This Day in November
Here is a snapshot of historical events which took place in the month of November, with links to pages with further information, where available on the Web.
November 1 1695
Bank of Scotland founded by an Act of the Scottish Parliament.November 1 1897
Novelist and politician Naomi Mitchison born in Edinburgh. Her best known novels are "The Conquered" (1923), "When the Bough Breaks" (1924) and "Cloud Cuckoo Land".November 2 1881
Tom Johnston, one of Scotland's best know Secretaries of State, born in Kirkintilloch.November 3 1698
The Darien Expedition landed at "Caledonia" in Panama.November 3 1975
Queen Elizabeth officially opened an underwater pipeline to bring the first North Sea oil ashore.November 3 1991
Liz McColgan won her first marathon in a record time.November 3 2002
Death of Lonnie Donegan, Scottish skiffle music star and probably Britain's first pop superstar.November 4 1650
Birth of King William III.November 4 1774
Poet and song writer Robert Allan was born in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire.November 4 1965
Pop star Lena Zavaroni was born. Her biggest hit was "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me".November 5 1688
William of Orange landed in South-West England.November 5 1877
Opening of the original Mitchell Library, Glasgow, now the largest public reference library in Europe.November 5 1879
Death of Edinburgh-born mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell.November 6 1887
Celtic Football Club formally constituted in Calton, Glasgow, to alleviate poverty in Glasgow's East End parishes.November 7 1974
Writer Eric Linklater died in Orkney.November 7 1975
The Scottish Daily News ceased publication only six months after it had been launched.November 8 1308
Scholar and philosopher John Duns Scotus died. His dry subtleties led to the word "Duns" or "dunce" meaning dull and incapable of learning. Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993.November 8 1736
First regular public theatre in Scotland opened in Carrubber's Close, Edinburgh.November 8 1891
Author Neil M Gunn born in Caithness. Best known for "Highland River" (1937) and "Silver Darlings" (1951).November 8 2001
Henry McLeish resigned as Scotland's First Minister.November 9 1847
In Edinburgh, Sir James Young Simpson delivered Wilhelmina Carstairs while chloroform was administered to the mother, the first child to be born with the aid of anaesthesia.November 9 1841
Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert was born.November 9 1937
Ramsay MacDonald, first UK Labour Prime Minister, died aboard "Reina del Pacifico".November 9 2001
Scottish novelist Dorothy Dunnett. Her meticulously researched historical novels included the 'Lymond Chronicles', in six volumes.November 10 1871
Journalist Henry M Stanley found the missing Scottish missionary David Livingstone with the classic "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"November 10 1971
Kenny Dalglish made his international debut for Scotland's football (soccer) team in a match against Belgium. He went on to represent his country on 102 occasions.November 11 1918
Armistice Day - World War I ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.November 12
St Machar Day, patron saint of Aberdeen.November 12 1094
King Duncan II died at Battle of Monthechin, Kincardine.November 12 1869
Edinburgh University became the first in Britain to allow women to study medicine (though not graduate). But a woman, masquerading as Dr James Barry, actually took a medical degree at Edinburgh University in 1812 and became an army surgeon.November 13 1093
King Malcolm III (Canmore), last of the Celtic kings was killed at the Battle of Alnwick. Succeeded by Donald III.November 13 1715
Battle of Sheriffmuir in which a force of Jacobites led by John, 6th Earl of Mar, fought an inconclusive battle against a Hanoverian force led by John, 2nd Duke of Argyll.November 13 1850
Novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson born Edinburgh.November 13 1939
The first bombs dropped on British soil in the Second World War fell on the Shetland Islands.November 13 1968
Author Joe Corrie died in Edinburgh.November 13 1977
Start of firemen's strike which lasted for two months; cover was provided by the army with their out of date "green goddess" fire engines.November 14 1770
James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana in north-west Ethiopia.November 14 1896
Speed limit for horseless carriages was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph.November 14 1910
Poet Norman MacCaig born Edinburgh.November 14 1916
Author Hector Munro died in action in France. Some of his work was written under the pseudonym "Saki".November 15 1715
The "Glasgow Courant", the city's first newspaper, appeared for the first time.November 15 1824
Edinburgh's Great Fire began - and lasted until 17th November. It destroyed the High Street, Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk.November 15 1873
