Monday, 11th May 2026 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! Explore 38 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in London brings drizzly with temperatures between 8°C and 13°C. Tonight's moon is in its first quarter phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Taurus. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Monday, 11th May in London, GB.

London, located in south-east England on the River Thames, is the United Kingdom's capital and largest city. On Monday, 11 May 2026, the weather is drizzly. The date falls under the zodiac sign of Taurus, and the moon is in its first quarter phase.
On this day
On 11 May 2010, two significant political events reshaped the British government within hours. Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader after failing to negotiate a coalition agreement with the Liberal Democrats, ending thirteen years of Labour governance. David Cameron succeeded him the same day, taking office to lead the first coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats since the Second World War, a historic shift in Westminster politics.
Sixteen years earlier, on 11 May 1997, Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match, marking the first time a computer had beaten a reigning world champion in a full match. The IBM supercomputer's victory demonstrated the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and computational power in the 1990s, capturing global attention and reshaping perceptions of what machines could achieve in complex strategic thinking.
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Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 11th May 2026
Between stone and water, form emerges.
Fortune of the Day
11th May in the Stars – Star Sign Taurus
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on May 11 blend Taurus steadiness with Mercury's mental agility. These grounded yet curious souls think deeply, speak deliberately, and seek both material and intellectual security. Their charm lies in the rare blend of practicality and genuine inquisitiveness.
Strengths & Weaknesses Strength: practical intelligence, reliability, and genuine communication skill. Weakness: stubbornness and overthinking that can paralyze action. Impatience with less analytical minds occasionally surfaces as condescension.
Love These individuals require intellectual depth alongside sensual connection. They're devoted, thoughtful partners who value meaningful conversation as much as physical intimacy. Lasting bonds form when both mind and body feel truly engaged.
Caree & Finance Ideally suited for careers blending analytical skill with hands-on craftsmanship: trades, finance, architecture, or writing. Financial security isn't luxury but an emotional anchor. They build wealth methodically through patience and strategy.
Health Stability supports wellness—regular routines strengthen physical well-being. Skeptical of trends, they respect evidence-based approaches. Sensory relaxation like massage or gardening eases mental tension naturally and sustainably.
That night, the moon was in its first quarter phase.
Chinese year of the Horse (Fire).
Fun Facts About 11th May
Name Days in Your Language: Asa, Ervin, Erwin, Irvin, Irving, Irwing, Marlo, Marlon, Marlow, Marvin, Merle, Merlin, Mervin
Someone born on this day would be just 21 days old today — roughly 516 hours, 31,016 minutes, or 1,861,017 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 131. day of the year. In 2026, 11th May falls on a Monday.
There are 234 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 20 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 11th May
On this day, 114 notable people were born on 11th May — spanning from 1571 to 2006. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
11/05/2006
Konsta Helenius, Finnish ice hockey player
Konsta Helenius is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 14th overall by the Sabres in the 2024 NHL entry draft.
11/05/2003
Fermín López, Spanish footballer
Fermín López Marín, known simply as Fermín, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
11/05/2000
Yūki Tsunoda, Japanese racing driver
Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese racing driver who serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Tsunoda competed in Formula One from 2021 to 2025.
Wang Chuqin, Chinese table tennis player
Wang Chuqin is a Chinese professional table tennis player, Olympic champion, and World Champion. He is currently ranked world No.1 in men's singles.
11/05/1999
Sabrina Carpenter, American singer and actress
Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring as Maya Hart on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and achieved limited success with her studio albums, Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019).
11/05/1998
Viktória Kužmová, Slovak tennis player
Viktória Hrunčáková is a Slovak professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as No. 43 in singles and No. 27 in doubles in the world by the WTA. Hrunčáková has won five doubles titles on the WTA Tour and 26 titles on the ITF Circuit. She also ended runner-up at the Premier-level 2019 St. Petersburg Trophy and at the 2021 Yarra Valley Classic in doubles, along with Anna Kalinskaya. With the Slovakia team, she contributed to achieve for the first time the final for her country at 2024 Billie Jean King Cup, losing only in the final to Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
11/05/1997
Coi Leray, American rapper and singer
Coi Leray Collins is an American rapper and singer. The daughter of rapper and media executive Benzino, she began her musical career in 2018 with the release of her debut mixtape, Everythingcoz. She signed with Republic Records to release her second mixtape EC2 (2019) and debut extended play, Now or Never (2020). In 2021, the Lil Durk remix of her song "No More Parties" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Lana Condor, American actress
Lana Therese Condor is an American actress and YouTuber. She made her acting debut starring as Jubilee in the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and gained international recognition for portraying Lara Jean Covey in the romantic comedy To All the Boys film series (2018–2021). She has also portrayed Saya Kuroki in the television series Deadly Class and Koyomi in the film Alita: Battle Angel, and voiced the titular character in the animated teen comedy film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).
