Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 92 years ago

A huge Spokesman-Review headline blared, “WORLD WAR ENDED – Huns Everywhere Suffer Defeat.”

Nov. 11, 1918, was the day the armistice was signed, putting an end to World War I. The Spokesman-Review rushed out with a special edition. The news came across the wire just after midnight and Spokane began celebrating immediately.

“Within five minutes, whistles were blowing throughout the city,” said the paper. “Crowds on the street sprang up as if by magic. Hotel lobbies were filled and cigar stores drew patrons thought to have been in bed. Yells of joy resounded throughout the streets.”

Yet not all was joy. In another story in that day’s paper, a Pullman family received a telegram saying that their son, Sgt. Frank Hamelius, had died in action. The day before, the paper ran a story about Norene Royer, a recent graduate of Sacred Heart Hospital’s nursing school, who became the first nurse from the Northwest to die in France. She died of pneumonia.

A year later, Nov. 11 was declared as Armistice Day. In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1889: Washington became the 42nd state. … 1921: The remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.