InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels

By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — With the arrival of November, here are some holidays, events, recipes and trivia associated with this month.

The November birthstone is Topaz and Citrine. The birth flower is Chrysanthemum. Zodiac signs are Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) and Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).

HOLIDAYS:

• Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
• Nov. 23 — Thanksgiving Day

TRIVIA:

• Black Friday is the term used for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. and generally marks the beginning of Christmas shopping season. Many stores and businesses offer major sales and often have extended hours. Black Friday has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States.
• Cyber Monday is the online equivalent to Black Friday, offering sales for online Christmas shopping. Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving.
• According to the National Turkey Federation, an estimated 88 percent of Americans consume Thanksgiving turkey each year. Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this translates to more than 46 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving.
• In 1954, frozen food company C.A. Swanson & Sons over-ordered for Thanksgiving and found themselves scrambling to figure out a way to sell more than 500,000 pounds of leftover turkey. Swanson salesman Gerry Thomas, inspired by the metal meal trays used by airlines and the meal kits he encountered during his time in the military, developed a three-compartment tray that could hold a frozen dinner and keep each component separate. He called the product a “TV dinner,” drawing on the growing popularity of televisions at that time. Although Thomas was not the first person to come up with the idea of a portable, frozen meal, the clever marketing made TV dinners an instant hit. The meals flew off the shelves, selling more than 10 million units in the first year.

RECIPES FOR THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS:

• Stuffing Crust Turkey Potpie
• Turkey Bundles
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• Cream of Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
• Turkey Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY:

• Nov. 1, 1848 — The first medical school for women opened in Boston. The Boston Female Medical School was founded by Samuel Gregory with just twelve students. In 1874, the school merged with the Boston University School of Medicine, becoming one of the first co-ed medical schools.
• Nov. 9, 1872 — The Great Boston Fire started in a dry-goods warehouse then spread rapidly in windy weather, destroying nearly 800 buildings. Damage was estimated at more than $75 million. The fire’s bright red glare could be seen in the sky for nearly 100 miles.
• Nov. 5, 1872 — Women’s right activist, Susan B Anthony, was arrested because she and a group of other women cast their ballots in Rochester, NY.

10 Songs About November:

• Fall Into November – Folk Implosion
• November Rain – Guns & Roses
• November Tale – The Waterboys
• November Has Come – Gorillaz
• November Boogie – Sonny Boy Williamson
• November – Tom Waits
• November 18th – Drake
• Gone Til November – Wyclef Jean
• November – Emerson Drive
• November Rains – Harry Chapin

THIS MONTH IN MUSIC:

• Nov. 15, 2015 —  Pentatonix becomes the first a capella group to score a US #1 album when their self-titled release tops the chart.
• Nov. 10, 2002 — “8 Mile,” starring Eminem, tops the box office while his song from the film,  “Lose Yourself,” sits at #1, making him the first performer since Prince (Purple Rain and “When Doves Cry”) in 1984 with a song and movie simultaneously at #1.
• Nov. 14, 1987 — The “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack hits #1 in America. Even though it was set in 1963, the movie featured modern, original songs “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” and “Hungry Eyes.”  

THIS MONTH IN SPORTS:

• Nov. 2, 2016 — The Cubs won the 2016 World Series in a thrilling Game 7 vs. the Indians, ending a century-old drought and the Curse of the Billy Goat.
• Nov. 11, 2007 — Brett Favre joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw for 60,000 yards in a career during the second quarter of Green Bay’s 34-0 win over Minnesota.
• Nov. 3, 1962 — SF Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scores 72 points in 127-115 defeat to LA Lakers at LA Memorial Sports Arena; then 4th-highest point total in NBA history; remains 6th highest game total.

EVENTS:

• Nov. 1 — 2023 Adopt a Family Sign-Up Day, 9 a.m. to noon, Combined Community Services, 1195 Mariners Drive, Warsaw.
• Nov. 4 — 9th Annual Run for Autism 5K and 1-Mile Event, 8 a.m., Wawasee High School, Syracuse.
• Nov. 10 — Food-A-Thon 2023, 6 a.m. through 1 p.m. Nov. 11, Combined Community Services, 1305 Mariners Drive, Warsaw.
• Nov. 13 — Atwood Community Bingo, 8-10 p.m., Atwood Community Building, 213 E. Hovey St.