11/05/1996
Adin Hill, Canadian ice hockey player
Adin Hill is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hill was selected by the Arizona Coyotes, 76th overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft. He has also played with the San Jose Sharks. As their starting goaltender, Hill won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.
11/05/1995
Gelson Martins, Portuguese footballer
Gelson Dany Batalha Martins is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Super League Greece club Olympiacos.
Sachia Vickery, American tennis player
Sachia Vickery is an American professional tennis player. She reached a career-high of No. 73 in the WTA rankings on July 30, 2018. Vickery, a former USTA junior national champion, has also won three singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
Shira Haas, Israeli actress
Shira Haas is an Israeli actress. She first rose to local prominence for her role in the television series Shtisel (2013–2021). Her international breakthrough came with her portrayal of Esther "Esty" Shapiro in the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox (2020), for which she received Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, becoming the first Israeli actress to be nominated for the latter.
11/05/1994
Hagos Gebrhiwet, Ethiopian runner
Hagos Gebrhiwet Berhe is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 5,000 m at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal in the 5 km at the 2023 World Road Running Championships. He has also won silver and bronze medals at the World Athletics Championships.
Nene Macdonald, Papua New Guinean rugby league player
Nene Macdonald is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for St Helens in the Super League, and Papua New Guinea at international level.
11/05/1993
Maurice Harkless, American-Puerto Rican basketball player
Maurice José "Moe" Harkless is an American-Puerto Rican professional basketball player for the Criollos de Caguas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm before being drafted 15th overall, after his freshman season, in the 2012 NBA draft. Harkless has represented the Puerto Rican national team internationally.
Miguel Sanó, Dominican baseball player
Miguel Ángel Jean Sanó is a Dominican professional baseball first baseman and third baseman for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels. He made his MLB debut in 2015, and was an All-Star in 2017. He is currently playing winter baseball for the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League.
11/05/1992
Thibaut Courtois, Belgian footballer
Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Belgium national team. Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is known for his reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of the penalty area.
Pablo Sarabia, Spanish footballer
Pablo Sarabia García is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he can also play as a right winger.
Bobi, Portuguese Rafeiro do Alentejo, oldest recorded dog (died 2023)
Bobi was a male purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo dog cared for by Leonel Costa of Conqueiros, Leiria, Portugal. Bobi was claimed by his caretaker to be the oldest dog to ever live and the first dog on record to reach 30 years. On 2 February 2023, Bobi was certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest living dog, along with being the oldest dog on record to ever live. However, after veterinarians became suspicious of his real age, an investigation was pursued. Once his records were revoked, he was stripped of the title. Bobi died on 21 October 2023, reportedly aged 31 years and 163 days.
11/05/1989
Giovani dos Santos, Mexican footballer
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez is a Mexican former professional footballer. A versatile forward, dos Santos played as an attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker.
Cam Newton, American football player
Cameron Jerrell Newton is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is second in career quarterback rushing touchdowns and third in career quarterback rushing yards. Following a stint with the Florida Gators, Newton played college football for the Auburn Tigers, winning the Heisman Trophy and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game as a junior. He was selected first overall by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL draft.
11/05/1988
Jeremy Maclin, American football player
Jeremy Maclin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, twice earning consensus All-American honors. Maclin was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2014. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Brad Marchand, Canadian ice hockey player
Brad Marchand is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a left winger for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Boston Bruins selected Marchand in the third round, 71st overall, of the 2006 NHL entry draft.
11/05/1987
Lim Seul-ong, South Korean singer and actor
Lim Seul-ong, also known by the mononym Seulong, is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a singer in 2008 as a member of the K-pop boyband 2AM. He made his acting debut in 2010 in the Korean drama Personal Taste and also had a role in the series Hogu’s Love (2015).
11/05/1986
Abou Diaby, French footballer
Vassiriki Abou Diaby is a French former professional footballer. He played primarily in a box to box role, adept at both attacking and defending, and was described as a player who was "languid, elusive, and athletic" that could either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates". Of Ivorian descent, Diaby also possessed "superb touch" and "excellent close control". Diaby's career was hampered by numerous repetitive injuries, a problem that existed from his time in France.
Miguel Veloso, Portuguese footballer
Miguel Luís Pinto Veloso is a Portuguese former professional footballer. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he could also operate as an attacking left-back.
11/05/1985
Beau Ryan, Australian rugby league player and television host
Beau Ryan is an Australian television and radio presenter and former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Wests Tigers and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League as a winger, centre and fullback. Ryan is also known for his comedic work on The Footy Show. On 5 June 2014, Ryan announced his immediate retirement whilst on The Footy Show, due to a neck injury. Ryan released a single, "Where You From?" featuring Justice Crew on 19 September 2014.
