February 11

Events:

• 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu Tenno.
• 385 - Oldest Pope elected; Siricius, bishop of Tarragona.
• 731 - Gregory II ends his reign as Pope.
• 824 - Paschal I ends his reign as Pope.
• 1531 - Henry VIII of England recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
• 1543 - Battle of Wayna Daga[?] - Ethiopian/Portuguese troops beat Muslim army.
• 1720 - Sweden & Prussia sign peace (2nd Treaty of Stockholm[?]).
• 1752 - Pennsylvania Hospital[?], 1st hospital in the United States, opens.
• 1790 - Society of Friends petitions United States Congress for abolition of slavery.
• 1794 - First session of United States Senate open to the public.
• 1808 - Anthracite coal first burned as fuel, experimentally.
• 1809 - Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
• 1810 - Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria.
• 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 - London University is founded.
• 1837 - American Physiological Society[?] organizes in Boston, Massachusetts.
• 1840 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment[?] premieres in Paris.
• 1843 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi[?] premieres in Milan.
• 1858 - Blessed Virgin Mary is said to appear to Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes.
• 1861 - American Civil War: United States House of Representatives unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
• 1873 - Spanish Cortes fires king Amadeus I.
• 1889 - Meiji constitution[?] of Japan adopted; 1st Diet of Japan convenes in 1890
• 1902 - Police beat up universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels.
• 1903 - Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony premieres in Vienna.
• 1905 - Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer nos.
• 1908 - Australia regain the Ashes with a 308 run cricket victory over England.
• 1916 - Emma Goldman arrested for lecturing on birth control.
• 1919 - Friedrich Ebert (SPD), elected President of Germany.
• 1928 - 1928 Winter Olympic Games open in St. Moritz[?], Switzerland
• 1929 - Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
• 1937 - A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Automobile Workers Union[?].
• 1941 - First Gold record presented to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo[?]".
• 1943 - General Dwight Eisenhower selected to command the allied armies in Europe.
• 1945 - Yalta Conference ends.
• 1948 - John Costello follows Eamon de Valera as Premier of Ireland[?].
• 1953 - President Dwight Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
• 1953 - The Soviet Union breaks diplomatic relations with Israel.
• 1961 - Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem.
• 1963 - The Beatles tape 10 tracks for their first album, including "Please, Please Me".
• 1964 - At the Washington, DC Coliseum, The Beatles have their 1st live appearance in the United States.
• 1964 - Greeks and Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus.
• 1964 - Taiwan drops diplomatic relations with France.
• 1968 - Israeli-Jordanian border clashes.
• 1968 - Madison Square Garden III closes and Madison Square Garden IV opens in New York City
• 1971 - US, UK, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty[?] outlawing nuclear weapons in international waters.
• 1973 - Vietname War[?]: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
• 1978 - Censorship: China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, Shakespeare and Dickens.
• 1979 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seizes power in Iran.
• 1986 - Rights activist Anatoly Scharansky[?], released by the USSR, leaves the country.
• 1987 - Philippines constitution goes into effect.
• 1990 - James "Buster" Douglas KOs Mike Tyson to win heavyweight[?] boxing crown.
• 1990 - Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, is freed from Victor Verster prison outside Cape Town, South Africa.
• 1991 - UNPO, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, forms in The Hague, Netherlands.

Births:

• 1380 - Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini, Italian humanist
• 1465 - Elizabeth of York, consort of King Henry VII of England
• 1535 - Pope Gregory XIV
• 1557 - John Uijtenbogaert[?] Dutch remonstrant theologian.
• 1568 - Honore d'Urfe[?] French writer
• 1657 - Bernard Le Bovier Fontenelle[?], French scientist and man of letters
• 1755 - Albert Christoph Dies[?], composer
• 1764 - Marie-Joseph de Chenier[?] French poet
• 1774 - Hans Jarta[?], Swedish political activist, administrator, publicist
• 1776 - Joannis Capodistrias Greek governor of Troezen[?] (1827-31)
• 1780 - Karoline von Günderode[?], poet (+ 1806)
• 1790 - Ignaz Assmayer[?], composer
• 1800 - William Henry Fox Talbot, English photographic pioneer
• 1802 - Lydia Child[?]
• 1810 - Loisa Puget[?], composer
• 1812 - Alexander Hamilton Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America
• 1812 - Benjamin Franklin Sands[?], Commander (Union Navy)
• 1813 - Otto Ludwig[?], German novelist, playwright, critic
• 1819 - Samuel Parkman Tuckerman[?], composer
• 1821 - Auguste Edouard Mariette[?], French Egyptologist
• 1821 - Hermann Allmers[?], writer
• 1830 - Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf[?], composer
• 1830 - Peter Arnold Heise[?], composer
• 1833 - Melville Weston Fuller[?] 8th Cchief Justice of the United States[?]
• 1839 - Josiah Willard Gibbs theoretical physicist, chemist.
• 1847 - Thomas Alva Edison, inventor (+ 1931)
• 1860 - Rachilde[?] [Marguerite Vallette-Eymery], French author
• 1867 - August W Messer[?], German philosopher, educator, psychologist
• 1869 - Helene Kroller-Muller Dutch museum founder and patron of the arts
• 1869 - Else Lasker-Schüler[?], lyricist, dramatist and narrator (+ 1945)
• 1873 - Feodor Chaliapine[?], Russian author
• 1874 - Elsa Beskow (Maartman), Swedish children's book and fairy tales author
• 1874 - Fritz Bennicke Hart[?], composer
• 1875 - Sara Wennerberg-Reuter[?], composer
• 1879 - Jean Gilbert[?], composer
• 1882 - Gheorghe Cucu[?] composer
• 1883 - Paul August von Klenau[?] Danish composer, conductor
• 1887 - Ernst Hanfstängl[?] pianist, politician
• 1887 - John van Melle South African writer
• 1889 - Vladimir Mikhaylovich Deshevov[?] composer
• 1890 - John de Vries[?], fairy tale writer
• 1891 - J W Hearne[?] English cricket player
• 1893 - Johan Alberts[?] Dutch literary figure
• 1894 - Alfonso Leng, composer
• 1894 - Isaac Kolthoff[?] chemist
• 1895 - Viktor Nikolayevich Trambitsky[?], composer
• 1896 - Else Lasker-Schüler[?], writer
• 1897 - Yves de La Casiniere[?], composer
• 1898 - Leo Szilard, physicist, peace activist
• 1900 - Thomas Hitchcock Jr[?], polo player
• 1900 - Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher
• 1902 - Arne Jacobsen Danish architect/designer
• 1903 - Hans Redlich[?], composer
• 1904 - Henry LaBouisse[?], head of UNICEF
• 1904 - Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand
• 1905 - Elizabeth Vuyk[?], Dutch/Indonesian writer
• 1906 - Denis Barnett[?], British air chief marshal
• 1907 - E W Swanton[?], author, sports commentator
• 1908 - Sutan Takdir Alishahbana[?], Indonesian linguist, author, novelist
• 1908 - Vivian Ernest Fuchs[?], geologist, explorer
• 1908 - Josh White[?]
• 1909 - Joseph Mankiewicz[?], director
• 1909 - Max Baer[?] (The Livermore Larruper), boxer, actor
• 1911 - Alec Cairncross[?] chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
• 1912 - Roy Fuller[?] English poet/novelist
• 1912 - Rudolf Firkusny Napajedla[?], pianist
• 1913 - Lucio Diestro[?], composer
• 1914 - Matt Dennis[?], singer
• 1914 - French Duynstee[?], Dutch constitutional lawyer
• 1914 - Menelaos Pallantios[?], composer
• 1914 - Winand Borgerhoff Mulder[?] court judge of Amsterdam
• 1915 - Haakon Stotijn[?], Dutch oboist
• 1915 - Mervyn Levy[?], artist, critic
• 1915 - Patrick Leigh Fermor, author
• 1916 - Bernice Levin Neugarten[?], social scientist, gerontologist
• 1916 - Joseph Alioto[?], Mayor of San Francisco, California
• 1917 - Richard Jock Kinneir[?], graphic designer
• 1917 - Sidney Sheldon[?], author
• 1919 - Gretchen Fraser[?], slalom skier
• 1919 - Eddie Robinson[?], college football coach.
• 1920 - Billy Halop[?], actor
• 1920 - Daniel Galouye[?], American science fiction author
• 1920 - King Farouk I of Egypt (+ 1965)
• 1920 - Paul Peter Piech, artist
• 1921 - Eva Gabor, actress
• 1921 - Lloyd Bentsen[?], American politician
• 1922 - Leslie Nielsen, actor
• 1922 - Tudor Jarda[?], composer
• 1923 - Ronald Arculus[?], British diplomat
• 1924 - Mary Tregear[?], Oriental art historian
• 1925 - Peter Berger[?], British Vice-Admiral
• 1925 - Kim Stanley, actress
• 1925 - Virginia Johnson[?], doctor, sexologist
• 1926 - Paul Bocuse[?] French chef
• 1926 - Alexander Gibson[?] British conductor/founder of the Scottish Opera[?]
• 1928 - Conrad Janis[?], actor
• 1928 - Archibald Forster[?], CEO (Esso UK)
• 1928 - Gerry Alexander[?]West Indies cricket player
• 1928 - Raoul Cita[?], rocker
• 1928 - Gotthilf Fischer[?], choirmaste
• 1929 - Leonard Gregory Kastle[?], composer
• 1930 - Alevtina Koltschina[?] Soviet skier
• 1930 - C H Dearnley[?], organist
• 1931 - Larry Merchant[?], author, boxing commentator
• 1932 - Jerome Lowenthal[?], pianist, professor
• 1934 - Francesco Pennisi[?], composer
• 1934 - John Surtees, British race car[?] driver
• 1934 - Mary Quant, fashion designer
• 1934 - Tina Louise[?], actress
• 1935 - (disputed) Sergio Mendes[?], musician, songwriter
• 1935 - Gerry Goffin[?], songwriter
• 1935 - Bent Lorentzen[?], composer
• 1935 - (disputed) - Gene Vincent, rock music guitarist, vocalist
• 1936 - Burt Reynolds, actor
• 1937 - Bill Lawry[?], Australian cricket player.
• 1937 - Lodewijk Boer[?], Dutch violinist, playwright
• 1937 - Marilyn Butler[?], Rector of Exeter College, Oxford
• 1937 - Peter Lashley[?], West Indies cricket player.
• 1938 - Bevan Congdon[?], New Zealand cricket player
• 1938 - Willy Correa de Oliveira[?], composer
• 1938 - Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and dictator
• 1939 - Gerry Goffin[?], lyricist
• 1939 - Jane Yolen[?], science fiction author
• 1940 - Bobby Picket[?], musician
• 1942 - Otis Clay[?], gospel qand R&B singer
• 1943 - Iain Cameron[?] British brigadier
• 1944 - Bert Greene[?] golfer
• 1944 - Buddhadev Dasgupta[?], film director
• 1953 - Philip Anglim[?], actor
• 1961 - Mary Docter[?], speed skater
• 1961 - Carey Lowell[?], actress
• 1962 - Sheryl Crow, musician
• 1969 - Jennifer Aniston, actress
• 1970 - Alistair Brown[?], English cricket player.
• 1974 - D'Angelo, singer.
• 1979 - Brandy Norwood, singer.
• 1980 - Matthew Lawrence[?], actor.
• 1980 - Natasha Bobo, actress.

