November 11 is day 315 of the year, or 316 in a leap year, with 50 days remaining after it. It is Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day across the Commonwealth.
It falls on a Thursday in 2027 and a Saturday in 2028.
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is the ceasefire, not the signature.
The armistice ending the fighting of the First World War was signed at around 5 a.m. on November 11, 1918, in Marshal Foch’s railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne, and took effect six hours later at 11 a.m. Men died in those six hours.
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What day of the week is November 11?
November 11 is day 315 in a common year and day 316 in a leap year.
| Year | Day of week |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
| 2031 | Tuesday |
| 2032 | Thursday |
| 2033 | Friday |
| 2034 | Saturday |
| 2035 | Sunday |
Veterans Day is a fixed-date federal holiday, so the weekday determines the observance.
A Saturday November 11 is observed the preceding Friday and a Sunday November 11 the following Monday.
In 2027 it falls on a Thursday, so there is no long weekend; in 2028 the Saturday date shifts the closure to Friday, November 10.
Observances on November 11
| Observance | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Day | United States | Federal holiday |
| Remembrance Day | Canada, UK, Commonwealth | Statutory in most Canadian provinces |
| Armistice Day | France, Belgium | Public holiday |
| Independence Day | Poland, Angola | |
| Singles’ Day | China | The largest retail sales day in the world |
| Washington Statehood Day | Washington | Admitted 1889 |
The United Kingdom observes a two-minute silence at 11 a.m. on November 11 and holds its principal national ceremony on Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November — Sunday, November 14 in 2027.
Historical events on November 11
1620 — Forty-one passengers aboard the Mayflower, anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor off Cape Cod, signed the Mayflower Compact, establishing a “civil body politick” for the colony (Associated Press; Academic Kids).
1675 — Gottfried Leibniz demonstrated integral calculus for the first time, using it to find the area under a curve (Academic Kids; KidsKonnect).
1831 — Nat Turner, who had led a slave uprising in Southampton County, was executed at Jerusalem, Virginia (Associated Press, Today in History).
1889 — Washington was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state (Associated Press, Today in History).
1917 — Liliuokalani, Hawaii’s first and only queen and its last monarch, died in Honolulu at the age of 79 (Associated Press).
1918 — The armistice ending the fighting of the First World War was signed at around 5 a.m. in Marshal Foch’s railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne, taking effect at 11 a.m. (Associated Press; KidsKonnect).
1921 — The remains of an unidentified American service member were interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding (Associated Press).
1938 — Mary Mallon, the cook known as Typhoid Mary, died on North Brother Island in New York’s East River at the age of 69, after 23 years of mandatory quarantine (Associated Press).
1966 — Gemini 12 launched on a four-day mission carrying James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin (Associated Press).
1972 — The US Army handed over its base at Long Binh to South Vietnamese forces, marking the effective end of direct American military involvement in the Vietnam War (Associated Press).
1992 — The Church of England voted to ordain women as priests (Associated Press).
Armistice Day became Veterans Day, then moved, then moved back
The observance has a legislative history unlike any other federal holiday.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 1919 | First Armistice Day proclaimed |
| 1938 | Made a legal federal holiday |
| 1954 | Renamed Veterans Day to honour veterans of all wars |
| 1971 | Moved to the fourth Monday in October by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act |
| 1978 | Returned to November 11 by Public Law 94-97 |
It is the only federal holiday that was moved to a Monday and then moved back. The date carries the meaning, and veterans’ organisations campaigned successfully to restore it.
Notable births on November 11
| Year | Person | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| 1744 | Abigail Adams | American writer and first lady |
| 1821 | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Russian novelist |
| 1922 | Kurt Vonnegut | American novelist |
| 1962 | Demi Moore | American actress |
| 1974 | Leonardo DiCaprio | American actor |
Kurt Vonnegut, born on Armistice Day, wrote about the coincidence directly in Breakfast of Champions, noting that Armistice Day had become Veterans Day and that he preferred the older name.
Zodiac sign and birthstone for November 11
November 11 falls under Scorpio, which runs from about October 23 to November 21.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Sign dates | About October 23 to November 21 |
| Element | Water |
| Birthstones | Topaz and citrine |
| Birth flower | Chrysanthemum |
How many days until November 11?
The next November 11 falls on a Thursday in 2027. It is day 315 of the year, leaving 50 days remaining after it.
November 11 sits between the end of daylight saving time on Sunday, November 7, 2027 and Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25.
Frequently asked questions
What day of the week is November 11, 2027?
Thursday. Veterans Day 2027 falls mid-week, so there is no three-day weekend — Friday, November 12 is a normal working day. The next long weekend comes in 2028, when November 11 falls on a Saturday and the observance shifts to Friday, November 10.
Why is it the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month?
Because the armistice was signed at around 5 a.m. and drafted to take effect at 11 a.m. The symmetry was deliberate. The six-hour gap between signature and ceasefire was not symbolic, and fighting continued during it.
Is November 11 Veterans Day or Remembrance Day?
Both, in different countries, and they are not identical observances. The United States marks Veterans Day, honouring all who have served. Canada, the United Kingdom and much of the Commonwealth mark Remembrance Day, focused on those who died. The UK holds its main ceremony on Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November.