11/05/1984
Andrés Iniesta, Spanish footballer
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and spent most of his career at La Liga club Barcelona. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, he was lauded for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball.
11/05/1983
Matt Leinart, American football player
Matthew Stephen Leinart is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the team to a perfect season in 2004. Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft, Leinart primarily served as Kurt Warner's backup for four seasons. He spent his final three seasons in a backup role for the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. Leinart was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Steven Sotloff, American-Israeli journalist (died 2014)
Steven Joel Sotloff was an American-Israeli journalist. In August 2013, he was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria, and held captive by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). On September 2, 2014, ISIS released a beheading video, showing one of its members beheading Sotloff. Following Sotloff's beheading, U.S. President Barack Obama stated that the United States would take action to "degrade and destroy" ISIS. President Obama also signed an Executive Order dated June 24, 2015, in the presence of the Sotloff family and other hostage families, overhauling how the U.S. handles American hostages held abroad by groups such as ISIS.
Holly Valance, Australian actress, singer and model
Holly Rachel Vukadinović, known professionally as Holly Valance, is an Australian and British actress, singer, model, and a right-wing political commentator.
11/05/1982
Cory Monteith, Canadian actor and singer (died 2013)
Cory Allan Michael Monteith was a Canadian actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the television series Stargate Atlantis (2004), and had other roles in shows including Smallville (2005), and Supernatural (2005). During his career, he starred in over eighteen dramas and seventeen films, with Monte Carlo (2011), Final Destination 3 (2006), and Sisters & Brothers (2011), all becoming commercially successful.
11/05/1981
Lauren Jackson, Australian basketball player
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian former professional basketball player. Arguably the most notable Australian women's basketball player, Jackson has had a decorated career with the Australia women's national basketball team and has had multiple stints in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 1997 and 2024. Between 2001 and 2012, she played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
JP Karliak, American actor, voice actor and comedian
John Paul Karliak is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his voice acting as Morph in the television series X-Men '97, Wile E. Coyote in the television series New Looney Tunes, Wolfgang in the video game series Skylanders, and Gargamel and Razamel in the 2025 Smurfs film.
11/05/1978
Laetitia Casta, French model and actress
Laetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.
Judy Ann Santos, Filipino actress
Judy Anne Lumagui Santos is a Filipino actress and film producer. Prolific in film and television in the Philippines, and is known for her dramatic and comedic roles in blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her portrayals of oppressed and impoverished women. She has received various accolades, including a Cairo International Film Festival Award, a Fantasporto International Film Festival Award, a Gawad Urian, two Luna Awards, three Metro Manila Film Festival Awards, and three FAMAS Awards.
11/05/1977
Pablo Gabriel García, Uruguayan footballer
Pablo Gabriel García Pérez is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the manager of Cypriot First Division club APOEL.
Victor Matfield, South African rugby player, coach, and sportscaster
Victor Matfield is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played for and captained the South Africa national team (Springboks) as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in Super Rugby. He is generally considered one of the best locks to have ever played for South Africa and had a long successful partnership with Springbok and Blue Bulls teammate Bakkies Botha.
Bobby Roode, Canadian professional wrestler
Robert Francis Roode Jr. is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a producer.
11/05/1976
Kardinal Offishall, Canadian rapper and record producer/executive
Jason Drew Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper and record producer. Often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", he has been regarded as one of the country's most prominent hip-hop producers during the 2000s and is distinctive for his reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.
11/05/1975
Francisco Cordero, Dominican baseball player
Francisco Javier Cordero is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros from 1999 through 2012, often serving as the closer. On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save with the Reds, becoming only the 22nd player to reach that mark. He completed his major league career with 329 saves and is a three-time MLB All-Star.
Ziad Jarrah, Lebanese terrorist, September 11 attacks (died 2001)[citation needed]
Ziad Samir Jarrah, also known as Ziad al-Jarrah, was a Lebanese terrorist who was a member of al-Qaeda. During the September 11 attacks in 2001, he was one of 19 al-Qaeda members who hijacked four American commercial flights in an attempt to crash them into national landmarks in the country. Jarrah's group hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, departing Newark, New Jersey, for San Francisco, but they failed to reach their target when the plane crashed.
11/05/1974
Stanley Gene, Papua New Guinean rugby league player
Stanley Gene is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league Kumul player and Assistant Coach of Hull F.C. He previously coached Gateshead Thunder and assistant coach at Hull Kingston Rovers and served as the Papua New Guinea Kumuls head coach in 2010. Having moved to England following an impressive showing for PNG in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, Gene enjoyed a long career in the British game with spells at Hull Kingston Rovers, Huddersfield Giants, Bradford Bulls, Hull FC and Halifax.
11/05/1970
Harold Ford Jr., American lawyer and politician
Harold Eugene Ford Jr. is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997 to 2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis. He is a member of the Ford political family from Memphis, and is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford Sr., who held the same seat for 22 years. In 2006, Ford made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retiring Bill Frist. He was also the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).
