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On This Day in History — February 11

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Highlights of February 11

2018 — Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashed shortly after take-off in Russia due to icing conditions, killing all 71 people on board. Read more
2015 — Turkish student Özgecan Aslan was murdered during a rape attempt, sparking mass demonstrations across the country after her body was discovered two days later. Read more
2008 — Rebel East Timorese soldiers invaded the homes of President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, seriously wounding the former. Read more
2001 — The computer worm Anna Kournikova, which would affect millions of users worldwide, was released by a 20-year-old Dutch student. Read more
1990 — Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, having been a political prisoner for 27 years, was released from Victor Verster Prison near Paarl, South Africa. Read more
1976 — The Frente de Liberación Homosexual made their final public appearance, shortly before the group's dissolution due to political repression after the Argentine coup d'état. Read more
1938 — The BBC aired an adaptation of a section of Czech writer Karel Čapek's play R.U.R. in the first broadcast of science fiction on television. Read more
1919 — Friedrich Ebert was elected the provisional president of Germany by the Weimar National Assembly. Read more
1851 — As part of celebrations marking the separation of Victoria from New South Wales, the inaugural first-class cricket match in Australia began at the Launceston Racecourse in Tasmania. Read more
1840 — La fille du régiment (audio featured), an opéra comique by Gaetano Donizetti, premiered in Paris to highly negative reviews but later became a success. Read more
1826 — London University, later University College London (pictured), was founded as the first secular university in England. Read more
1823 — Around 110 boys were killed in a human crush at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti (corridor pictured) in Valletta on the last day of the Maltese Carnival. Read more
1584 — Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa founded the town of Nombre de Jesús, the first of two short-lived colonies at the Strait of Magellan. Read more

