191714 events recorded

October

World War II · October 15
Mata Hari Faces the Firing Squad

French soldiers executed exotic dancer Margaretha Zelle, known as Mata Hari, for espionage on behalf of Germany during World War I.

World War II · October 22
Mata Hari Faces Firing Squad Verdict

A French military court convicted dancer and courtesan Margaretha Zelle, known as Mata Hari, of spying for Germany, sentencing her to death.

World War II · October 25
Bolsheviks Seize Petrograd

Lenin's Bolsheviks stormed key points across Petrograd overnight, toppling Russia's Provisional Government in what became known as the October Revolution.

November

Politics · November 2
The Balfour Declaration

British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour pledges support for a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine in a letter to Lord Rothschild.

Politics · November 6
Bolsheviks Storm the Winter Palace

Lenin's Bolshevik forces seized the Winter Palace in Petrograd, toppling Russia's Provisional Government and igniting the October Revolution.

Politics · November 7
Bolsheviks Storm the Winter Palace

Lenin's Bolshevik Red Guards seized the Winter Palace in Petrograd, toppling Russia's Provisional Government and launching seven decades of Soviet rule.

World War II · November 7
Cavalry Charge at Haifa

Indian lancers of the Jodhpur and Mysore state forces led a rare successful mounted cavalry charge against Ottoman and German positions defending Haifa.

Politics · November 19
Indira Gandhi Born

Indira Gandhi, who would become India's first and to date only female prime minister, is born in Allahabad into the influential Nehru family.

World War II · November 20
Battle of Cambrai Begins

British forces launched a surprise mass tank assault at Cambrai, France, using nearly 400 tanks to break through German lines and pioneer modern armored warfare.

December

Politics · December 6
Finland Declares Independence

Finland's Senate declared independence from Russia amid the chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution, ending over a century of rule from St. Petersburg.

World War II · December 6
Halifax Harbor Explosion

The French munitions ship Mont-Blanc collided with another vessel in Halifax Harbor and detonated, killing roughly 2,000 people in the largest man-made explosion before the atomic age.

World War II · December 9
Jerusalem Surrenders to Britain

Ottoman forces surrendered Jerusalem to British troops under General Edmund Allenby, ending over 400 years of Ottoman rule over the city.

Politics · December 12
Finland's Independence Recognized

France became one of the first nations to formally recognize Finland's declared independence from Russia amid the chaos of the Russian Revolution.

World War II · December 16
Halifax Reels After Explosion

A day after the Halifax Explosion, rescue crews dug through snow and rubble as the death toll from the harbor collision climbed past 1,600.