11/05/1969
Mitch Healey, Australian rugby league player and coach
Mitch Healey is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, who played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
Simon Vroemen, Dutch runner
Simon Frans Vroemen is a Dutch runner, specialising in the steeplechase.
11/05/1967
Alberto García Aspe, Mexican footballer and manager
Alberto García Aspe Mena is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
11/05/1964
Tim Blake Nelson, American actor
Timothy Blake Nelson is an American actor, director, and writer. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Gideon in Minority Report (2002), Doctor Steve Pendanski in Holes (2003), Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Danny Dalton Jr. in Syriana (2005), Samuel Sterns / The Leader in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Richard Schell in Lincoln (2012), the eponymous character of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and Henry McCarty in Old Henry (2021). He portrayed Wade Tillman / Looking Glass in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019), for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.
Bobby Witt, American baseball player
Robert Andrew Witt Sr. is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
11/05/1963
Natasha Richardson, English actress (died 2009)
Natasha Jane Richardson was an English actress. A member of the Redgrave family, she was a daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director-producer Tony Richardson and a granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. She was married to Liam Neeson.
11/05/1958
Sayuri Kume, Japanese singer-songwriter
Sayuri Kume, also known as Saki Kubota, is a Japanese singer-songwriter whose song Ihojin (1979) sold more than 1.4 million copies and reached number 1 in the Japanese singles chart. The song was used in the "Silk Road" television commercial for Sanyo.
11/05/1957
Mike Nesbitt, Northern Irish journalist and politician
Michael Nesbitt, MLA is a Northern Irish politician and former broadcaster. He has been Minister of Health since 28 May 2024. Nesbitt became Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on 30 August 2024, following his successful candidacy in the 2024 leadership election, and left the position on 31 January 2026; he had previously served in that role from 2012 to 2017. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Strangford since 2011.
11/05/1955
James L. Dolan, American businessman
James Lawrence Dolan is an American businessman, and the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and executive chairman of MSG Networks. As the companies' chairman, Dolan oversees all operations within the company and supervises day-to-day operations of its professional sports teams, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well as their regional sports networks, which include MSG Network and MSG Plus. Dolan was previously CEO of Cablevision, founded by his father, until its sale in June 2016 to European telecom conglomerate Altice.
11/05/1954
John Gregory, English footballer and manager
John Charles Gregory is an English former football player and manager. He last served as the head coach of Super League Kerala side Malappuram.
11/05/1951
Ed Stelmach, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Alberta
Edward Michael Stelmach is a Canadian politician who served as the 13th premier of Alberta, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and fluently speaks the distinctive Canadian dialect of Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a farmer, except for some time spent studying at the University of Alberta. His first foray into politics was a 1986 municipal election, when he was elected to Lamont County council. A year into his term, he was appointed reeve. He continued in this position until his entry into provincial politics.
11/05/1950
Jeremy Paxman, English journalist and author
Jeremy Dickson Paxman is an English former broadcaster, journalist and author, born in Yorkshire.
Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Indian actor (died 2014)
Sadashiv Dattatray Amrapurkar was an Indian actor, best known for his performances in Marathi and Hindi films from 1983 to 2013. He acted in more than 300 movies in Hindi, Marathi, and other regional languages. Amrapurkar played a negative role against Dharmendra in Anil Sharma's first successful film Hukumat in 1987.
11/05/1948
Nirj Deva, British politician
Niranjan Joseph De Silva Deva Aditya, known as Nirj Deva, is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 to 2019. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons from 1992 to 1997, for the seat of Brentford and Isleworth.
Pam Ferris, Welsh actress
Pamela Ferris is a German-born Welsh actress. She starred in the British television series Connie (1985), The Darling Buds of May (1991–1993), Where the Heart Is (1997–2000), Rosemary & Thyme (2003–2006), and Call the Midwife. In film, she played Miss Trunchbull in Matilda (1996). For her role as Peggy Snow in Where the Heart Is, Ferris was nominated three times for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards.
11/05/1947
Butch Trucks, American drummer (died 2017)
Claude Hudson "Butch" Trucks was an American drummer. He was best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Trucks was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida.
11/05/1945
Hilda Pérez Carvajal, Venezuelan biologist
Hilda Pérez Carvajal is a Venezuelan biologist from the Central University of Venezuela. She was president of the Venezuelan Society of Parasitology at the end of the 1980s. Perez studied at the Central University of Venezuela and graduated with a biology degree in the year 1967. Her undergraduate thesis was on E. Coli bacteriophages. Pérez is most known for the research she did on Malaria and Leishmania's in Venezuela.
11/05/1943
Nancy Greene Raine, Canadian skier and politician
Nancy Catherine Greene Raine is a former Canadian Senator for British Columbia and an Olympic alpine champion voted as Canada's Female Athlete of the 20th Century. She was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Greene Raine won the giant slalom in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.