Deaths:

• 641 - Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium (610-641).
• 731 - Pope Gregory II
• 821 - Saint Benedict of Aniane[?]
• 824 - Pope Paschal I
• 1141 - Hugo of St. Victor[?], philosopher, theologian, mystic
• 1503 - Elizabeth of York, consort of King Henry VII of England
• 1543 - Ahmed Gran[?], sultan of Adal[?]
• 1622 - Alfonso Fontanelli[?], composer
• 1650 - René Descartes, philosopher
• 1685 - David Teniers III[?], Flemish painter
• 1762 - Johann Tobias Krebs, composer
• 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne[?], composer
• 1806 - Vicente Martin y Soler[?], composer
• 1841 - J H Ferdinand Olivier[?], German painter
• 1868 - Léon Foucault, astronomer
• 1870 - Leopold Eugen Mechura[?], composer.
• 1879 - Honore Daumier[?], caricaturist/painter.
• 1879 - Willem J van Zeggelen[?], Dutch author.
• 1882 - Gustav Schmidt[?], composer.
• 1892 - Erik Anthon Valdemar Siboni[?], composer.
• 1894 - Pasqual Juan Emilio Arrieta y Corera[?] composer
• 1903 - Henryk Szulc[?], composer
• 1907 - Peter J Savelberg[?], Dutch monastery founder
• 1911 - Albert von Rothschild[?], baron, Austrian banker
• 1922 - Gerardus J P Bolland[?], Dutch philosopher
• 1931 - Charles Algernon Parsons[?], British inventor
• 1939 - Franz Schmidt, Austrian composer
• 1940 - John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor-General of Canada
• 1945 - Al Dubin[?], Swiss songwriter
• 1945 - J S H Lokerman[?], Dutch resistance fighter
• 1948 - Sergei Eisenstein, film director
• 1961 - Eduard R Verkade[?], Dutch actor, director
• 1963 - Sylvia Plath, poet, novelist
• 1968 - Howard Lindsay[?], playwright
• 1970 - Emil Abranyi[?], composer.
• 1971 - Whitney Young Jr[?], National Urban League[?] director
• 1972 - Jan Wils[?], architect
• 1973 - Hans D Jensen[?], German physicist
• 1976 - Lee J Cobb[?], actor
• 1977 - Louis J M Beel[?], Premier of the Netherlands[?]
• 1978 - James B Conant[?], headmaster of Harvard University
• 1982 - Eleanor Powell[?], actress, dancer
• 1982 - Takashi Shimura[?], Japanese actor
• 1985 - Heinz Eric Roemheld[?], composer
• 1985 - Henry Hathaway[?] actor, director
• 1985 - Ulysses Simpson Kay[?], composer
• 1986 - Frank Herbert, science fiction author
• 1989 - George O'Hanlon[?], actor, director
• 1991 - Oscar Nitzchke[?], German architect
• 1993 - George A Stephen[?], inventor
• 1994 - Sorrell Brooke[?], actor
• 1994 - William Conrad[?], actor
• 1996 - Amelia Rosselli[?], poet
• 1996 - Bob Shaw, science fiction author
• 1996 - Cyril Poole[?], English cricket player
• 1996 - Kebby Musokotwane[?], prime minister of Zambia
• 2000 - Roger Vadim, French director

Holidays and observances

• Catholicism - Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes.
• World Day of the Sick.

February 10 - February 12 - January 11 - March 11 - more historical anniversaries