History

Trotsky Expelled from the Communist Party (1927) marks November 12, 1927, when Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party — and Joseph Stalin became the Soviet Union’s undisputed ruler. What happened on November 12, 1927? On November 12, 1927, Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party. Trotsky had been Lenin’s comrade and the founder of the Red Army, ...

Durand Line Treaty Signed (1893) marks November 12, 1893, when the treaty of the Durand Line was signed between present-day Pakistan’s region — then British India — and Afghanistan, defining the border between them. What happened on November 12, 1893? On November 12, 1893, a treaty was signed that drew a line across the map of South Asia — the ...

First Professional Football Player (1892) marks November 12, 1892, the day Pudge Heffelfinger became the first professional football player. Paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association to play against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club — a payment documented in an expense ledger — Heffelfinger’s game was the birth of professional American football. What happened on November 12, 1892? In the early ...

November 11 holidays, observances and history: here is everything the day holds, from remembrance and independence to Dostoevsky, Patton, and Leonardo DiCaprio. November 11 is a Wednesday in 2026, and one of the year’s most solemn and most varied dates: it is Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day across the Commonwealth, both marking the 1918 armistice, and ...

Leonardo DiCaprio, born November 11, 1974, is the Academy Award-winning actor known for Titanic, The Revenant, and Inception, and for his environmental advocacy. Leonardo DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California, and became one of the defining screen actors of his generation. His career spans global blockbusters and prestige dramas in almost equal measure — from ...

Calista Flockhart, born November 11, 1964, is the American actress best known for Ally McBeal. Calista Flockhart was born on November 11, 1964, in Freeport, Illinois, and grew up to become one of television’s most recognisable faces of the late 1990s. As the star of Ally McBeal (1997–2002), her portrayal of the quirky, vulnerable Boston lawyer Ally McBeal won her ...

Demi Moore, born November 11, 1962, is the American actress known for Ghost, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal. Demi Moore was born on November 11, 1962, in Roswell, New Mexico, and went on to become one of the most recognisable actresses of her generation. Across a career spanning five decades, she moved from daytime television to the very ...

Kurt Vonnegut, born November 11, 1922, was the American novelist celebrated for Slaughterhouse-Five, blending dark humour with antiwar and humanist themes. Kurt Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up to become one of America’s most beloved and quoted writers. As a novelist, essayist, and satirist, he wrote darkly humorous and thought-provoking fiction that found ...

George S. Patton, born November 11, 1885, was the US Army general celebrated for his fast-moving armored campaigns in World War II. George S. Patton was born on November 11, 1885, in San Gabriel, California, and became a US Army general celebrated for his fast-moving armored campaigns in World War II and his larger-than-life leadership style. His Third Army’s sweep ...

Fyodor Dostoevsky, born November 11, 1821, was the Russian novelist whose psychological realism in Crime and Punishment still defines the modern literary canon. Fyodor Dostoevsky was born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Russia, and became one of the greatest novelists in world literature. His works — Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, The Brothers Karamazov — explored guilt, faith, ...