Vincent van Gogh's painting "Irises" sold for $53.9 million, setting a record at the time
The painting, created in 1889 while Van Gogh was in an asylum, became the most expensive artwork ever sold up to that point. The irony wasn't lost on...
November 11 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
1987
1974
Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles, California
The future Oscar-winning actor was named Leonardo because his pregnant mother was looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting in a museum when he first ki...
1966
NASA launched Gemini 12, the final mission of the Gemini program with Buzz Aldrin aboard
Buzz Aldrin performed three successful spacewalks during this mission, proving that astronauts could work effectively outside their spacecraft. This w...
1930
Patent number US1781541 was granted for a novelty toy that became the yo-yo
While yo-yo-like toys existed for centuries, this patent by Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores revolutionized the design with a looped string around the...
1926
Route 66, the iconic American highway, was officially established
The 2,448-mile highway connecting Chicago to Los Angeles became one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. It became a cultural icon rep...
1918
World War I officially ended with the signing of the Armistice at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month
MajorThe armistice between the Allies and Germany took effect at precisely 11:00 AM Paris time, ending four years of devastating warfare. This specific tim...
1889
Washington became the 42nd state admitted to the United States
Washington was carved out of the Oregon Territory and named after George Washington, making it the only state named after a U.S. president. Interestin...
1880
Australian outlaw and folk hero Ned Kelly was hanged in Melbourne
Before his execution, Kelly allegedly uttered the famous last words "Such is life." He had become a legendary figure for his homemade metal armor duri...
1821
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow
The future author of Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Notes from Underground entered the world on this day. His works would go on to...
1675
Mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz demonstrated integral calculus for the first time
Leibniz's work on calculus, developed independently from Isaac Newton, introduced the notation still used today including the integral sign ∫. The bit...
1620
The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 male passengers aboard the Mayflower
MajorBefore disembarking at Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims created and signed this governing document while still anchored in Provincetown Harbor. It's consid...
1572
Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed a supernova that was visible to the naked eye for 18 months
The "Tycho's Supernova" appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia and was so bright it could be seen during the day. This observation challenged the Ar...