November 10 Holidays, Observances and History

November 10 holidays, observances and history: here is everything the day holds, from science and Sesame Street to Stanley and Livingstone, and the birthdays of Schiller, Burton, and Morricone.

November 10 is a Tuesday in 2026, and a day of science, service, and story: it is World Science Day for Peace and Development, it is the US Marine Corps Birthday, and it is Sesame Street Day. It is the 314th day of 2026, with 51 days left in the year.

This complete guide to the November 10 holidays gathers every observance on the date, the history it has made, and the famous birthdays it claims. Each entry below links to a full article on that subject, so you can read as much or as little as the day allows.

November 10 holidays and observances

Twelve observances share November 10 this year. Here is what each one celebrates:

• World Science Day for Peace and Development: a UNESCO observance celebrating science for peace and sustainable development. It is the day’s headline observance, linking laboratories and diplomacy.
• US Marine Corps Birthday: honours the founding of the Continental Marines in 1775. It is one of two places on this page where the Marine Corps appears — the other is the 1775 entry in the history section below.
• National Vanilla Cupcake Day: celebrates vanilla cupcakes — a sweet, simple counterpoint to a day heavy with history.
• Sesame Street Day: celebrates Sesame Street, which premiered on November 10, 1969.
• National Young Reader’s Day (2026): on the second Tuesday in November, encourages children to read.
• International Accounting Day: recognises accountants and their role in the global economy.
• World Keratoconus Day: raises awareness of keratoconus, an eye disorder.
• Forget-Me-Not Day: for remembering loved ones and expressing gratitude.
• Area Code Day: celebrates area codes and the telephone system they organised.
• World NET Cancer Day: raises awareness of neuroendocrine tumours.
• Los Santos Uprising Day (Panama): commemorates Panama’s 1821 independence uprising.
• Heroes’ Day (Indonesia): commemorates the 1945 Battle of Surabaya.

Featured holiday: World Science Day for Peace and Development

The day’s headline observance is World Science Day for Peace and Development, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001. It celebrates the responsible use of science to further peace, security, and sustainable development — from vaccines and clean water to climate science and space exploration.

How to mark World Science Day

• Learn about a scientific discovery that made the world safer, healthier, or fairer.
• Visit a science museum, or watch a documentary about science and society.
• Encourage a young person curious about science — the next discovery may be theirs.

This day in history: November 10

Seven milestones mark November 10, running from the founding of the Continental Marines in 1775 to a presidential resignation in 2019 — a span of 244 years:

• 1775: The US Marine Corps is founded, as the Continental Congress authorises two battalions of Marines.
• 1871: Henry Morton Stanley finds David Livingstone at Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika.
• 1928: Hirohito is enthroned as Emperor of Japan, beginning the Showa era.
• 1938: Atatürk dies in Istanbul, founder of the Republic of Turkey.
• 1982: Leonid Brezhnev dies in Moscow, after 18 years leading the Soviet Union.
• 1983: Microsoft introduces Windows 1.0 for IBM PCs.
• 2019: Evo Morales resigns as President of Bolivia amid protests.

Famous birthdays on November 10

Seven notable figures were born on November 10, from the German poet Friedrich Schiller in 1759 to the country singer Miranda Lambert in 1983:

• Friedrich Schiller (1759): the German poet and playwright, author of the “Ode to Joy”.
• Richard Burton (1925): the Welsh actor celebrated for Shakespearean roles and Hollywood films.
• Ennio Morricone (1928): the Italian composer of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
• Neil Gaiman (1960): the English author of The Sandman and Coraline.
• Tracy Morgan (1968): the American comedian known for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.
• Brittany Murphy (1977): the American actress known for Clueless and 8 Mile.
• Miranda Lambert (1983): the American country singer-songwriter.

Why November 10 matters

November 10 is one of the year’s most varied days. It holds science and service side by side: a UNESCO observance dedicated to science for peace and sustainable development, and the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, founded as the Continental Marines in 1775. It holds remembrance in several forms — Heroes’ Day in Indonesia, honouring the 1945 Battle of Surabaya; Los Santos Uprising Day in Panama, honouring the 1821 uprising that began the country’s independence from Spain; and Forget-Me-Not Day, a quieter occasion for remembering loved ones and expressing gratitude.

It also holds story. Sesame Street, which premiered on November 10, 1969, gets its own day, and National Young Reader’s Day encourages children to read. The birthdays read like a library and a record collection combined: Schiller, the German poet and playwright behind the “Ode to Joy”; Richard Burton, the Welsh actor of Shakespearean and Hollywood renown; Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer whose scores redefined film music; Neil Gaiman, the English author of The Sandman and Coraline; Tracy Morgan, the American comedian of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock; Brittany Murphy, the American actress of Clueless and 8 Mile; and Miranda Lambert, the American country singer-songwriter. And the history of the day stretches across empires, wars, and revolutions — from Stanley finding Livingstone at Ujiji in 1871, to the enthronement of Hirohito in 1928, the death of Atatürk in 1938 and of Brezhnev in 1982, Microsoft’s introduction of Windows 1.0 in 1983, and Evo Morales’s resignation in 2019.

Frequently asked questions about November 10

What day of the week is November 10, 2026? It is a Tuesday — the 314th day of 2026, with 51 days left in the year.

How many holidays and observances fall on November 10? Twelve, ranging from World Science Day for Peace and Development and the US Marine Corps Birthday to National Vanilla Cupcake Day and Sesame Street Day.

Which November 10 observance is a UNESCO observance? World Science Day for Peace and Development, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001.

Which history item shares an article with a holiday? The 1775 founding of the US Marine Corps: the same article, US Marine Corps Birthday, covers both the holiday listing and the history item.

Is Martin Luther included among the birthdays? No. Martin Luther, born November 10, 1483, is deliberately not a birthday item here — he is covered by the existing Reformation Day post.

Related days

• Yesterday: November 9 — World Freedom Day, Go to an Art Museum Day, National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day.
• Tomorrow: November 11 — Veterans Day, National Education Day (India).
• Browse the month: November hub.