Trivial Facts About the Month of November

When you think of the month of November, do thoughts of Thanksgiving come to mind? There is a lot more to November than turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. There are other holidays in November, many famous people celebrate their birthday in November and many historic events took place during the eleventh month of the year.

Read on to learn some trivial facts about November.

Basic Facts

November comes from the Latin word novem which means nine. It was originally the ninth month of the year in the Roman calendar which began with March. When January and February were added to the Roman calendar, November became the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar. November is one of the four months that has thirty days.

Birthstones

Topaz is one of the birthstones for November. Topaz can be found in many colors, but it is the orange topaz that is the traditional birthstone for November. Topaz is a symbol of friendship.

Citrine is also a November birthstone. Citrine is actually quartz crystal and is yellow to orange in color. It is often mistaken for the orange-yellow topaz which is the more expensive of the two birthstones.

Flower

The flower for the month of November is the chrysanthemum. The word chrysanthemum comes from the Greek words chrys and anthemum. Chrys means golden (the original color of the chrysanthemum) and anthemum means flower.

The symbols of the chrysanthemum are optimism and joy.

Astrological Signs

Scorpio and Sagittarius are the astrological signs for November. Birthdays from November 1st through the 21st fall under the Scorpio sign. November 22nd through November 30th birthdays fall under the sign of Sagittarius.

November Holidays and Observances

The most well known holiday in November is Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Another very important holiday is Veteran's Day which is November 11th. It is a day to honor the men and women who have bravely served our country.

Election Day is the first Tuesday in November.

Also worth noting is that daylight savings time ends on the first Sunday in November. Don't forget to set your clocks back!

For a list of daily observances in November go to: http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/november.htm

Historic Events in November

Many major events happened in the month of November. Here are four well known historical events that took place in November.
President Kennedy was assassinated on November 23, 1963.
The end of World War I or Armistice Day was November 11, 1918.
President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in November 1863.
President Lincoln made the Gettysburg address in November of 1863.

Monthly observances

Listed below are the many observances during the month of November.
Adoption Awareness Month
Alzheimer's Disease Month
Apple Month
Child Safety & Protection Month
Christmas Seals Month
Diabetes Month
Epilepsy Month
Hospice Month
International Drum Month
Native- American Heritage Month

Famous People Born in November

Many famous people were born in November. Here are just a few of them.
Three presidents: James Garfield, Warren Harding, and Zachary Taylor
Several actors and actresses including: Leonardo Dicaprio, Sally Field, Goldie Hawn, Ethan Hawke, Scarlet Johansson and Whoopi Goldberg
Authors: Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Mitchell and Mark Twain
Singers/Musicians: Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Tina Turner

You can find a complete listing of famous people born in November at:
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/month/11

Now that you've learned a lot of trivial facts about November, share them with your family and friends. Amaze them with your knowledge!

Sources:
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/november.htm
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/It-Happened-in-November-19909.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topaz
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/citrine/citrine.htm
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/month/11