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But, first here are a couple of newsy must-know items. Were you aware that  currently the average price of tooth fairy payouts is $4.58 per baby tooth? Holy cow! And, furthermore, 86% of tooth fairies put cash under the children’s pillows while 1% of them pay out in Bitcoin!

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There is hope on the horizon for those who lose their luggage while traveling by air. Doesn’t seem possible but there is actually compensation for checked baggage delays, or their loss, according to both national and international law. Contact AirHelp, if that applies to you, where you will find instructions for obtaining replacement value from any airline. Better still, AirHelp claims to help recover compensation for canceled or delayed flights! Raise your hand if you believe this.

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In 1904, most of America’s roads were impassable in winter. Tires were large and narrow, limiting their traction. Many drivers simply stored their cars during the frigid months and traveled by horse-drawn sleighs until the spring thaw. But, machinist Harry D. Weed changed all that when he invented tire chains. He was inspired upon seeing drivers wrap their tires with ropes.

His original version required drivers to deflate their tires, wrap and secure the chains around them, and then reinflate them. His success was bolstered in part due to Harry Houdini who in 1908 had his body wrapped in chains before an audience. It took slippery Harry only 30 minutes to free himself. This somehow convinced the believing chumps that they, too, could free themselves from a snowbank in only 30 minutes! Poor schmucks.

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And now for a random smattering of spicy facts about November. In particular, the 11th of November…..

Nov. 11 is the largest shopping holiday in the world. It takes place in China and was created by Alibaba in 2009. Celebrating being single, it encourages self-centered people to treat themselves … or in other words, practice full-fledged squandermania. That is to say self-serving people have a field day being selfish. Guess they don’t have Sunday School lessons in China.

On a tastier note, Nov. 11th is National Sundae Day in America. It is a day to pour on the toppings and enjoy the deliciousness with your best friends … none of whom is a self centered Alibaba devotee.

Joseph Heller claimed Nov. 11th fame in 1960 when he released “Catch-22.” The satirical story of WWll pointed out the absurdity of war. It quickly became an American classic and even influenced the anti-war movement of the 1960s. Sadly, though, it did not prevent any subsequent wars.

Finally, at last! On Nov. 11th, 1992, the Church of England approved the ordination of female priests. Crikey. It was about time!

If you’ve ever folded hysterically teeny pieces of Japanese paper into crane-like figures, you have the 11th to thank, for this was the day this insanity was created. It’s called origami and is enjoyed by people around the globe … people who have been influenced by the Japanese who, from time immemorial, have been looking for ways in which to unhinge themselves.

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen changed the world on Nov. 11th when he discovered the x-ray. It significantly advanced the field of radiology. It also won him the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901. Now, there was a man who listened to his Sunday School teachers and truly helped mankind.

Here’s something you didn’t know. Westinghouse and General Electric should stand aside for on the 11th in 1920, Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard received a patent for the invention of the Einstein refrigerator! It required no moving parts, making it completely silent and environmentally friendly. I wonder if it did, notwithstanding, require a hack saw and ax to defrost it? Remember those days?

Khan Noonien Singh was the fellow who joined Star Wars on Nov. 11,1966. May the peace …..

Lake Superior in Minnesota was the scene of utmost sadness on Nov.11, 1975, when the large American cargo ship, The Edmund Fitzgerald, sank. The tragic event resulted in the death of 29 crew members. Duluth has a day of remembrance every year to honor these fallen seamen.

Michael Jackson’s “Black and White” music video premiered on Nov. 11, 1991. The goal was to promote racial unity and was a worldwide success. It topped the charts, becoming Jackson’s fastest single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Oh, woe is us. Where is it now that we need it more than ever?

Going way, way back in history, on Nov. 11, 1620, the Mayflower Compact was signed aboard the ship Mayflower by 41 male passengers. It was the first governing document created by the Plymouth Colony and laid the foundation for self governance in the New World. It was so powerful, it set a precedent for future democratic practices. Wonder if our new president will claim that he was one of the signers?

Jumping ahead 373 years, Microsoft released the first version of Windows 3.11 on Nov. 11, 1993. The operating system (also called Windows for Workgroups), added networking capabilities, launching Microsoft into the world of networked computing. We never looked back …..

Hold onto your hats for this one. On Nov. 11, 1919, the first official flight between the United Kingdom and Australia took off. The flight required 27 days—I repeat days—to complete. Nonetheless, it marked a milestone in the history of aviation. It also explained why kangaroos never tried to visit England. Their hops didn’t go that far.

On the silly side, Nov. 11 is National Pocky Day in Japan. Hard to believe, I know, but the biscuit stick dipped in chocolate, which was first introduced in 1966, has become a popular world-wide snack. Yet another explanation for why the universe is so pudgy.

This one is for you basketball fans. On Nov. 11, 1891, James Naismith drafted and composed the first official basketball playbook. The original manuscript contained a list of 13 fundamental rules for the sport. I wonder if James ever dreamed the players would one day wear earrings and dreadlocks?

On Nov. 11, 1965, African American inventor Frederick McKinley Jones received a patent for a mobile refrigeration system used to transport perishable goods. This was huge for it revolutionized the food transportation industry and is still used for shipping groceries and frozen foods today. Haagen Dazs should bow down in gratitude.

But, quite possibly the most portentous, most consequential event in the history of the world happened on Nov. 11, 1992. The world premier of the iconic psychological thriller “Silence of the Lambs” hit the cinema stage. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins helped win five Academy Awards for the film. By all measures, it demonstrates even more than National Pocky Day or National Sundae Day, why we folks today are the intellectuals that we are.

So, as we leave November, let’s remember to give this month its due for truly it was a cluster of only thirty days that changed our world.