Events

2024 — 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is elected as the 13th president of Finland. Read more
2020 — COVID-19 pandemic: The World Health Organization officially names the coronavirus outbreak as COVID-19, with the virus being designated SARS-CoV-2. Read more
2018 — Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashes near Moscow, Russia with 71 deaths and no survivors. Read more
2017 — North Korea test fires a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan. Read more
2016 — A man shoots seven people dead at an education center in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia. Read more
2015 — A university student is murdered as she resists an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women. Read more
2015 — The European Space Agency's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is launched on a Vega rocket. Read more
2014 — A military transport plane crashes in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province in eastern Algeria, killing 77 people. Read more
2013 — The Vatican confirms that Pope Benedict XVI will resign the papacy as a result of his advanced age. Read more
2013 — Militants claiming to be from the Sultanate of Sulu invade Lahad Datu District, Sabah, Malaysia, beginning the Lahad Datu standoff. Read more
2011 — Arab Spring: The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 17 days of protests. Read more
2008 — Rebel East Timorese soldiers seriously wound President José Ramos-Horta. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack. Read more
2001 — A Dutch programmer launches the Anna Kournikova virus infecting millions of emails via a trick photo of the tennis star. Read more
2000 — Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on STS-99 to conduct the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Read more
1999 — Pluto crosses Neptune's orbit, ending a nearly 20-year period when it was closer to the Sun than the gas giant; Pluto is not expected to interact with Neptune's orbit again until 2231. Read more
1997 — Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Read more
1997 — The far-right extremist Hungarian National Front introduces the day of honor, a neo-nazi and neo-fascist annual gathering in Budapest Read more
1990 — Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner. Read more
1990 — Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing's world Heavyweight title. Read more
1979 — The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Read more
1978 — Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314 crashes at the Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada with 42 deaths and seven survivors. Read more
1971 — Cold War: The Seabed Arms Control Treaty opens for signature, outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters. Read more
1970 — Japan launches Ohsumi, becoming the fourth nation to put an object into orbit using its own booster. Read more
1963 — The Beatles record their first album, Please Please Me. Read more
1959 — The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom. Read more
1953 — Cold War: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower denies all appeals for clemency for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Read more
1953 — Israeli-Soviet relations are severed. Read more
1946 — The New Testament of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first significant challenge to the Authorized King James Version, is published. Read more
1942 — World War II: Second day of the Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore. Read more
1938 — BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television programme, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R. that coined the term "robot". Read more
1937 — The Flint sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers trade union. Read more
1933 — LAPD Red Squad raid on John Reed Club art show in the U.S. results in the destruction of a dozen political artworks. Read more
1929 — The Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty. Read more
1919 — Friedrich Ebert (SPD) is elected President of Germany. Read more
1906 — Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer Nos. Read more
1903 — Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria. Read more
1889 — The Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted. Read more
1873 — King Amadeo I of Spain abdicates, triggering the proclamation of the First Spanish Republic. Read more
1861 — American Civil War: The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state. Read more
1858 — Bernadette Soubirous's first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurs in Lourdes, France. Read more
1856 — The Kingdom of Awadh is annexed by the British East India Company and Wajid Ali Shah, the king of Awadh, is deposed. Read more
1855 — Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia. Read more
1843 — Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata receives its first performance in Milan, Italy. Read more
1840 — Gaetano Donizetti's opera La fille du régiment receives its first performance in Paris, France. Read more
1829 — Facing backlach of Treaty of Turkmenchay, Alexander Griboyedov, Russian Empire's Ambassador to Tehran, and all the other embassy staff, were massacred by an angry mob. Read more
1826 — University College London is founded as University of London. Read more
1823 — Carnival tragedy of 1823: About 110 boys are killed during a human crush at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti in Valletta, Malta. Read more
1812 — Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of "gerrymandering" for the first time. Read more
1808 — Jesse Fell burns anthracite on an open grate as an experiment in heating homes with coal. Read more
1794 — First session of United States Senate opens to the public. Read more
1659 — The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses. Read more
1586 — Sir Francis Drake with an English force captures and occupies the Spanish colonial port of Cartagena de Indias for two months, obtaining a ransom and booty. Read more
1584 — A naval expedition led by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa founds Nombre de Jesús, the first of two short-lived Spanish settlements in the Strait of Magellan. Read more
1534 — At the Convocation of Canterbury, the Catholic bishops comprising the Upper House of the Province of Canterbury agree to style Henry VIII supreme head of the English church and clergy "so far as the law of Christ allows". Read more
1144 — Robert of Chester completes his translation from Arabic to Latin of the Liber de compositione alchemiae, marking the birth of Western alchemy. Read more
951 — Guo Wei, a court official, leads a military coup and declares himself emperor of the new Later Zhou. Read more
55 — The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Empire, on the eve of his coming of age clears the way for Nero to become Emperor. Read more
660 BC — Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Read more

Born on February 11

2002 — Liam Lawson, New Zealand racing driver Read more
2001 — Bryan Gil, Spanish footballer Read more
2000 — Nassir Little, American basketball player Read more
1998 — Trent Frederic, American ice hockey player Read more
1998 — Josh Jacobs, American football player Read more
1998 — Khalid, American singer and songwriter Read more
1997 — Damien Harris, American football player Read more
1997 — Mike Hughes, American football player Read more
1997 — Hubert Hurkacz, Polish tennis player Read more
1997 — Rosé, New Zealand-South Korean singer and dancer Read more
1997 — Zavier Simpson, American basketball player Read more
1996 — Daniil Medvedev, Russian tennis player Read more
1996 — Jonathan Tah, German footballer Read more
1996 — Lucas Torreira, Uruguayan footballer Read more
1995 — Milan Škriniar, Slovak footballer Read more
1995 — Rick Karsdorp, Dutch footballer Read more
1994 — Dansby Swanson, American baseball player Read more
1993 — Ben McLemore, American basketball player Read more
1992 — Lasse Norman Hansen, Danish track and road cyclist Read more
1992 — Taylor Lautner, American actor Read more
1992 — Jake Matthews, American football player Read more
1991 — Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Canadian football player and medical doctor Read more
1991 — Nikola Mirotic, Spanish basketball player Read more
1990 — Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer Read more
1990 — Q'orianka Kilcher, German-American actress Read more
1990 — Hwang Chan-sung, South Korean singer and actor Read more
1988 — Vlad Moldoveanu, Romanian basketball player Read more
1987 — Luca Antonelli, Italian footballer Read more
1987 — Juanmi Callejón, Spanish footballer Read more
1987 — Brian Matusz, American baseball player (died 2025) Read more
1987 — Jan Smeekens, Dutch speed skater Read more
1987 — Ellen van Dijk, Dutch cyclist Read more
1986 — Gabriel Boric, Chilean politician, 36th President of Chile Read more
1985 — Mike Richards, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1985 — Šárka Strachová, Czech skier Read more
1984 — Maarten Heisen, Dutch sprinter Read more
1984 — Marco Marcato, Italian cyclist Read more
1984 — Aubrey O'Day, American singer and reality television personality Read more
1984 — Maxime Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1984 — Alando Tucker, American basketball player and coach Read more

