On This Day in History — December 11

Highlights of December 11

• 2024 — Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were found guilty of the murder of Sara Sharif, and were sentenced to life imprisonment. Read more
• 2008 — American stockbroker Bernie Madoff was arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest in history. Read more
• 2008 — American stockbroker Bernie Madoff was arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest in history. Read more
• 2006 — The first action in the Mexican drug war began as President Felipe Calderón ordered Mexican soldiers and Federal Police units into the state of Michoacán. Read more
• 2006 — Criticized worldwide as a "meeting of Holocaust deniers", the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust opened in Tehran. Read more
• 2005 — Demonstrations in Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, against recent violence towards locals turned into a series of race riots. Read more
• 1972 — Apollo 17 (Lunar Roving Vehicle pictured), the last Apollo mission, landed on the Moon. Read more
• 1925 — Pope Pius XI promulgated the encyclical Quas primas, establishing the Feast of Christ the King. Read more
• 1920 — Irish War of Independence: Following an Irish Republican Army ambush of an Auxiliary patrol, British forces burned and looted numerous buildings in Cork. Read more
• 1907 — The original Parliament House in Wellington, New Zealand, was destroyed by fire (pictured). Read more
• 1899 — Second Boer War: In the Battle of Magersfontein, Boers defeated British forces trying to relieve the Siege of Kimberley. Read more
• 1886 — The London-based football club Arsenal, then known as Dial Square, played their first match on the Isle of Dogs. Read more
• 1789 — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (structure pictured), one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the only one to award degrees in the 18th century, was chartered. Read more
• 1640 — A crowd of 1,500 people presented the Root and Branch petition to the Long Parliament, calling for abolishing the episcopacy of the Church of England. Read more
• 861 — The Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil was assassinated by his guards, beginning the Anarchy at Samarra. Read more

