Veterans Day U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. Originally created to commemorate the November 11, 1919 signing of the armistice ending World War I, it was changed in 1954 to honor all military veterans. In 1971 it was moved to the fourth Monday of October to comply with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.  However, it was moved back to November 11 in 1977.

1992 The 1987 National Teacher of the Year Eliot Wigginton, pleads guilty to child molestation and is sentenced to one year in prison. He founded the Foxfire program (1966) to help students get interested in education.

1988 World's loudest scream is recorded, Simon Robinson of South Australia, at 128 dB. This is almost as loud as a jet aircraft 50 feet away. Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1982 Vietnam Memorial The monument is dedicated. Engraved on a black granite wall are the names of more than 58,000 Americans killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War.

1944 The Execution of Private Slovik U.S. Army private Eddie Slovik is court-martialed for desertion. He later became the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion during World War II, and the first since the Civil War.

1923 Adolf Hitler - Beer Hall Putsch The future German leader is arrested and imprisoned after a revolt, he organized in Munich three days earlier, fails.

1921 The "Unknown Soldier" is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

1918 World War I - Armistice day Armistice signed in Paris ending the war.

1909 Pearl Harbor is selected for a U.S. Naval base.

1889 Washington becomes the 42nd state. It was the first state named for a native-born American.

1865 First Woman to Receive the U.S. Medal of Honor Mary Edwards Walker is awarded the medal, although it was revoked in 1916 and then reinstated in 1977.

1800 U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tie for president. The House of Representatives later decided the vote in favor of Jefferson.

1971 Hedi and Heather Burge American twins. They are the world's tallest female identical twins (6 ft. 4 3/4 in). Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1962 Demi Moore (Demi Guynes), American actress. Film: St. Elmo's Fire (1985) and Ghost (1990). TV: General Hospital (Jackie Templeton).

1952 Paul Cowsill American keyboardist, member of the singing family The Cowsills (They were the basis for TV's The Partridge Family). Music: The Rain The Park And Other Things (1967, #2).

1939 Denise Alexander American actress. TV: General Hospital (Dr. Lesley Weber).

1925 Jonathan Winters American comedian. TV: Mork & Mindy (their son Mearth).

1922 Kurt Vonnegut Jr American author. Writings: Slaughterhouse-Five (1969).

1915 George Case d. 1989 American baseball player, led the American League in stolen bases six times.

1899 Pat O'Brien d. 1983 American actor. Film: Angels With Dirty Faces (1938, Father Connolly) and Knute Rockne - All American (1940, title role).

1885 George Smith Patton Jr d. 1945 American four-star general, called "Old Blood and Guts." He led the 3rd Army during World War II.

1821 Fëodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky d. 1881 Russian author. Writings: Crime and Punishment (1866) and The Brothers Karamazov (1880).

1771 Ephraim McDowell d. 1830 American surgeon. He was the first to perform the removal of an ovarian tumor (1809).

1748 Charles IV d. 1819 King of Spain (1788-1808). His loss of Trinidad to England (1797) and destruction of the Spanish fleet in the battle of Trafalgar (1805) made him unpopular.

1050 Henry IV d. 1106 Holy Roman Emperor (1056-1106).

2004 Yasser Arafat b. 1929 Palestinian political leader. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969-2004), President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) (1993-2004), and a co-recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

2003 Robert Brown b. 1921 British actor, 'M' in the James Bond movies starting with Octopussy (1983) till License to Kill (1989).

1976 Alexander Calder b. 1898 American sculptor, painter. He invented the mobile (1931). He is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.

1945 Jerome David Kern b. 1885 American composer. Music: Show Boat (1927, which included Ol' Man River) and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (1933).

1942 Billy De Beck b. 1890 (William Morgan De Beck), American cartoonist, created Barney Google (1919) and Snuffy Smith (1934).

1938 Typhoid Mary b. 1869 (Mary Mallon), Irish-born American cook, typhoid carrier. She was the first recorded U.S. case of a healthy carrier of typhoid (1907). She infected 53 people while she herself remained healthy.

1930 Thomas Coleman du Pont b. 1863 American industrialist, president (1902-15) of E.I. du Pont Company, and U.S. Senator (1921-28).

1917 Lydia Kamehameha Liliuokalani b. 1838 (Lydia Kalakahua), Hawaiian Queen (1891-93). She was the last Hawaiian monarch. She also wrote the song Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee)

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