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February 11

February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 323 days remaining until the end of the year (324 in leap years).

Events

• 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
• 55 - Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, dies under mysterious circumstances in Rome. This clears the way for Nero to become Emperor.
• 1531 - Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
• 1659 - The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses.
• 1752 - Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States, opens.
• 1790 - Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, petitions U.S. Congress for abolition of slavery.
• 1794 - First session of United States Senate open to the public.
• 1808 - Anthracite coal is first burned as fuel, experimentally.
• 1809 - Robert Fulton took out a patent for improvements to steamboat navigation
• 1812 - Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry gerrymanders for the first time.
• 1814 - Norway's independence is proclaimed, marking the ultimate end of the Kalmar Union.
• 1826 - University College London is founded under the name University of London.
• 1840 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Régiment receives its first performance in Paris.
• 1843 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi receives its first performance in Milan.
• 1855 - Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam.
• 1858 - The Blessed Virgin Mary reputedly appears to Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes.
• 1861 - American Civil War: United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
• 1873 - King Amadeus I of Spain abdicates.
• 1889 - Meiji constitution of Japan is adopted; the first Diet of Japan convenes in 1890.
• 1895 - The lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C is recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. This record was equalled on 10 January 1982 and again on 30 December 1995.
• 1902 - Police assault universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels.
• 1903 - Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna.
• 1905 - Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer nos.
• 1916 - Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing on birth control.
• 1919 - Friedrich Ebert (SPD), is elected President of Germany.
• 1929 - Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
• 1937 - A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers Union.
• 1938 - BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Capek play R.U.R., which coined the term "robot".
• 1939 - Lockheed P-38 flies from California to New York in 7 hours 2 minutes.
• 1941 - First Gold record is presented to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
• 1942 - The Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore during World War II.
• 1943 - World War II: General Dwight Eisenhower is selected to command the allied armies in Europe.
• 1948 - John Costello succeeds Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach of Ireland.
• 1953 - President Dwight Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.
• 1953 - The Soviet Union breaks off diplomatic relations with Israel.
• 1963 - Julia Child's show The French Chef premieres.
• 1964 - Greeks and Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus.
• 1964 - The Republic of China (Taiwan) breaks off diplomatic relations with France.
• 1968 - Israeli-Jordanian border clashes.
• 1971 - Eighty-seven countries, including the US, UK, and USSR, sign the Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons in international waters.
• 1973 - Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
• 1978 - Censorship: the People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, Shakespeare and Dickens.
• 1979 - Islamic revolution of Iran achieves victory under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
• 1981 - 100,000 gallons (380 m³) of radioactive coolant leak into the containment building of TVA Sequoyah 1 nuclear plant in Tennessee, contaminating 8 workers.
• 1987 - Philippines constitution goes into effect.
• 1990 - Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, is freed from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa.
• 1990 - Buster Douglas KO's "Iron" Mike Tyson in Tokyo, Japan.
• 1991 - UNPO, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, forms in The Hague, Netherlands.
• 1997 - Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
• 2007 - In Portugal, a national referendum legalizes non-therapeutic abortion when requested by the woman during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
• 2008 - In East Timor, assassination attempts were made on Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos-Horta. Both failed.