Died on February 11

2026 — James Van Der Beek, American actor (born 1977) Read more
2025 — Betsy Arakawa, American classical pianist (born 1959) Read more
2025 — Moses Lim, Singaporean actor (born 1949) Read more
2024 — Allen J. Bard, American chemist (born 1933) Read more
2024 — Kelvin Kiptum, African long-distance runner(born 1999) Read more
2023 — Donald Spoto, American biographer (born 1941) Read more
2018 — Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter and actor (born 1928) Read more
2018 — Asma Jahangir, Pakistani human-rights lawyer and social activist (born 1952) Read more
2018 — Jan Maxwell, American stage and television actress (born 1956) Read more
2018 — Qazi Wajid, Pakistani drama actor, writer and artist (born 1930) Read more
2017 — Fab Melo, Brazilian basketball player (born 1990) Read more
2017 — Jaap Rijks, Dutch Olympian (born 1919) Read more
2017 — Trish Doan, Korean-Canadian musician (born 1985) Read more
2016 — Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (born 1971) Read more
2016 — Zeng Xuelin, Thai-Chinese footballer and manager (born 1929) Read more
2015 — Roger Hanin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1925) Read more
2015 — Bob Simon, American journalist (born 1941) Read more
2015 — Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (born 1930) Read more
2014 — Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (born 1924) Read more
2014 — Tito Canepa, Dominican-American painter (born 1916) Read more
2014 — Fernando González Pacheco, Colombian journalist and actor (born 1932) Read more
2013 — Rick Huxley, English bass player (born 1940) Read more
2012 — Siri Bjerke, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of the Environment (born 1958) Read more
2012 — Aharon Davidi, Israeli general (born 1927) Read more
2012 — Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (born 1963) Read more
2011 — Chuck Tanner, American baseball player and manager (born 1928) Read more
2010 — Heward Grafftey, Canadian businessman and politician (born 1928) Read more
2010 — Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founder of his eponymous brand (born 1969) Read more
2009 — Estelle Bennett, American singer (born 1941) Read more
2009 — Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch-American physician and academic (born 1911) Read more
2008 — Tom Lantos, American lawyer and politician (born 1928) Read more
2008 — Frank Piasecki, American engineer (born 1919) Read more
2006 — Wendy Barnes, British overseas radio broadcaster (born 1916) Read more
2006 — Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (born 1940) Read more
2006 — Ken Fletcher, Australian tennis player (born 1940) Read more
2006 — Jackie Pallo, English wrestler and actor (born 1926) Read more
2006 — Matilda, American chicken and stage magician, oldest known chicken (h. 1990) Read more
2005 — Jack L. Chalker, American author (born 1944) Read more
2004 — Tony Pope, American voice actor (born 1947) Read more
2004 — Shirley Strickland, Australian runner (born 1925) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Blaise Eastern Orthodox liturgics; Christian feast day: Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, c. 680 CE (Anglicanism); Christian feast day: Gobnait; Christian feast day: Gregory II; Christian feast day: Lazarus of Milan; Christian feast day: Peter of Jesus Maldonado; Christian feast day: Soteris; Christian feast day: February 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); European 112 Day (European Union); Armed Forces Day (Liberia); Evelio Javier Day (Panay Island, the Philippines); Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Church), and its related observance World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic Church); Inventors' Day (United States); National Foundation Day (Japan); Youth Day (Cameroon); International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN Women)

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “February 11”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.