This Month in History marks a time for holidays and preparing for even more holidays in the month to come, but many will remember November as a time in history that influenced the way we live our lives today.
One of the most important and significant moments that the entire world witnessed was the signing of the Armistice, effectively ending World War 1, one of the bloodiest human conflicts in history. After a long 4 years of bloody trench-to-trench fighting, where soldiers endured heavy artillery, mustard gas, and machine guns, the violence had finally come to an end. Everything came to an end in the final minutes of the war, with thousands of soldiers looking back at all they had gained and lost. In the end, all they had witnessed was what mankind was capable of and what someone could do to another living being. Veterans Day, which was celebrated very recently, allows everyone to appreciate those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who still serve their respective country and military.
Years of war had torn Europe apart, with Russia being a major factor in assisting and fighting against a safer and united Europe. In the early, cold morning of November 9th, 1989, the Berlin Wall that had separated Germany for decades finally fell after the Soviet Union had begun to crumble after years of fighting the Cold War with NATO in an attempt to become a bigger and stronger world power. This powerful moment in Europe shows what lengths people will go to in an attempt to unite everyone in freedom.
In the height of the Cold War, a space race began to see which world power could reach space (the Moon) first. While the United States wasn’t the first and had to sadly watch the Sputnik Rocket launch into space, NASA was not deterred. While a successful launch led by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, NASA was looking to 1 up the Soviet Union any way they could. On November 14th, 1969, millions of Americans watched the Apollo 12 launch and land successfully on the Moon. Astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean spent over a day exploring the Moon, astonished by an entirely new look at the world from space. The missions launched during the Space Race directly led to greater space achievements, where nowadays we have rovers on Mars, exploring an entirely new planet.
While human history is littered with mistakes and violence, the indomitable human spirit still remains in those who fight for unity and a greater understanding of the world around us. Thank you to any veterans in your respective military branches, whether you serve or served, America is the land of the free because of the brave!