Births

• 1377 - King Ladislas of Naples (d. 1414)
• 1380 - Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini, Italian humanist (d. 1459)
• 1466 - Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII of England (d. 1503)
• 1535 - Pope Gregory XIV (d. 1591)
• 1568 - Honoré d'Urfé, French writer (d. 1625)
• 1649 - William Carstares, Scottish minister (d. 1715)
• 1657 - Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, French scientist and man of letters (d. 1757)
• 1755 - Albert Christoph Dies, German composer (d. 1822)
• 1764 - Marie-Joseph de Chenier, French poet (d. 1811)
• 1774 - Hans Järta, Swedish political activist (d. 1847)
• 1776 - Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greek diplomat of the Russian Empire and first head of state of independent Greece (d. 1831)
• 1799 - Basil Moreau, French Founder priest (d. 1873)
• 1800 - William Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and inventor (d. 1877)
• 1802 - Lydia Maria Child, American abolitionist (d. 1880)
• 1812 - Alexander Hamilton Stephens, American politician (d. 1883)
• 1813 - Otto Ludwig, German writer and critic (d. 1865)
• 1819 - Samuel Parkman Tuckerman, American composer (d. 1890)
• 1821 - Auguste-Édouard Mariette, French Egyptologist (d. 1881)
• 1830 - Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, Prussian musician (d. 1913)
• 1833 - Melville Weston Fuller, 8th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)
• 1839 - Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist (d. 1903)
• 1847 - Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor (d. 1931)
• 1860 - Rachilde, French author (d. 1953)
• 1869 - Helene Kroller-Muller, Dutch museum founder (d. 1939)
• 1869 - Else Lasker-Schüler, German writer (d. 1945)
• 1873 - Feodor Chaliapin, Russian singer (d. 1938)
• 1874 - Fritz Bennicke Hart, English-born composer (d. 1949)
• 1874 - Elsa Beskow, Swedish author (d. 1953)
• 1887 - John van Melle, South African writer (d. 1953)
• 1890 - David Drummond, Australian politician (d. 1965)
• 1891 - J.W. Hearne English cricketer (d. 1965)
• 1894 - Alfonso Leng, Chilean composer (d. 1974)
• 1898 - Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-born physicist (d. 1964)
• 1900 - Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher (d. 2002)
• 1900 - Josei Toda, Japanese educator (d. 1958)
• 1901 - Roddy Connolly, Irish politician, son of James Connolly (d. 1980)
• 1902 - Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect (d. 1971)
• 1903 - Hans Redlich, Austrian composer (d. 1968)
• 1904 - Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)
• 1908 - Philip Dunne, American screenwriter, director and producer (d. 1992)
• 1908 - Vivian Ernest Fuchs, English geologist (d. 1999)
• 1909 - Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)
• 1909 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director (d. 1993)
• 1912 - Roy Fuller, English writer (d. 1991)
• 1914 - Matt Dennis, American singer (d. 2002)
• 1915 - Patrick Leigh Fermor, English author
• 1917 - Sidney Sheldon, American author (d. 2007)
• 1919 - Eva Gabor, Hungarian-born actress (d. 1995)
• 1919 - Eddie Robinson, American football coach (d. 2007)
• 1920 - King Farouk I of Egypt (d. 1965)
• 1920 - Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)
• 1920 - Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., American general (d. 1978)
• 1921 - Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (d. 2006)
• 1921 - Edward Seidensticker, American scholar (d. 2007)
• 1925 - Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)
• 1926 - Paul Bocuse, French chef
• 1926 - Alexander Gibson, British conductor
• 1926 - Leslie Nielsen, Canadian actor
