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What happened on November 11
Every November 11 carries a layer of history: wars that began or ended, inventions, premieres, treaties, and people born or lost on this day across the centuries. We gathered 12 of the most striking events recorded on November 11, plus notable births and deaths, each with its year and a link to the Wikipedia article where the story continues. It is a fast way to answer "what happened on November 11" without digging through many sources: the list arrives ranked by relevance and dated.
Notable events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008 | After 30 years in power, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was succeeded by Mohamed Nasheed as president of the Maldives. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom |
| 1999 | The House of Lords Act was given royal assent, removing most hereditary peers from the British House of Lords. House of Lords Act 1999 |
| 1975 | During a constitutional crisis, Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's government and dissolved the Parliament of Australia for a double-dissolution election. 1975 Australian constitutional crisis |
| 1965 | Rhodesia, led by Prime Minister Ian Smith, unilaterally declared independence from the United Kingdom. Rhodesia |
| 1960 | A coup attempt by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam against President Ngô Đình Diệm was crushed after he falsely promised reform, allowing loyalists to rescue him. 1960 South Vietnamese coup attempt |
| 1940 | Second World War: The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history against the Italians in the Battle of Taranto. World War II |
| 1934 | The Shrine of Remembrance, a memorial to all Australians who have served in war, opened in Melbourne. Shrine of Remembrance |
| 1926 | The plan for the United States Numbered Highway System was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials. United States Numbered Highway System |
| 1920 | In London, the Cenotaph was unveiled and the Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey in remembrance of the First World War. The Cenotaph |
| 1918 | The armistice between the German Empire and the Allies was signed in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne of France (signatories pictured). Armistice of 11 November 1918 |
| 1918 | Józef Piłsudski, appointed the commander-in-chief of Polish forces by the Regency Council, was entrusted with the creation of a national government for the newly independent Poland. Józef Piłsudski |
| 1880 | Australian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly was hanged in Melbourne, in spite of sympathizers holding rallies for his reprieve. Bushranger |
Births
| Year | Who |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Ben Gannon-Doak, Scottish footballer Ben Gannon-Doak |
| 2004 | Oakes Fegley, American actor Oakes Fegley |
| 1999 | X González, American activist X González |
| 1998 | Liudmila Samsonova, Russian tennis player Liudmila Samsonova |
Deaths
| Year | Who |
|---|---|
| 2021 | F. W. de Klerk, South African lawyer and politician, former State President of South Africa, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1936) F. W. de Klerk |
| 2017 | Chiquito de la Calzada, Spanish singer, actor and comedian (born 1932) Chiquito de la Calzada |
| 2016 | Victor Bailey, American singer and bass player (born 1960) Victor Bailey (musician) |
| 2016 | Robert Vaughn, American actor (born 1932) Robert Vaughn |
A single anniversary does not explain on its own why a day matters: one November 11 can hold a scientific milestone, a tragedy and the birth of an artist, centuries apart. That is why we date every row and link the source, so you can follow what interests you. The selection mixes 12 events, 4 births and 4 deaths; the full list, with every reference, lives on Wikipedia.
Source, license and method
This page curates the day's anniversaries for November 11 from Wikipedia, delivered through the Wikimedia "On this day" feed (the encyclopedia's own open dataset). It is not original research: the facts, years and wording come from Wikipedia and are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 4.0), which requires crediting the source and keeping the same license. We pick each day's most relevant items, favouring the editors' own selection and the most prominent articles, and every row links back to the matching entry. For the full list and primary references, see the day's article on Wikipedia (November 11).
Continue in the dates cluster
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Last updated: · Methodology and sources