Today in History: November 11, World War I armistice signed

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 11, the 315th day of 2026. There are 50 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I ended as the Allies and Germany signed an armistice aboard a railroad car in the Forest of Compiègne (kohm-PYEHN’-yeh) in northern France.

Also on this date:

In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, creating a local government for the colony that called for a “civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation.”

In 1831, Nat Turner, an enslaved man who led dozens of followers in a bloody revolt in Virginia that resulted in nearly 60 deaths, was executed by hanging. Although authorities quickly quelled the uprising, Turner evaded capture for several weeks before being captured.

In 1889, Washington was admitted to the Union as the nation’s 42nd state.

In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding.

In 1926, the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads launched the nation's first federal highway system, marking the official start of famed Route 66, which first stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles but later spanned the entire country.

In 1938, Irish-born cook Mary Mallon, who’d gained notoriety as the disease-carrying “Typhoid Mary” blamed for the deaths of three people, died on North Brother Island in New York’s East River at age 69 after 23 years of mandatory quarantine.

In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off on a four-day mission with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard; it was the 10th and final crewed flight of NASA’s Gemini program.

In 1987, following the failure of two Supreme Court nominations, President Ronald Reagan announced his choice of Judge Anthony M. Kennedy, who went on to win confirmation.

In 2022, Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX crypto exchange platform filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid a collapse of its assets; Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 of seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Today’s Birthdays: Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega is 81. Music producer Mutt Lange is 78. Actor Stanley Tucci is 66. Actor Demi Moore is 64. Actor Calista Flockhart is 62. TV personality Carson Kressley is 57. Actor David DeLuise is 55. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 52. Actor Scoot McNairy is 49. Musician Jon Batiste is 40. Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is 40. Retired American figure skater Adam Rippon is 37. Actor Tye Sheridan is 30. WNBA player Azzi Fudd is 24. Actor Oakes Fegley is 22.