Events

• 2020 — The Food and Drug Administration issues an Emergency Use Authorization on the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the agency. Read more
• 2019 — The results of the 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum are announced. The results are overwhelmingly one-sided. Over 98% of voters vote for Bougainville's independence. Read more
• 2017 — New York City Subway bombing: A pipe bomb partially detonates in the New York City Subway, in the Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal. Four people are injured, including the perpetrator. Read more
• 2012 — At least 125 people are killed and up to 200 injured in bombings in the Alawite village of Aqrab, Syria. Read more
• 2009 — Finnish game developer Rovio Entertainment releases the hit mobile game Angry Birds internationally on iOS. Read more
• 2008 — Bernie Madoff is arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Read more
• 2007 — Insurgency in the Maghreb: Two car bombs explode in Algiers, Algeria, one near the Supreme Constitutional Court and the other near the offices of the United Nations. Read more
• 2006 — The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust is opened in Tehran, Iran, by then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; nations such as Israel and the United States express concern. Read more
• 2006 — Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán. This effort is often regarded as the first event in the Mexican drug war. Read more
• 2005 — The Buncefield Oil Depot catches fire in Hemel Hempstead, England. Read more
• 2005 — Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese in Cronulla, New South Wales; these are followed up by retaliatory ethnic attacks on Cronulla. Read more
• 2001 — China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO). Read more
• 1999 — SATA Air Açores Flight 530M crashes into Pico da Esperança on São Jorge Island in the Azores, killing 35. Read more
• 1998 — Thai Airways Flight 261 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101. The pilot flying the Airbus A310-200 is thought to have suffered spatial disorientation. Read more
• 1997 — The Kyoto Protocol, an agreement committing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opens for signature. Read more
• 1994 — First Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya. Read more
• 1994 — A bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, en route from Manila, Philippines, to Tokyo, Japan, killing one. The captain is able to land the plane safely. Read more
• 1993 — A block of the Highland Towers condominium complex collapses following a landslide caused by heavy rain and water flowing from a construction site at Ampang district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 48 of its residents die, including one who died in hospital after being rescued alive, leaving only two survivors. Read more
• 1990 — Demonstrations by students and workers across Albania begin, which eventually trigger the fall of communism in Albania. Read more
• 1990 — Several fatal collisions in the 1990 Interstate 75 fog disaster result in a total of 12 deaths and 42 being injured Read more
• 1988 — A Soviet Air Force Il-76 aircraft crashes while participating in the Armenian earthquake relief, killing 78 people. Read more
• 1981 — El Mozote massacre: Armed forces in El Salvador kill an estimated 900 civilians in an anti-guerrilla campaign during the Salvadoran Civil War. Read more
• 1980 — The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also known as Superfund) is enacted by the U.S. Congress. Read more
• 1978 — The Lufthansa heist is committed by a group led by Lucchese family associate Jimmy Burke. It was the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil, at that time. Read more
• 1972 — Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and final Apollo mission to land on the Moon. Read more
• 1964 — Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Read more
• 1962 — Arthur Lucas, convicted of murder, is the last person to be executed in Canada. Read more
• 1960 — French forces crack down in a violent clash with protesters in French Algeria during a visit by French president Charles de Gaulle. Read more
• 1958 — French Upper Volta and French Dahomey gain self-government from France, becoming the Republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin), respectively, and joining the French Community. Read more
• 1948 — Arab–Israeli War: The United Nations passes General Assembly Resolution 194, creating a Conciliation Commission to mediate the conflict. Read more
• 1946 — The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, following the Americans' declaration of war on the Empire of Japan in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States, in turn, declares war on them. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: Poland declares war on the Empire of Japan. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy suffers its first loss of surface vessels during the Battle of Wake Island. Read more
• 1937 — Second Italo-Ethiopian War: Italy leaves the League of Nations. Read more
• 1936 — Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII's abdication as King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India, becomes effective. Read more
• 1934 — Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, takes his last drink and enters treatment for the final time. Read more
• 1931 — Statute of Westminster 1931: The British Parliament establishes legislative equality between the UK and the Dominions of the Commonwealth—Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland. Read more
• 1927 — Guangzhou Uprising: Communist Red Guards launch an uprising in Guangzhou, China, taking over most of the city and announcing the formation of a Guangzhou Soviet. Read more
• 1925 — Roman Catholic papal encyclical Quas primas introduces the Feast of Christ the King. Read more
• 1920 — Irish War of Independence: In retaliation for a recent IRA ambush, British forces burn and loot numerous buildings in Cork city. Many civilians report being beaten, shot at, robbed and verbally abused by British forces. Read more
• 1917 — World War I: British General Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot and declares martial law. Read more
• 1913 — More than two years after it was stolen from the Louvre, Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa is recovered in Florence, Italy. The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, is immediately arrested. Read more
• 1907 — The New Zealand Parliament Buildings are almost completely destroyed by fire. Read more
• 1905 — A workers' uprising occurs in Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), and establishes the Shuliavka Republic. Read more
• 1901 — Guglielmo Marconi transmits the first transatlantic radio signal from Poldhu, Cornwall, England to St. John's, Newfoundland. Read more
• 1899 — Second Boer War: In the Battle of Magersfontein the Boers commanded by general Piet Cronjé inflict a defeat on the forces of the British Empire commanded by Lord Methuen trying to relieve the Siege of Kimberley. Read more
• 1868 — Paraguayan War: Brazilian troops defeat the Paraguayan Army at the Battle of Avay. Read more
• 1862 — American Civil War: The Battle of Fredericksburg begins as the Army of the Potomac under Union General Ambrose Burnside crosses the Rappahannock River to clash with the Army of Northern Virginia led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Read more
• 1816 — Indiana becomes the 19th U.S. state. Read more
• 1815 — The U.S. Senate creates a select committee on finance and a uniform national currency, predecessor of the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Read more
• 1792 — French Revolution: King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention. Read more
• 1688 — Glorious Revolution: James II of England, while trying to flee to France, throws the Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames. Read more
• 1675 — Antonio de Vea expedition enters San Rafael Lake in western Patagonia. Read more
• 1640 — The Root and Branch petition, signed by 15,000 Londoners calling for the abolition of the episcopacy, is presented to the Long Parliament. Read more
• 1602 — A surprise attack by forces under the command of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva. (Commemorated annually by the Fête de l'Escalade.) Read more
• 1317 — The Nyköping Banquet (Swedish: Nyköpings gästabud) takes place as King Birger of Sweden celebrates Christmas at Nyköping Castle. Among the guests are his two brothers Duke Valdemar and Duke Eric, who later that night are imprisoned and eventually starved to death in the castle dungeon. Read more
• 1282 — Battle of Orewin Bridge: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri near Builth Wells in mid-Wales. Read more
• 1239 — Treaty of Benavente: the heiresses of the Kingdom of León renounce their throne to King Ferdinand III of Castile Read more
• 1041 — Michael V, adoptive son of Empress Zoë of Byzantium, is proclaimed emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Read more

Born on December 11

• 2000 — Onyeka Okongwu, American basketball player Read more
• 1997 — Matthew Tkachuk, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1996 — Hailee Steinfeld, American actress, singer and songwriter Read more
• 1995 — Abbi Grant, Scottish footballer Read more
• 1993 — Yalitza Aparicio, Mexican actress Read more
• 1992 — Tiffany Alvord, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1992 — Malcolm Brogdon, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — Alexa Demie, American actress and singer Read more
• 1989 — Kellie Harrington, Irish boxer Read more
• 1988 — Tim Southee, New Zealand cricketer Read more
• 1987 — Violetta Bock, German politician Read more
• 1987 — Clifton Geathers, American football player Read more
• 1987 — Alex Russell, Australian actor Read more
• 1987 — Miranda Tapsell, Australian actress Read more
• 1986 — Roy Hibbert, American basketball player Read more
• 1985 — Karla Souza, Mexican actress Read more
• 1984 — Leighton Baines, English footballer Read more
• 1984 — Sandra Echeverría, Mexican actress and singer Read more
• 1984 — James Ellsworth, American wrestler Read more
• 1984 — Xosha Roquemore, American actress Read more
• 1982 — Roman Harper, American football player Read more
• 1982 — Pablo Pérez Companc, Argentine race car driver Read more
• 1981 — Rebekkah Brunson, American basketball player and coach Read more
• 1981 — Jason Kennedy, American journalist Read more
• 1981 — Jeff McComsey, American author and illustrator Read more
• 1981 — Paul Medhurst, Australian footballer Read more
• 1981 — Javier Saviola, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1980 — Adi Keissar, Israeli poet Read more
• 1980 — Kristjan Kitsing, Estonian basketball player Read more
• 1979 — Colleen Hoover, American author Read more
• 1979 — Valdis Mintals, Estonian figure skater Read more
• 1979 — Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more
• 1978 — Roy Wood, Jr., American comedian, actor, and radio host Read more
• 1977 — Mark Streit, Swiss ice hockey player Read more
• 1976 — Shareef Abdur-Rahim, American basketball player, coach, and manager Read more
• 1976 — Yujiro Shirakawa, Japanese actor Read more
• 1975 — Gerben de Knegt, Dutch cyclist Read more
• 1974 — Maarten Lafeber, Dutch golfer Read more
• 1974 — Rey Mysterio, American wrestler Read more
• 1974 — Lisa Ortiz, American theatre and voice actress Read more

