Today’s WOTD – 11 November 2012
armistice
[ahr-muh-stis]
noun
1. a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties;
2. truce: World War I ended with the armistice of 1918.
Example Sentences
To be technical, they don’t even have an official peace treaty, they only have an armistice.
With this modern conflict there will probably be no signed peace treaties, or armistice.
Today’s aphorism
Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ Day is not. So I will throw Veterans’ Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don’t want to throw away any sacred things.
– Kurt Vonnegut Jr
On this day
11 November 1880 – execution by hanging, of Ned Kelly, Australian bush-ranger.
11 November 1918 – End of World War I. Commemorated as ‘Remembrance Day’ in British Commonwealth countries and ‘Armistice Day’ in other nations, recognising the armistice signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1954, the United States, changed Armistice Day to ‘Veterans Day’ and made it a public holiday to recognise those who have served in the armed forces, not just those who served in World War I.
11 November 1954 – Pensioners’ Revolt, United Kingdom. Thousands of pensioners march in a rally in London calling for an increase of their pensions by 17s 6d, which would take a single person’s pension to £2 10s per week.
11 November 1975 – Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (Labor Party) sacked by the Governor-General and replaced by Malcolm Fraser (Liberal Party).
11 November 2004 – death of Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader in Paris after falling into a coma. The cause of his death is disputed, with some believing he was poisoned by Israel, others believing it was from cirrhosis, or linked to AIDS.