• 1930 - Roy De Forest, American Painter (d. 2007)
• 1931 - Larry Merchant, American sportswriter
• 1932 - Jerome Lowenthal, American pianist
• 1932 - Dennis Skinner, British politician
• 1934 - Mel Carnahan, American politician (d. 2000)
• 1934 - Tina Louise, American actress
• 1934 - Mary Quant, English fashion designer
• 1934 - John Surtees, MBE, English motorcycle and race car driver
• 1935 - Bent Lorentzen, Danish composer
• 1935 - Gene Vincent, American musician (d. 1971)
• 1936 - Burt Reynolds, American actor
• 1937 - Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer
• 1937 - Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1938 - Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer
• 1938 - Simone de Oliveira, Portuguese actress
• 1938 - Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general
• 1938 - Bobby "Boris" Pickett, American singer and songwriter (d. 2007)
• 1939 - Gerry Goffin, American lyricist
• 1939 - Jane Yolen, American author
• 1941 - Sergio Mendes, Brazilian musician
• 1943 - Serge Lama, French singer
• 1946 - Ian Porterfield, English footballer (d. 2007)
• 1947 - Joselito, Spanish singer
• 1947 - Derek Shulman, English musician
• 1953 - Philip Anglim, American actor
• 1953 - Jeb Bush, American politician
• 1954 - Noriyuki Asakura, Japanese composer
• 1954 - Wesley Strick, American screenwriter
• 1956 - H.R., American singer
• 1956 - Catherine Hickland, American actress
• 1956 - Didier Lockwood, French violinist
• 1959 - Roberto Moreno, Brazilian racing driver
• 1960 - Nick Currie, Scottish musician
• 1961 - Mary Docter, American speed skater
• 1961 - Carey Lowell, American actress
• 1962 - Tammy Baldwin, American politician
• 1962 - Sheryl Crow, American musician
• 1962 - Eric Vanderaerden, Belgian cyclist
• 1963 - José Mari Bakero, Spanish footballer
• 1963 - Diane Franklin, American actress
• 1964 - Ken Shamrock, American martial artist
• 1965 - Vicki Wilson, Australian netballer
• 1967 - Uwe Daßler, German swimmer
• 1967 - Hank Gathers, American basketball player (d. 1990)
• 1967 - Scott Shay, American linguist
• 1969 - Jennifer Aniston, American actress
• 1970 - Fredrik Thordendal, Swedish musician
• 1971 - Damian Lewis, British actor
• 1972 - Brian Daubach, American baseball player
• 1972 - Craig Jones, American musician
• 1972 - Steve Mcmanaman, English footballer
• 1972 - Kelly Slater, American surfer
• 1973 - Ethan Iverson, jazz pianist
• 1973 - Jeon Do-yeon, Korean actress
• 1973 - Varg Vikernes, Norwegian musician
• 1974 - D'Angelo, American singer
• 1974 - Alex Jones, American radio host
• 1974 - Zain Verjee, American newsreporter
• 1975 - Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player
• 1975 - Andy Lally, American race car driver
• 1976 - Brice Beckham, American actor
• 1976 - André Wickström, Finland-Swedish comedian and actor
• 1977 - Mike Shinoda, American musician, Linkin Park, Fort Minor
• 1979 - Brandy, American singer and actress
• 1980 - Marco Bresciano, Australian soccer player
• 1980 - Titi Buengo, Angolan footballer
• 1980 - Matthew Lawrence, American actor
• 1980 - Cormac McAnallen, Northern Irish Gaelic footballer (d. 2004)
• 1981 - Kelly Rowland, American singer
• 1981 - Scot Thompson, American soccer player
• 1982 - Neil Robertson, Australian snooker player
• 1983 - Nicki Clyne, Canadian actress
• 1983 - Huang Shengyi, Chinese actress
• 1983 - Rafael Van der Vaart, Dutch footballer
• 1984 - Matt Good, American musician
• 1984 - Aubrey O'Day, American singer
• 1985 - Mike Richards, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1990 - Princess Ayah of Jordan
• 1992 - Taylor Lautner, American actor
• 1992 - Blair Dunlop, English actor
• 1994 - Dominic Janes, American actor