11/05/1941
Eric Burdon, English musician
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the original lineup of the R&B and rock band the Animals and the funk band War. He is currently the lead vocalist of the present day lineup of Eric Burdon & the Animals. Burdon is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powerful blues-rock voice and is known for his intense stage performances.
Ian Redpath, Australian cricketer and coach (died 2024)
Ian Ritchie Redpath MBE was an Australian international cricketer who played in 66 Test matches and five One Day Internationals between 1964 and 1976. Greg Chappell said he was one of only two players he knew who would kill to get into the Australian Test team, the other being Rod Marsh.
11/05/1937
Ildikó Újlaky-Rejtő, Hungarian Olympic and world champion foil fencer
Ildikó Rejtő is a retired Hungarian two-time Olympic and five-time World Champion foil fencer.
11/05/1934
Jim Jeffords, American lawyer and politician (died 2014)
James Merrill Jeffords was an American lawyer and politician from Vermont. Originally a Republican, he served as a member of the Vermont Senate from 1967 to 1969 and Vermont Attorney General 1969 to 1973. He lost the 1972 Republican primary for governor of Vermont, but in 1974 he won Vermont's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. He served in the US House from 1975 to 1989, and in 1988 won election to the United States Senate. In 2001, Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an independent and began caucusing with the senate's Democrats. Jeffords served in the Senate from 1989 until 2007.
Jack Twyman, American basketball player (died 2012)
John Kennedy Twyman was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. During his career, he was a caregiver for his disabled teammate Maurice Stokes and both are the namesakes of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
11/05/1933
Louis Farrakhan, American religious leader
Louis Farrakhan is an American religious leader who has been the head of the Nation of Islam (NOI) since 1981, an organization which combines black nationalism and Islamic teachings. Prior to the NOI, Farrakhan was a calypso singer who used the stage name Calypso Gene from 1950 to 1955 and a violinist from 1939 to 1955. The longest-serving NOI leader, he also served as minister of several mosques in Boston and Harlem in the 1950s under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad. Farrakhan is most prominent for antisemitic statements and racist remarks directed at white people.
11/05/1932
Valentino Garavani, Italian fashion designer (died 2026)
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, known mononymously as Valentino, was an Italian fashion designer who founded Valentino S.p.A., a luxury fashion house, in 1960 and served as its creative director until 2007. A flamboyant designer noted for his retro pieces and celebrity collaborations, he is regarded as one of the preeminent figures in haute couture.
11/05/1930
Edsger W. Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist and academic (died 2002)
Edsger Wybe Dijkstra was a Dutch computer scientist, programmer, mathematician, and science essayist.
Basil H. Losten, American Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarch (died 2024)
Basil Harry Losten was a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the USA. He was until his death Bishop Emeritus of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, Connecticut. He was succeeded by Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky.
11/05/1929
Gerhard Klingenberg, Austrian actor (died 2024)
Gerhard Klingenberg was an Austrian actor and stage director, and theatre manager. He was also involved in television productions as an actor, director, and scriptwriter. He was Intendant of the Burgtheater in Vienna from 1971 to 1976, and then of the Schauspielhaus Zürich from 1977 to 1982.
11/05/1928
Arthur Foulkes, 9th governor-general of the Bahamas
Sir Arthur Alexander Foulkes, ON, GCMG is a Bahamian politician who was the ninth governor-general of the Bahamas from 2010 to 2014.
11/05/1927
Bernard Fox, British actor (died 2016)
Bernard Lawson, better known as Bernard Fox, was a Welsh actor. He is remembered for his roles as Dr. Bombay in the comedy fantasy series Bewitched (1964–1972) of which he was the last surviving adult cast member, Colonel Crittendon in the comedy series Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971), Malcolm Merriweather in The Andy Griffith Show (1963–1965), Max in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), and Archibald Gracie IV in the film Titanic (1997).
Gene Savoy, American explorer, author, and scholar (died 2007)
Douglas Eugene "Gene" Savoy was an American explorer, author, religious leader, and theologian. He served as Head Bishop of the International Community of Christ, Church of the Second Advent from 1971 until his death. Rising to prominence as one of the premier explorers of Peru in the 1960s, he is best known for his claims to have discovered more than 40 lost cities in Peru and is credited with bringing to light a number of Peru’s most important archeological sites, including Vilcabamba, the last refuge of the Incas during the Spanish conquest, and Gran Pajaten, which he named but did not discover.
11/05/1925
Edward J. King, American politician, 66th Governor of Massachusetts (died 2006)
Edward Joseph King was an American politician who served as the 66th governor of Massachusetts from 1979 to 1983. A member of the Democratic Party until 1985, he then became a member of the Republican Party. Elected in the 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, he lost the Democratic primary of the 1982 election to his predecessor Michael Dukakis.
