My sister Marie impressed and delighted me when I asked if she knew the significance of November 1919. “That’s when it all began.” She couldn’t have been more certain if I had asked her about 1492, 1776 or the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, but the date in question was personal, relating to family history from a century ago. Our sister Patty easily identified the date too, providing the essential details: “It seems that both sets of our grandparents were wed in November 1919… Capone wedding the 17th – the Morelli wedding the 27!”
Morelli
Anniversary of the Armistice
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. At that precise moment in 1918, the armistice to end the fighting of World War I went into effect, with the official peace treaty signed months later in Versailles. The war had raged in Europe for over 4 years, with most of the combat occurring in eastern France and western Russia. Regarded by many Americans as a European dispute, the United States maintained neutrality until the spring of 1917 when it entered the fray and declared war on Germany. Continue reading
