Eleven/Eleven
The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History November 11 - 17.
Happy Veteran’s Day, everyone.
After the First World War, President Woodrow Wilson made a speech on November 11, 1919, reflecting on how the world’s war ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month just a year earlier. I love the preciseness of everything. Hundreds of thousands were killed for years, yet it ended in a manner where everyone remembers the number eleven.
Wilson aimed to recognize the sacrifice of all the citizen-soldiers who fought in that war.
Originally known as Armistice Day, it was seven years later that Congress asked the president for an annual proclamation, and in 1938, Armistice Day became an officially recognized holiday.
With the outbreak of World War II, there wasn’t much of a celebration because of war and all. Then, after another war in Korea, people thought it might be a good idea to express our gratitude to all veterans, and in 1954, the day was rebranded Veterans Day.
It used to be a floating holiday. Sometimes, it was celebrated in October. But people liked the preciseness of 11/11, which had a lot of history and tradition attached to it. So November 11 it is. Also, you are supposed to observe silence for two minutes at 2:11 p.m. I’m not sure why it isn’t 11:11.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which celebrates those service men and women who died in combat. The way we honor our military is all over the place. We tend to celebrate veterans anywhere we can, especially at sporting events. Former President George W. Bush came out of his bunker to participate in the coin flip at the Dallas Cowboys game. Thanks, George! Good to see you. When is your next art exhibit?
To all the veterans out there, thank you for your service. We don’t treat you very well. Especially the next president who thinks you are suckers and losers. But hey, he will flip a coin at a ballgame in a few years, and all will be forgotten!
Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. As a reminder, these events celebrate their anniversary, ending in 5 or 0. Here's what I got:
1. Ellis Island stopped being the main entry point for immigrants on November 12, 1954. The federally owned island in New York Harbor processed twenty million immigrants over 60 years. For the longest time, my family believed my grandmother had come through this port. She did not. She came through Boston twice. Please save this wherever you keep useless information.
2. Apollo 12 launched on November 14, 1969. It was the second space crew to land on the moon. The mission was led by Commander Pete Conrad, Jr., who was dyslexic and also the first astronaut from an Ivy School. This will tuck in nicely next to my grandmother’s story.
3. William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea on November 16, 1864. The pride of Lancaster, Ohio, took a bunch of soldiers down south during the Civil War to vacation at the beaches of Savannah, GA. Along the way, he burned the Confederacy to the ground. He delivered Atlanta to President Lincoln as a Christmas present.
I hope everyone has had a good weekend. I am still processing a lot.
I am determined to be a Happy Warrior and not turn Okay History into “OGM. “Did you see what Trump just did?” That doesn’t mean I will ignore stuff, but I’m also not going to turn my hobby, a place of humorous learning and growth, into some negative space. I already spend a lot of money on counseling and drugs to make me happy.
Now that we have completed the election rankings, we are drafting two new editions of the Okay History Library to debut next year.
If you don’t know what is offered, we got the Maundy Monday Newsletter, Ask Me Anything, Even More Okay, Whatever I’m Ranking, and Words, Words, Words.
One of the new editions will be the next thing I’m ranking, which will be fun, considering who is coming into office. The other will focus on specific people throughout US History that I find interesting and hope you do as well.
Here’s a quick update as we enter the holidays and the end of 2024. The Maundy Monday Newsletter will be consistent, but I’m not sure I will write every Friday. A lot is going on. My new gig is in the super busy season. Also, after Thanksgiving, Anonymous and I are traveling to Portugal, presumably for a covert spy mission, and then to Florida for Christmas.
I think we are going to Raleigh for New Year. Who doesn’t love ringing in the New Year in Raleigh? Just giving you all a heads-up.
I did like writing three pieces a week, but right now, that would be overpromising, and I feel like I underdelivered a bit in 2024. I need to clean up the site and get everything situated how I would like it to be.
Thanks for following along! I appreciate you all for reading, liking, and commenting.
Busy week ahead! I hope you enjoy the holiday.
Okay,
Chris
From 1. - Why Boston twice?