11/05/1924
Antony Hewish, English astronomer and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2021)
Antony Hewish was a British radio astronomer who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974 for his role in the discovery of pulsars. He was also awarded the Eddington Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1969.
11/05/1918
Richard Feynman, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1988)
Richard Phillips Feynman was an American theoretical physicist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics with Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics (QED), with deep-ploughing consequences for the physics of elementary particles". He is also known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and the parton model. Feynman developed a pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions describing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams and remains widely used.
11/05/1916
Camilo José Cela, Spanish author and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002)
Camilo José Cela y Trulock, 1st Marquess of Iria Flavia was a Spanish novelist, poet, story writer and essayist associated with the Generation of '36 movement.
11/05/1912
Saadat Hasan Manto, Pakistani author and screenwriter (died 1955)
Saadat Hasan Manto NI was a Pakistani writer, playwright and novelist from Punjab, who is regarded as the greatest short-story author in Urdu literature. He was active from 1933 during British rule till his death in 1955 after independence.
11/05/1911
Phil Silvers, American actor and comedian (died 1985)
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly 60 years. He achieved major popularity when he starred in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko. He also starred in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). He was a winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Phil Silvers Show and two Tony Awards for his performances in Top Banana and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He also wrote the original lyrics to the jazz standard "Nancy ".
11/05/1907
Rip Sewell, American baseball player and coach (died 1989)
Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell was selected four times to the National League All-Star team (1943–1946) and is credited with inventing the "Eephus pitch."
11/05/1905
Lise de Baissac, Mauritian SOE agent, war hero (died 2004)
Lise Marie Jeanette de Baissac MBE CdeG, code names Odile and Marguerite, was a Mauritian agent in the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in France during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.
Catherine Bauer Wurster, American architect and public housing advocate (died 1964)
Catherine Krouse Bauer Wurster was an American public housing advocate and educator of city planners and urban planners. A leading member of the "housers," a group of planners who advocated affordable housing for low-income families, she dramatically changed social housing practice and law in the United States. Wurster's influential book Modern Housing was published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1934 and is regarded as a classic in the field.
11/05/1904
Salvador Dalí, Spanish artist (died 1989)
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí de Púbol, known as Salvador Dalí, was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in his work.
11/05/1903
Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player and manager (died 1993)
Charles Leonard Gehringer, nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played for the Detroit Tigers for 19 seasons from 1924 to 1942. He compiled a .320 career batting average with 2,839 hits and 1,427 runs batted in (RBIs). He had seven seasons with more than 200 hits and was the starting second baseman and played every inning of the first six All Star Games. He won the American League batting title in 1937 with a .371 average and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award. He helped lead the Tigers to three American League pennants and the 1935 World Series championship.
11/05/1901
Rose Ausländer, poet and author (died 1988)
Rose Ausländer was a Jewish poet writing in German and English. Born in Czernowitz in the Bukovina, she lived through its tumultuous history of belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of Romania, and eventually the Soviet Union. Rose Ausländer spent her life in several countries: Austria-Hungary, Romania, the United States, and West Germany.
Gladys Rockmore Davis, American painter (died 1967)
Gladys Rockmore Davis was an American artist who worked in both commercial and fine arts. She gave up a career in advertising art to work in creative painting. Her work in pastels ranks with her oils, and her chief subjects are children, nudes, and still lifes. She also painted ballet dancers, vignettes of liberated Paris, and scenes of Spain. An art critic once called Davis "the ten-year wonder of United States art". Her husband Floyd Davis and her son Noel Rockmore were well-known artists as well.
11/05/1897
Robert E. Gross, American businessman (died 1961)
Robert Ellsworth Gross was an American businessman involved in the field of aviation. His first venture, the Viking Flying Boat Company, failed with the loss of the aircraft market brought on by the Great Depression. He was also credited with naming Bell Aircraft’s P-39 as the “AiraCobra”.
11/05/1896
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski, Croatian composer and academic (died 1955)
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski was a Croatian composer and professor at the Music Academy in Belgrade.
11/05/1895
Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (died 1978)
Jacques Marie Stanislas Jean Brugnon, nicknamed "Toto", was a French tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was born in and died in Paris.
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher and speaker (died 1986)
Jiddu Krishnamurti was an Indian spiritual figure, speaker, and writer. Adopted by members of the Theosophical Society as a child, Krishnamurti was raised to fill the mantle of the prophesied World Teacher, a role tasked with aiding humankind's spiritual evolution. In 1922, he began to suffer from painful, seizure-like mystical episodes that would produce a lasting change in his perception of reality. In 1929, he broke from the Theosophy movement and disbanded the Order of the Star in the East which had been formed around him. He spent the rest of his life speaking to groups and individuals around the world, hoping to contribute a radical transformation of mankind.
