Major Events of November 2019: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from November 2019 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of November 2019: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Nov 2019 First African American Smithsonian Secretary Installed: Lonnie G. Bunch III made history as the first African American leader of the Smithsonian Institution, installed as its fourteenth Secretary in a significant moment for cultural representation.
02 Nov 2019 Hong Kong Protests Escalate: Protests in Hong Kong intensified with demonstrators vandalizing businesses like HSBC headquarters and Xinhua News Agency, and setting fires at metro station entrances following violent clashes with police.
03 Nov 2019 Saudi Aramco Launches Historic Initial Public Offering: Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, announced its groundbreaking initial public offering (IPO) on the Riyadh Stock Exchange, offering up to two percent of the company's total shares, marking a significant moment in global financial markets.
04 Nov 2019 Impeachment Inquiry Continues with Witness Participation Challenges: The House impeachment inquiry into President Trump's actions proceeded with significant obstacles, as several key White House budget officials declined to testify, raising questions about transparency and cooperation with the congressional investigation.
05 Nov 2019 Sutherland Springs Church Mass Shooting: On November 5, 2017, a devastating mass shooting occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Devin Patrick Kelley, a 26-year-old former U.S. Air Force airman, entered the church and opened fire with an AR-15 style assault rifle, killing 26 people and wounding 20 others. The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old, including multiple children and an unborn child. After the shooting, Kelley was pursued by local residents Stephen Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff, who chased him in a vehicle. During the pursuit, Kelley was shot and ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The tragedy highlighted significant issues with background check systems and gun violence in the United States.
06 Nov 2019 Deadly Protests in Baghdad, Iraq: Violent confrontations erupted in Baghdad when security forces opened fire on protesters attempting to block a bridge, resulting in three fatalities and 17 injuries. This incident is part of the broader 2019 Iraqi protests against government corruption and poor public services.
07 Nov 2019 Violent Protests in Bolivia Escalate: Political tensions in Bolivia reached a critical point as opposition protesters violently attacked Patricia Arce, the mayor of Vinto from the ruling MAS party, publicly humiliating her by dragging her through streets, covering her in red paint, and cutting her hair. Simultaneously, a 20-year-old student named Limbert Guzman was killed during intense clashes between supporters and opponents of President Evo Morales, highlighting the deep political divisions and social unrest in the country.
08 Nov 2019 2000 U.S. Presidential Election Recount in Florida: On November 8, 2000, a pivotal moment in modern American electoral history unfolded as a statewide recount began in Florida, which would ultimately determine the outcome of the presidential election between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. In an unprecedented turn of events, Gore initially conceded the election to Bush via telephone, but remarkably retracted his concession approximately one hour later. The Florida recount became a watershed moment in U.S. electoral politics, eventually leading to a Supreme Court case (Bush v. Gore) that would decide the presidential election's final result.
09 Nov 2019 Protesters Storm Argentine Embassy in Santiago: On November 9, 2019, during the height of social unrest in Chile, protesters violently stormed the Argentine Embassy in Santiago. Demonstrators set fire to parts of the diplomatic building, expressing their anger at the Argentine government's perceived support for Chilean President Sebastián Piñera's handling of widespread protests. Argentine Ambassador José Octavio Bordón was fortunately unharmed during the incident, though he was considering relocating the embassy due to safety concerns. This event highlighted the intense political tensions and civil unrest that were gripping Chile at the time, with protesters demanding significant social and economic reforms.
10 Nov 2019 Evo Morales Resigns as President of Bolivia: President Evo Morales and several key government officials resigned following 19 days of civil protests and a recommendation from the military. The resignation came after widespread allegations of election irregularities and potential manipulation of the national election results.
11 Nov 2019 Australia Declares State of Emergency Due to Catastrophic Bushfires: Australia faced an unprecedented bushfire crisis with over 120 active fires, prompting a state of emergency declaration in two states. The Sydney region was under a catastrophic fire threat, highlighting the severe environmental and potential human impact of the ongoing wildfire season.
12 Nov 2019 Historic Spanish Coalition Government Formed: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from PSOE and Pablo Iglesias of Podemos announce a groundbreaking first coalition government in Spain's democratic history, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape.
13 Nov 2019 House Begins Public Impeachment Inquiry Hearings Against Trump: The House of Representatives launched public impeachment inquiry hearings, marking a significant escalation in the investigation of President Trump's actions regarding Ukraine. Key diplomats William Taylor and George Kent testified about the alleged withholding of military aid to pressure Ukraine into investigating political rivals. The hearings represented a critical moment in the impeachment process, with Democrats seeking to expose potential misconduct and Republicans defending the president.
14 Nov 2019 Bolivian Political Unrest: Tensions escalated in Bolivia as police used tear gas to disperse a peaceful pro-Morales counter-protest in La Paz. The authorities blocked approximately a dozen pro-Morales senators from entering the national legislature, prompting demonstrators to cry 'dictatorship' and engage in confrontational protests by throwing stones at police.
