November is the last month of fall in the northern half of the world. In the southern half, it is the last month of spring.
November is the eleventh month in the
Gregorian calendar
and has 30 days. It is the last month of fall in the
Northern Hemisphere
.
Why Is November Not the Ninth Month?
The meaning of November comes from
Novem
, the Latin word for nine. The old
Roman calendar
started in
March
, making November the ninth month. When the Roman senate changed the calendar in 153
BCE
, the new year started in
January
, and November became the eleventh month.
DST ends in USA and Canada
The
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
season ends in USA, Canada, and northern Mexico. On the first Sunday of November, the clocks will be set back 1 hour
from 02:00 (2 am) to 01:00 (1 am)
in
most US states
. In Europe and many other countries, the clocks are set back
in October
.
Astronomical Events in November 2024
Leonid Meteor Shower
:
The Leonid shooting stars are visible between November 6 and 30. The shower usually peaks on the night of
November 17
and early morning of
November 18
with up to 15 meteors per hour.
Beaver Moon
:
November’s
Full Moon
is traditionally called a
Beaver Moon
, after beavers that build their dams during this time of the year.
See all events in the Cosmic Calendar
History of November
In the old
Roman calendar
, November was called
mensis november
, the ninth month, because the Roman calendar started in
March
. November initially had 29 days.
In 154
BCE
, a rebellion forced the Roman senate to change the beginning of the civil year from March to January 1st. With this reform, November officially became the eleventh month in the year 153
BCE
.
In the year 46
BCE
, Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar system—the
Julian calendar
. He added ten days to the year and introduced the
leap day
. In the new Julian calendar, November was expanded to 30 days.
Historical Events in November
November 3, 1957:
The Soviet Union sent the first living creature into orbit: the dog
Laika
(Russian for “yapper”). Laika was aboard the
Sputnik II
, the second Soviet satellite to go into orbit around the Earth—almost exactly one month after the Sputnik I on
October 4, 1957
.
November 5, 1605:
The British soldier Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the English House of Lords in
London
to overthrow King James I and restore the Catholic Monarchy. He failed. November 5th is
Guy Fawkes Day
and observed all over the United Kingdom to remember the Gunpowder Treason.
November Birthstone and Birth Flowers
According to tradition, the birthstone for November is
the yellow topaz
, symbolizing friendship. Its birth flower is the chrysanthemum.
Zodiac Signs in November
Topics:
November
,
Months