Died on December 11

• 2024 — David Bonderman, American billionaire businessman (born 1942) Read more
• 2024 — Khalil Haqqani, Afghan politician and warlord (born 1966) Read more
• 2024 — Purushottam Upadhyay, Indian musician, singer and composer (born 1934) Read more
• 2023 — Andre Braugher, American actor (born 1962) Read more
• 2021 — Anne Rice, American author (born 1941) Read more
• 2020 — James Flynn, New Zealand intelligence researcher. (born 1934) Read more
• 2017 — Keith Chegwin, British TV presenter (born 1957) Read more
• 2015 — Abish Kekilbayev, Kazakh academic and politician (born 1939) Read more
• 2015 — H. Arnold Steinberg, Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and academic (born 1933) Read more
• 2015 — Hema Upadhyay, Indian painter and sculptor (born 1972) Read more
• 2015 — John "Hot Rod" Williams, American basketball player (born 1962) Read more
• 2015 — Ken Woolley, Australian architect (born 1933) Read more
• 2014 — Hans Wallat, German conductor and director (born 1929) Read more
• 2013 — Nadir Afonso, Portuguese painter and architect (born 1920) Read more
• 2013 — Barbara Branden, Canadian-American author and academic (born 1929) Read more
• 2013 — Javier Jáuregui (boxer), Mexican boxer (born 1973) Read more
• 2013 — Sheikh Mussa Shariefi, Indian philosopher and scholar (born 1942) Read more
• 2012 — Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano and actress (born 1926) Read more
• 2012 — Mendel Weinbach, Polish-Israeli rabbi and scholar (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — Ravi Shankar, Indian-American sitar player and composer (born 1920) Read more
• 2011 — John Patrick Foley, American cardinal (born 1935) Read more
• 2010 — Dick Hoerner, American football player (born 1922) Read more
• 2008 — Bettie Page, American model (born 1923) Read more
• 2004 — José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (born 1962) Read more
• 2004 — Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand runner and coach (born 1917) Read more
• 2003 — Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian author and playwright (born 1927) Read more
• 2001 — Mainza Chona, Zambian lawyer and politician, first Prime Minister of Zambia (born 1930) Read more
• 2000 — Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, Pakistani politician and diplomat (born 1915) Read more
• 2000 — David Lewis, American actor (born 1916) Read more
• 1998 — André Lichnerowicz, French physicist and mathematician (born 1915) Read more
• 1998 — Lynn Strait, American singer-songwriter (born 1968) Read more
• 1997 — Eddie Chapman, English spy (born 1914) Read more
• 1997 — Simon Jeffes, English guitarist and composer (born 1949) Read more
• 1996 — Willie Rushton, English cartoonist, author, and publisher, co-founded Private Eye (born 1937) Read more
• 1995 — Greg Bahnsen, American minister and philosopher (born 1948) Read more
• 1994 — Philip Phillips, American archaeologist and scholar (born 1900) Read more
• 1991 — Robert Q. Lewis, American actor, comedian, game show host/panelist, and television personality (born 1921) Read more
• 1991 — Artur Lundkvist, Swedish author and critic (born 1906) Read more
• 1989 — Louise Dahl-Wolfe, American photographer (born 1895) Read more
• 1987 — G. A. Kulkarni, Indian author and academic (born 1923) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Cian; Christian feast day: Daniel the Stylite; Christian feast day: María de las Maravillas de Jesús; Christian feast day: Pope Damasus I; Christian feast day: Sabinus of Piacenza; Christian feast day: Victoricus, Fuscian, and Gentian; Christian feast day: December 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Establishment of Kurdish Women's Union (Iraqi Kurdistan); Indiana Day (United States); International Mountain Day; National Tango Day (Argentina); Pampanga Day (Pampanga province, Philippines); Republic Day, the day when Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community in 1958. (Burkina Faso)

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