On This Day
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Eternal flame lit for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat inconnu) holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War, to symbolically commemorate all soldiers...

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat inconnu) holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War, to symbolically commemorate all soldiers who have died for France throughout history. It was installed in Paris under the Arc de Triomphe on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with the interment of a British unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey, making both graves the first examples of a tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the first to honour the unknown dead of the First World War.

The burial site, surrounded by black metal posts linked together by chains, consists of a slab of granite from Vire on which is inscribed the epitaph: Ici repose un soldat français mort pour la Patrie, 1914–1918 ("Here rests a French soldier who died for the...

Historical Significance

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat inconnu) holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War, to symbolically commemorate all soldiers who have died for France throughout history.

Events Before

  1. British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road

    British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road

  2. Insulin is first used on humans when Frederick Banting injects 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson to treat his diabet

    Insulin is first used on humans when Frederick Banting injects 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson to treat his diabetes

  3. James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" is first published by Sylvia Beach in Paris (1,000 copies)

    Ulysses is a modernist novel by the Irish writer James Joyce. Partially serialised in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, the entire work was published in Paris…

  4. American founder of the Chicago Bears football team George Halas (27) weds Minnie Bushing

    American founder of the Chicago Bears football team George Halas (27) weds Minnie Bushing

  5. Great Britain issues the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence, ending its protectorate over Egypt and grantin

    Great Britain issues the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence, ending its protectorate over Egypt and granting the country nominal independence while reserving control over military and diplomatic matters

Events After

  1. Charlie Munger is born

    Charlie Munger, American businessman, known for american businessman, was born on 1924-01-01.

  2. Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP

    Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP

  3. German-Swiss poet and novelist Hermann Hesse (36) weds Swiss soprano and painter Ruth Wenger (26); divorce in 1927

    German-Swiss poet and novelist Hermann Hesse (36) weds Swiss soprano and painter Ruth Wenger (26); divorce in 1927

  4. 1st Winter Olympic Games open in Chamonix, France

    The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games (French: Iers Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Chamonix 1924 (Arpitan: Chamôni 1924), were a winter multi-sport...

  5. Vladimir Lenin is placed in a Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow

    On Monday, 21 January 1924, at 18:50 EET, Vladimir Lenin, leader of the October Revolution and the first leader and founder of the Soviet Union, died in Gorki aged 53 after falling into a coma.

More from the 1920s

birth

Isaac Asimov is born

Isaac Asimov, American writer and biochemist, known for american writer and biochemist, was born on 1920-01-02.

birth

Charlie Munger is born

Charlie Munger, American businessman, known for american businessman, was born on 1924-01-01.

birth

Vernon L. Smith is born

Vernon L. Smith, American economist and nobel laureate, known for american economist and nobel laureate, was born on 1927-01-01.

Byelorussian Communist Organization is founded as a separate party

The Byelorussian Communist Organisation was a communist group in Belarus, led by Usievalad Ihnatoŭski.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 11, 1923?
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat inconnu) holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War, to symbolically commemorate all soldiers who have died for France throughout history. It was installed in Paris under the Arc de Triomphe on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with the interment of a British unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey, making both graves the first examples of a tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the first to honour the unknown dead of the First World War. The burial site, surrounded by black metal posts linked together by chains, consists of a slab of granite from Vire on which is inscribed the epitaph: Ici repose un soldat français mort pour la Patrie, 1914–1918 ("Here rests a French soldier who died for the...
Why is Eternal flame lit for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomp... significant?
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat inconnu) holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War, to symbolically commemorate all soldiers who have died for France throughout history.

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November 11 in HistoryYear 1923