

One of the best compliments you can give a friend is to call them family. One of the best compliments you can give to a family member is to call them a friend.

The Capital of El Salvador is San Salvador

Dogs have mastered.
Cats have staff.

“I hate coconut. Not the taste, consistency.” – Tallahassee in Zombieland 

yeah no=no
no yeah=yeah
yeah no for sure=definitely

“There are only three ages for women in Hollywood – Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy.” -Goldie Hawn

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man could be perceived as instructions on how to make a snow angel.

Pop culture has overlooked how incredibly useful the humble bicycle would be in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

In 1849, a man named William Thompson would walk up to random strangers and spark a conversation. He would gain their trust and then ask, “Have you the confidence to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?” Having said that, he would never return. He was finally caught and was named confidence man, a.k.a Con-Man.

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