Deaths

• 641 - Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium
• 731 - Pope Gregory II
• 821 - Saint Benedict of Aniane
• 824 - Pope Paschal I
• 1141 - Hugo of St. Victor, German philosopher and theologian
• 1160 - Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Japanese general (b. 1123)
• 1503 - Elizabeth of York, queen consort of Henry VII of England (b. 1466)
• 1511 - Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
• 1626 - Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician (b. 1552)
• 1650 - René Descartes, French philosopher (b. 1596)
• 1685 - David Teniers III, Flemish painter (b. 1638)
• 1713 - Jahandar Shah, Mughal emperor of India (b. 1664)
• 1755 - Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist (b. 1675)
• 1762 - Johann Tobias Krebs, German composer (b. 1690)
• 1763 - William Shenstone, English poet (b. 1714)
• 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne, French composer (b. 1713)
• 1829 - Alexandr Griboyedov, Russian playwright (b. 1795)
• 1862 - Elizabeth Siddal, British poet and artist (b. 1829)
• 1868 - Léon Foucault, French astronomer (b. 1819)
• 1879 - Honoré Daumier, French caricaturist and painter (b. 1808)
• 1917 - Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician (b. 1872)
• 1923 - Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician (b. 1847)
• 1931 - Charles Algernon Parsons, British inventor (b. 1854)
• 1939 - Franz Schmidt, Austrian composer (b. 1874)
• 1940 - John Buchan, Governor-General of Canada (b. 1875)
• 1945 - Al Dubin, Swiss songwriter (b. 1891)
• 1948 - Sergei Eisenstein, Latvian film director (b. 1898)
• 1954 - Adolph M. Christianson, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (b. 1877)
• 1958 - Ernest Jones, British psychonanalyst (b. 1879)
• 1959 - Marshall Teague, American race car driver (b. 1922)
• 1963 - Sylvia Plath, American writer (b. 1932)
• 1968 - Howard Lindsay, American playwright (b. 1888)
• 1972 - Jan Wils, Dutch architect (b. 1891)
• 1973 - Hans D Jensen, German physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1907)
• 1975 - Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy soldier and statesman, assassinated (b. 1931)
• 1976 - Lee J Cobb, American actor (b. 1911)
• 1976 - Alexander Lippisch, German scientist (b. 1894)
• 1976 - Frank Arnau, German writer (b. 1894)
• 1977 - Louis Beel, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1902)
• 1978 - James B Conant, American chemist and university president (b. 1893)
• 1978 - Harry Martinson, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1904)
• 1982 - Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (b. 1912)
• 1982 - Takashi Shimura, Japanese actor (b. 1905)
• 1985 - Ben Abruzzo, American businessman and balloonist (b. 1930)
• 1985 - Henry Hathaway, American actor and director (b. 1898)
• 1985 - Heinz Eric Roemheld, American composer (b. 1901)
• 1986 - Frank Herbert, American author (b. 1920)
• 1986 - Evelio Javier, Filipino politician, lawyer, and civil servant (b. 1942)
• 1987 - Sadequain, famous Pakistani painter and artist. (b. 1930)
• 1989 - George O'Hanlon, American actor and director (b. 1912)
• 1991 - Robert W. Holley, American biochemist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1922)
• 1994 - Neil Bonnett, American race car driver (b. 1946)
• 1994 - Sorrell Booke, American actor (b. 1930)
• 1994 - William Conrad, American actor (b. 1920)
• 1996 - Kebby Musokotwane, Prime Minister of Zambia (b. 1946)
• 1996 - Cyril Poole, English cricketer (b. 1921)
• 1996 - Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet (b. 1930)
• 1997 - Barry Evans, English actor (b. 1943)
• 1997 - Don Porter, American actor (b. 1912)
• 2000 - Roger Vadim, French director (b. 1928)
• 2000 - Jacqueline Auriol, French aviatrix (b. 1917)
• 2002 - Frank Crosetti, baseball player (b. 1910)
• 2002 - Barry Foster, British actor (b. 1931)
• 2004 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (b. 1925)
• 2005 - Jack L. Chalker, American author (b. 1944)
• 2006 - Jockey Shabalala, South African singer (b. 1943)
• 2006 - Peter Benchley, American author (b. 1940)
• 2006 - Jackie Pallo, wrestler (b. 1926)
• 2007 - Marianne Fredriksson, Swedish author (b. 1927)
• 2008 - Tom Lantos, member of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1928)
• 2008 - Frank Piasecki, American aeronautical designer (b. 1919)

Holidays and observances

• Catholicism - Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes
• National Foundation Day in Japan
• National Youth Day in Cameroon
• National Inventors' Day in the United States.
• February 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada