Europa
- End of the German Empire (1918)
On 10 November 1918, the German Empire effectively ended. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and fled to the Netherlands, concluding over 400 years of Hohenzollern rule in Prussia. On the same day, Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the German Republic from the Reichstag balcony in Berlin, and Prince Maximilian of Baden handed over the chancellorship to Friedrich Ebert. These events marked the German Revolution and paved the way for the Weimar Republic. - World War I Developments
In the final days of World War I, Allied forces made significant advances: French and American troops crossed the Meuse River, capturing key towns and surrounding Mézières. Romania re-entered the war, and Allied forces crossed the Danube to join Romanian troops. The British minesweeper HMS Ascot was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of England, resulting in the loss of 53 lives. - Political Upheaval in Luxembourg and the Netherlands
Luxembourg experienced two small communist uprisings, both quickly suppressed. In the Netherlands, socialist leader Pieter Jelles Troelstra called for a revolution akin to those in Germany and Russia, but the Dutch government responded by increasing security and arming police. - Violent unrest occurred in Split (now Croatia) between ethnic Italians and Croats after Italian flags were displayed in support of French destroyers entering the port, reflecting tensions over postwar territorial claims.
- The Republic of Ostrów was declared in the Polish region of Ostrów Wielkopolski.
America
- 1775: Founding of the United States Marine Corps
The U.S. Marine Corps was established by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This elite military force became a crucial part of the American armed services and is celebrated every year on November 10 as the Marine Corps’ birthday. - 1865: Execution of Henry Wirz
Major Henry Wirz, the superintendent of the Confederate Andersonville Prison in Georgia, was hanged for war crimes. He was one of only three American Civil War soldiers executed for such crimes. - 1898: Wilmington Insurrection (Race Riot)
The Wilmington insurrection began in North Carolina, marking the only successful coup d’état in United States history. White supremacists overthrew the elected biracial government, resulting in violence, destruction of property, and the deaths of dozens of Black residents. - 1903: Windshield Wiper Patented
Mary Anderson was granted a patent for the windshield wiper, a significant innovation for the automotive industry. - 1951: North American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan began, standardizing distance calling and introducing area codes, making long-distance calls much more efficient. - 1954: USMC War Memorial Dedicated
The United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) was dedicated in Arlington, Virginia by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. - 1969: Premiere of Sesame Street
The iconic American children’s television series “Sesame Street” premiered, becoming a cultural and educational milestone. - 1975: Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot freighter, sank during a storm on Lake Superior, resulting in the loss of all 29 crew members. - 1917: Forty-one suffragists were arrested while protesting outside the White House, a significant moment in the women’s suffrage movement.
- 1919: The American Legion held its first national convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Asia
- Battle of Surabaya and Indonesia’s Heroes’ Day (1945)
On 10 November 1945, the Battle of Surabaya reached its climax in Indonesia. This was a pivotal conflict between Indonesian nationalists and British (and British Indian) troops, who were acting to restore Dutch colonial authority after World War II. The fierce resistance by Indonesians, especially in Surabaya, became a symbol of national struggle and sacrifice, galvanizing support for Indonesian independence both domestically and internationally. The day is now commemorated annually as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan) in Indonesia, honoring those who fought and died in the battle. - 937 – Southern Tang Dynasty Founded (China): Li Bian usurped the throne of the Wu State, deposing Emperor Yang Pu and establishing himself as the first ruler of the Southern Tang, one of the Ten Kingdoms during a period of fragmentation in China.
- 1293 – Founding of the Majapahit Kingdom (Java): Raden Wijaya was crowned as the first monarch of the Majapahit kingdom in Java, taking the throne name Kertarajasa Jayawardhana. The Majapahit Empire would become one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asian history.
- 2009 – Naval Skirmish near Korea: On 10 November 2009, ships from South and North Korea exchanged fire off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea, reflecting ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
- 2020 – Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire agreement, ending the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and prompting protests in Armenia.
Africa
- 1871 – Stanley Finds Livingstone
On 10 November 1871, in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika (now in Tanzania), Welsh-American explorer Henry Morton Stanley famously greeted the Scottish missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” This meeting ended years of speculation about Livingstone’s fate and is one of the most iconic moments in the history of African exploration. - 1942 – North Africa in World War II
On 10 November 1942, following the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” This victory marked a major turning point in the North African campaign during World War II, with Axis forces beginning to retreat from Egypt and Libya.
This day in history: 10 november