William Grant Still, American composer and conductor (died 1978)
William Grant Still Jr. was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, and more than thirty choral works, art songs, chamber music, and solo works. Born in Mississippi and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Still attended Wilberforce University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music as a student of George Whitefield Chadwick and then as a student of Edgard Varèse. Because of his close association and collaboration with prominent African-American literary and cultural figures, Still is considered to be part of the Harlem Renaissance.
11/05/1894
Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (died 1991)
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer responsible for creating the Graham technique.
11/05/1890
Willie Applegarth, English-American sprinter (died 1958)
William Reuben Applegarth was a British track and field athlete and winner of a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Helge Løvland, Norwegian decathlete (died 1984)
Helge Andreas Løvland was a Norwegian military officer, track and field athlete, sports official and writer. He won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1920 Olympics. Løvland was awarded the Egebergs Ærespris in 1919.
11/05/1889
Paul Nash, British painter (died 1946)
Paul Nash was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art. Nash was among the most important landscape artists of the first half of the twentieth century. He played a key role in the development of Modernism in English art.
11/05/1888
Irving Berlin, Belarusian-American pianist and composer (died 1989)
Irving Berlin was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald R. Ford in 1977. The broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite stated he "helped write the story of this country, capturing the best of who we are and the dreams that shape our lives".
Willis Augustus Lee, American admiral (died 1945)
Willis Augustus "Ching" Lee Jr. was a vice admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. Lee commanded the American ships during the second night of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and turned back a Japanese invasion force headed for the island. The victory ended Japanese attempts to reinforce their troops on Guadalcanal, and thus marked a turning point in both the Guadalcanal campaign and the Pacific War.
11/05/1881
Al Cabrera, Spanish-Cuban baseball player and manager (died 1964)
Alfredo A. Cabrera was a professional baseball shortstop who played many years in the Cuban League. His nickname was Pájaro, which is Spanish for "Bird."
Jan van Gilse, Dutch composer and conductor (died 1944)
Jan Pieter Hendrik van Gilse was a Dutch conductor and composer. Among his works are five symphonies and the Dutch-language opera Thijl (1940).
Theodore von Kármán, Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, and engineer (died 1963)
Theodore von Kármán was a Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer, and physicist who worked in aeronautics and astronautics. He was responsible for crucial advances in aerodynamics characterizing supersonic and hypersonic airflow. The defined threshold of outer space is named the "Kármán line" in recognition of his work. Kármán is regarded as an outstanding aerodynamic theoretician of the 20th century.
11/05/1875
Harriet Quimby, American pilot and screenwriter (died 1912)
Harriet Quimby was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter. In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot's license and in 1912 the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. Although Quimby only flew for one year, and died at the age of 37 in a flying accident, she strongly influenced the role of women in aviation.
11/05/1871
Frank Schlesinger, American astronomer and author (died 1943)
Frank Schlesinger was an American astronomer. His work concentrated on using photographic plates rather than direct visual studies for astronomical research.
11/05/1869
Archibald Warden, English tennis player (died 1943)
Archibald Adam Warden was a British tennis player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.
11/05/1854
Jack Blackham, Australian cricketer (died 1932)
John McCarthy Blackham was a Test cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia.
11/05/1852
Charles W. Fairbanks, American journalist and politician, 26th United States Vice President (died 1918)
Charles Warren Fairbanks was the 26th vice president of the United States under President Theodore Roosevelt serving from 1905 to 1909. A member of the Republican Party, Fairbanks was previously a senator from Indiana from 1897 to 1905.
11/05/1811
Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel, Swiss politician (died 1893)
Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1864–1872).
Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese-American showmen, the original conjoined twins (died 1874)
Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker were Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression "Siamese twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general. They were widely exhibited as curiosities and were "two of the nineteenth century's most studied human beings".
11/05/1797
José Mariano Salas, Mexican general and politician (died 1867)
José Mariano Salas Barbosa was a Mexican soldier and politician who served twice as interim president of Mexico, once in 1846, during the Mexican–American War, and once in 1859 during the Reform War.
11/05/1752
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German physician, physiologist, and anthropologist (died 1840): 94
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach was a German medical doctor, naturalist, physiologist, and anthropologist. He is considered to be a main founder of zoology and anthropology as comparative, scientific disciplines. He has been called the "founder of racial classifications".
11/05/1715
Johann Gottfried Bernhard Bach, German organist (died 1739)
Johann Gottfried Bernhard Bach was a German musician. It is not known whether he composed, and his career as an organist is not in itself notable, but his life throws light on his famous father, Johann Sebastian Bach. Johann Gottfried was the fourth child of Johann Sebastian and Maria Barbara Bach to reach adulthood.