Statue to Greyfriar's Bobby, who stayed by his master's grave for 14 years was unveiled.November 16 1891
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened in the East End Exhibition Buildings, Duke Street, Glasgow.November 17 1292
John Balliol acceded to Scottish throne.November 17 1855
David Livingstone reached Victoria Falls in Africa.November 17 1858
Robert Owen, Welsh-Scottish industrialist and social reformer, founder of New Lanark community, died.November 17 1959
Prestwick and Renfrew airports in Scotland became the first in the UK to offer duty free goods for sale.November 18 1785
Sir David Wilkie who later became a well-known painter of historical and religious works as well as portraits, was born near Pitlessie, Fife.November 19 1600
King Charles I born.November 19 1960
"National Service" which required all fit young men to train in the armed forces, was brought to an end.November 20 1863
Death of James Bruce (8th Lord Elgin) who had served as Governor-General of Canada (1847-54) and India (1862-63). As a special envoy to China he burned downthe emperor's Summer Palace in Beijing, destroying countless works of art, in order to induce the emperor to sign a treaty.November 21 1218
A Bull of Pope Honorius III affirmed the independence of the Catholic Church in Scotland.November 21 1673
King James VII married Mary of Modena.November 21 1835
Poet James Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, died in Ettrick.November 21 1918
German battle fleet surrendered to the allies in the Firth of Forth prior to being interned at Scapa Flow.November 21 1958
Construction began on the Forth Road Bridge.November 22 1515
Birth of Mary of Guise, the French Queen Consort of James V. She was regent of Scotland during the minority reign of her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots.November 22 1942
Actor Tom Conti born.November 22 2001
Jack McConnell elected First Minister of Scotland, succeeding Henry McLeish who had resigned.November 23 1332
Edward Balliol formally acknowledged King Edward III of England as his feudal superior.November 23 1847
Historian Walter Biggar Blaikie born.November 23 1909
Historical novelist Nigel Tranter born in Glasgow. He was the most prolific Scottish writer of all time, writing mainly factual and fictional books related to Scottish history.November 24 1331
David II (aged 7) crowned at Scone.November 24 1542
Rout of Solway Moss in which King James V sent a force of 10,000 into England which was defeated by an English force led by Sir Thomas Wharton.November 24 1572
John Knox, leading reformer of Church of Scotland, died.November 24 1942
Comedian and actor Billy Connolly born.November 24 1996
Death of the poet Sorley MacLean.November 25 1681
General Tam Dalyell raises a regiment to suppress Covenanters which later became the Royal Scots Greys.November 25 1853
John Gibson Lockhart, biographer and critic, editor Blackwood's magazine, died. He married Sir Walter Scott's daughter and wrote a 7 volume biography of Scott. Buried Dryburgh Abbey, at the feet of Sir Walter Scott.November 25 1835
Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie born in Dunfermline.November 26 1836
John McAdam, inventor of "tar macadam" road surface, died.November 27 1703
The greatest storm on record hit Britain with the loss of 8,000 people in 24 hours.November 27 1996
First deaths from E-coli outbreak in Lanarkshire, Scotland.November 28 1666
Battle of Rullion Green on the Pentland Hills, south-west of Edinburgh, in which the King's army led by Sir Tam Dalyell defeated the Covenanters.November 29 1489
Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England was born. She later married King James IV of Scotland in the "Union of the Thistle and the Rose". It was due to her bloodline that King James VI of Scotland was able to inherit the crown of England in 1603, after the death of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.November 29 1599
Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons granted its charter by King James VI.November 29 1681
Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, granted its charter by King Charles II.November 30
St Andrew's Day - patron saint of Scotland.November 30 1292
John Balliol ("Toom Tabard" or "Turncoat") crowned.November 30 1872
World's first international football (soccer) match, Scotland V England at West of Scotland Cricket Ground. Result was 0-0.November 30 1923
John Maclean, political activist, Marxist, appointed Bolshevik consul for Scotland by Lenin, died.November 30 1944
HMS Vanguard, Britain's biggest and last battleship, was launched at Clydebank.November 30 1996
Stone of Destiny, stolen from Scone by King Edward I of England in 1296, returned to Scotland and installed in Edinburgh Castle.
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