COUNTDOWN TO NOVEMBER 15TH

November 15th

In Brazil, November 15 is a national holiday marking the 1889 Proclamation of the Republic — and the date carries more history around the world.

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Next: Sunday, November 15, 2026.

What Makes This Day Special

November 15th
Significance

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Proclamation of the Republic Day in Brazil

November 15 is Proclamação da República, one of Brazil's national public holidays (feriado nacional), first set in federal law in 1949. It marks November 15, 1889, when a military movement led by Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital, overthrew the monarchy of Emperor Pedro II. Banks, government offices and most businesses close, and the day is marked with civic and military ceremonies. Because the date is fixed, it falls on a different weekday each year — in 2026 it is a Sunday.

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What November 15 Means for Brazil

The proclamation ended the Empire of Brazil, which had existed since independence from Portugal in 1822. The new state took the name Republic of the United States of Brazil, with Deodoro heading a provisional government and becoming the first president. Pedro II and the imperial family were sent into exile in Europe within days. The republic was not created by popular vote: it came from a largely bloodless military coup backed by republican civilians, and Brazil's first republican constitution followed in February 1891.

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King's Feast in Belgium

In Belgium, November 15 is the King's Feast (Fête du Roi / Koningsfeest), celebrated on this date since 1866. November 15 is the feast day of Saint Leopold and, in the general Roman calendar, Saint Albert, names borne by several Belgian kings. A Te Deum is sung and a ceremony is held at the Federal Parliament. It is a day off for federal civil servants but not a general public holiday.

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America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day is observed in the United States on November 15. It was launched in 1997 by the National Recycling Coalition and has been run by Keep America Beautiful since 2009. Communities, schools and businesses use the day to encourage recycling and buying products made from recycled materials.

Historical Events

This Day
in History

1889

Brazil Becomes a Republic

On the morning of November 15, 1889, Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca led army units in Rio de Janeiro in a coup that deposed Emperor Pedro II. Republican leaders including Benjamin Constant and Quintino Bocaiúva backed the movement, and a provisional republican government was declared that same day. The 64-year-old emperor accepted his removal and left with his family for exile in Europe. He died in Paris in 1891.

1777

Articles of Confederation Approved

After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation and sent them to the states for ratification. They took effect on March 1, 1781, when Maryland became the last state to ratify. Under the Articles, Congress could not levy taxes or regulate trade, weaknesses that led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

1920

First Assembly of the League of Nations

The League of Nations held its first Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 15, 1920. Created after World War I to settle disputes peacefully, the League struggled without the United States as a member and could not prevent World War II. It was formally replaced by the United Nations in 1946.

1926

NBC Makes Its First Network Broadcast

The National Broadcasting Company, formed by RCA earlier in 1926, made its inaugural broadcast on November 15 with a four-hour gala from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The program was carried by about 25 stations, as far west as Kansas City. NBC became the first permanent radio network in the United States and later one of the major American television networks.