15 Nov 2019 Iran Internet Shutdown During Nationwide Protests: The Iranian government implemented a comprehensive internet blackout for five days to suppress information about widespread national protests triggered by sudden increases in gasoline prices. This internet shutdown marked the beginning of the most significant civil unrest in Iran in four decades, with demonstrations spreading across multiple cities and regions, highlighting deep-seated economic frustrations and political tensions.
16 Nov 2019 Election Violence in Sri Lanka: Gunmen Target Muslim Voters: On November 16, 2019, a tense election-related incident occurred near Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, where unidentified gunmen attempted to intimidate Muslim voters by firing shots at two buses transporting voters to polling stations. Despite the provocative attack, no casualties were reported, and the local law enforcement did not make any arrests at the time. This event highlights the underlying ethnic and religious tensions that have periodically disrupted Sri Lanka's democratic processes.
17 Nov 2019 First Known COVID-19 Case in Wuhan: The first scientifically documented case of COVID-19 was identified in a 55-year-old male patient who had visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This patient would later be recognized as a critical early indicator of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that would dramatically reshape global health and society in the following months.
18 Nov 2019 Pelosi Challenges Trump in Impeachment Inquiry: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally called on President Donald Trump to provide direct testimony in the ongoing House impeachment inquiry, escalating the political confrontation surrounding potential presidential misconduct.
19 Nov 2019 Deadly Protests in Bolivia Following Evo Morales' Removal: Violent confrontations erupted in Bolivia when police and military forces used armored vehicles and helicopters to break a blockade by supporters of former president Evo Morales. The operation resulted in at least three fatalities and 22 injuries, reflecting the intense political instability following Morales' controversial resignation.
20 Nov 2019 Sondland Testifies in Trump Impeachment Inquiry: The House impeachment inquiry continued with a pivotal public hearing featuring testimony from Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. Sondland was questioned about apparent inconsistencies in his previous closed-door testimony, focusing on the administration's interactions with Ukraine and potential political motivations behind diplomatic actions.
21 Nov 2019 Sondland Testifies on Trump-Ukraine Pressure: U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified that President Trump directly ordered him to collaborate with Rudy Giuliani to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and his son Hunter, a key moment in the impeachment inquiry.
22 Nov 2019 FCC Declares Huawei and ZTE National Security Risks: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted to label Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE as national security risks. This decision disqualifies them from the Universal Service Fund and mandates that national wireless carriers remove their products from existing networks. The companies were given 30 days to appeal the ruling, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-China technology tensions.
23 Nov 2019 2019 Samoa Measles Outbreak Emergency: The measles outbreak in the Pacific region escalated dramatically, with Tonga and Fiji declaring states of emergency. Samoa was particularly hard-hit, experiencing a rising death toll and widespread school closures, signaling a severe public health crisis.
24 Nov 2019 Hong Kong District Council Elections Record Turnout: Hong Kong experienced its largest ever district council elections, with millions of voters participating. The election served as a critical barometer for public sentiment regarding pro-democracy protests and the leadership of Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Voter turnout was exceptionally high, and protest groups maintained peaceful conduct during the electoral process.
25 Nov 2019 Catholic Priests Sentenced for Sexual Assault of Deaf Children: In a landmark case in Mendoza Province, Argentina, two Roman Catholic priests were sentenced to over 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting deaf children at a church school. The school's gardener was also convicted, receiving an 18-year sentence. The case represents a significant moment in addressing institutional sexual abuse.
26 Nov 2019 Devastating Earthquake in Western Albania: A powerful magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck western Albania, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The seismic event resulted in at least 52 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries, marking it as the world's deadliest earthquake in 2019 and the most catastrophic to hit Albania in nearly a century. The earthquake caused extensive structural damage to buildings and infrastructure, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the affected regions.
27 Nov 2019 Trump Signs Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act: U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law, despite strong diplomatic opposition from China, signaling U.S. support for Hong Kong's democratic movement.
28 Nov 2019 European Parliament Declares Climate Emergency: The European Parliament took a significant step in addressing global climate change by officially declaring a climate emergency on November 28, 2019. This declaration signaled the EU's commitment to more aggressive climate action and set the stage for potential policy reforms aimed at reducing carbon emissions and mitigating environmental risks.
29 Nov 2019 Hong Kong Protesters Thank U.S. for Human Rights Legislation: Thousands of Hong Kong demonstrators rallied to express gratitude for two U.S. laws supporting human rights in the city. President Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which mandates annual reviews of the city's autonomous status. While protesters celebrated, Chinese officials strongly condemned the legislation as 'gangster violence' and foreign interference. The act requires an annual assessment to justify Hong Kong's special trade status.
30 Nov 2019 Trump Impeachment Proceedings Escalate: President Trump was given a formal deadline to send legal counsel to participate in impeachment hearings, marking a critical stage in the congressional investigation into potential presidential misconduct.