This Month In History: November

Written by Lauren Ko

• The End of World War I (Remembrance Day)

On November 11th after 4 years, 3 months and 2 weeks of fighting, the Great War ended. The war resulted in millions of lives being lost. Though fighting continued elsewhere, it was the end of the war for the Allies and Germans. The war ended after an armistice was signed. An armistice is an agreement made by the opposing sides of a war to stop fighting.

When the war first started, many people didn’t think it would last very long, but after months turned into years, it was clear this war wouldn’t stop soon. It wasn’t until October that an end was in sight.

The Allies and Germany were exhausted, so the Allies proposed an armistice. The Germans hoped that this armistice would be easy on them, but the Allies made sure that the agreement left no room for negotiations and that the Germans would not continue fighting. The Germans were given 72 hours to respond. Later, it was announced that Kaiser Wilhelm had stepped down and that the new German government would sign the armistice.

The end of the war was met by celebration but also mourning for those who lost their lives. The following is a quote from Robert Casey, a soldier in the U.S military. “ I suppose I ought to be thrilled and cheering. Instead, I am merely apathetic and incredulous … There is some cheering across the river—occasional bursts of it as the news is carried to the advanced lines. For the most part, though, we are in silence … With all is a feeling that it can’t be true. For months, we have slept under the guns … We cannot comprehend the stillness.” Today, we celebrate Remembrance Day on November 11th, the end of World War II. We celebrate the soldiers who lost their lives serving in the military and for their brave sacrifice in order to protect their country.

• The Fall of the Berlin Wall

On November 9th, 1989, after 28 years of existence, the Berlin Wall finally fell. The Berlin Wall was created in 1961 to divide Berlin into East and West. The West was controlled by Western allies like America, Britain and Franc,. while the East was controlled by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union built the wall in order to prevent Germans from escaping to the Allies’ side. The wall was enforced by many fortifications like barbed wire and electric fences, and guarded by guards from watch towers. The fortifications extended 45km through Berlin. Then it extended 120km around the entire West Berlin. Even though the West Berliners were surrounded, they could still leave the country through specific modes of transport, whereas East Berliners were not allowed to leave. The fall of the Berlin Wall was mostly caused by a mistake. Before the fall, 5 million people had been protesting the strict travel restrictions. So the East German leaders tried to calm the protests by loosening the borders, making for more travel easier. These changes were meant to be very minor. The announcement was made on television, but the man making the announcement had no time to read the notes before he simply read out the following sentence: "Private travel outside the country can now be applied for without prerequisites." As reporters clamoured to know more information, he said, “As far as I know, this is effective immediately, without delay”. This information was, in fact, wrong. They had planned to start this plan the next day with a statement about applying for a visa, but many East Berliners had already heard it and were crowding towards the wall. The guards were overwhelmed but were not allowed to open the gate, nor allowed to fire at the citizens. After immense pressure, the citizens were let through to West Berlin, and passport checks were eventually abandoned. The fall of the Berlin Wall weakened the East German government, and on October 3rd, 1990, 11 months after the wall fell, Germany was reunited.

• Viola Desmond is Dragged Out of a Movie Theatre

On November 9th, 1946, Viola Desmond, a black hairdresser, went to Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow to watch a movie. She sat on the main floor, and when asked to move to the balcony, she refused. She was then arrested and dragged out of the movie theatre. Canada has never had any segregation laws, unlike the United States, but racism has still been prominent in Canadian history. In 1939, the Supreme Court ruled that private businesses had the right to refuse service to anyone. After Fred Christie, a black man, was denied service at a bar in Montreal, he then sued the bar and won. The bar appealed the decision, saying they had the right to refuse service to anyone. Viola Desmond is one of the most famous cases of segregation in Canada. After being sent to jail, she was charged with tax evasion because she didn’t pay the full tax on the ticket for sitting on the main floor, which was only one cent. She paid the difference but was still left with a $20 fine and $6 in court costs. Today $20 dollars is around $343, and $6 is around $102. She tried to appeal her conviction but lost. She died in 1965 in New York and never got to see what her actions amounted to. In 2010, Nova Scotia officially apologized and pardoned her for something that she never should’ve been arrested for in the first place. Now she’s being recognized all around Canada for her efforts. In 2018, she was put on the ten-dollar bill, being the first Canadian woman to be honoured in this way. There’s even a ferry in Nova Scotia named after her. Viola’s sister is still alive today. 73-year-old Wanda Robson makes sure her sister’s story is told throughout Canada.

Famous Birthdays:

• Sean “Diddy” Combs, November 4th, 1970

• Leonardo DiCaprio, November 11th, 1974

• Scarlett Johansson, November 22nd, 1984

• Steve Harvey, November 23rd, 1956

Bibliography:

“How Did The Armistice End The First World War?”, IWM, Accessed November 5th 2025.

“Armistice”, The National WWI Museum And Memorial, Accessed November 5th 2025.

“The Berlin Wall”, Britannica, Published June 16th 2025, Accessed November 6th 2025.

“Fall of Berlin Wall: How 1989 reshaped the modern world”, BBC, Published November 4th 2019, Accessed November 6th 2025.

“What was the Berlin Wall and how did it fall?”, IWM, Accessed November 6th 2025.

“Canada’s History of Segregation”, Government of Nova Scotica, Published July 2024, Accessed November 6th 2025.

Colley, Sherri Borden. “Viola Desmond was arrested at the Roseland Theatre 70 years ago”, CBC, Published November 8th 2016, Accessed November 6th 2025.

“Viola Desmond: One woman’s resistance”, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Published January 29th 2018, Accessed November 6th 2025.