11/05/1578
Sophie Axelsdatter Brahe, Danish noblewoman (died 1646)
Sophie Axelsdatter Brahe was a Danish noblewoman and landowner. She is notable for being the first confirmed owner of Gunhild Cross. She was married to nobleman Holger Rosenkrantz, with whom she had 13 children, and raised 10 of her nieces and nephews, including Anne Gøye. She was also known for her accounting, of which her books are held in the Karen Brahe library, and landowning.
11/05/1571
Niwa Nagashige, Japanese daimyō (died 1637)
Niwa Nagashige was a Japanese daimyō who served the Oda clan. Nagashige was the eldest son of Niwa Nagahide and married the 5th daughter of Oda Nobunaga. He took part in his first campaign in 1583, assisting his father in the Battle of Shizugatake against Shibata Katsuie. In 1584, the Battle of Nagakute, at the age of thirteen, Nagashige led a troop of the Niwa clan in place of his father, who was ill.
Lives Remembered on 11th May
On 11th May, 56 remarkable people passed away — from 912 to 2026. Remember the lives and legacies of those we lost on this day.
11/05/2026
Brandon Clarke, Canadian-American basketball player (born 1996)
Brandon Clarke was a Canadian–American professional basketball player who was a power forward for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the San Jose State Spartans and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Clarke was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the 21st overall pick and then immediately traded to the Grizzlies. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.
11/05/2024
Susan Backlinie, American actress and stuntwoman (born 1946)
Susan Jane Backlinie was an American actress and stuntwoman. She was known for playing Chrissie Watkins, the shark attack victim in the opening beach party scene of Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws.
11/05/2021
Colt Brennan, American quarterback (born 1983)
Colton James Brennan was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes, Saddleback Gauchos, and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. With the Rainbow Warriors, he was a two-time third-team All-American and two-time NCAA passing leader. Brennan was selected by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft, but never played in a regular season NFL game.
Norman Lloyd, American actor, producer and director (born 1914)
Norman Nathan Lloyd was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, including theatre, radio, television, and film, with a career that started in 1923. Lloyd's final film, Trainwreck, was released in 2015, after he turned 100. Lloyd remained the oldest-living male actor from Classic Hollywood until his death in 2021.
11/05/2020
Jerry Stiller, American comedian, actor (born 1927)
Gerald Isaac Stiller was an American comedian and actor. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing Frank Costanza on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 1998, Stiller began his role as Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role that garnered widespread acclaim.
11/05/2019
Peggy Lipton, American actress, model, and singer (born 1946)
Margaret Ann Lipton was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes in the crime drama The Mod Squad (1968–1973), for which she was nominated for four Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama in 1970.
Thomas Silverstein, American murderer (born 1952)
Thomas Edward Silverstein was an American criminal who spent the last 42 years of his life in prison after being convicted of three separate murders, with a fourth murder conviction being overturned and Silverstein being implicated in a fifth, while imprisoned for armed robbery. Silverstein spent the last 36 years of his life in solitary confinement for killing corrections officer Merle Clutts at the Marion Penitentiary in Illinois. Prison authorities described him as a brutal killer and a former leader of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang. Silverstein maintained that the dehumanizing conditions inside the prison system contributed to the three murders he committed. He was the longest-held prisoner in solitary confinement within the Bureau of Prisons at the time of his death. Correctional officers refused to talk to Silverstein out of respect for Clutts.
11/05/2011
Robert Traylor, American basketball player (born 1977)
Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor was an American professional basketball player. He got his nickname because of his hulking frame. Traylor was the sixth pick in the 1998 NBA draft and played seven seasons in the league. He averaged 4.8 points per game, mainly as a reserve center and power forward.
11/05/2010
Doris Eaton Travis, American dancer and vaudevillian (born 1904)
Doris Eaton Travis was an American dancer, stage and film actress, dance instructor, owner and manager, writer, and rancher, who was the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, a troupe of acclaimed chorus girls who performed as members in the Broadway theatrical revues of the Ziegfeld Follies.
11/05/2009
Abel Goumba, Central African physician and politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (born 1926)
Abel Nguéndé Goumba was a Central African politician. During the late 1950s, he headed the government in the period prior to independence from France, and following independence he was an unsuccessful candidate for President of the Central African Republic four times. Goumba, who was President of the Patriotic Front for Progress (FPP) political party, served under President François Bozizé as Prime Minister from March 2003 to December 2003 and then as Vice President of the Central African Republic from December 2003 to March 2005. Subsequently, he was appointed to the official post of Ombudsman.
Claudio Huepe, Chilean economist and politician, Chilean Minister Secretary-General of Government (born 1939)
Claudio Huepe García was a Chilean politician, engineer and economist, member of the Christian Democrat party, who occupied several government and political positions. During his career, he was the provincial intendant of Arauco, a member of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, a government minister, and the Chilean ambassador to Venezuela. He was also among the first in his party to reject the 1973 coup by Pinochet and was exiled by the military dictatorship from 1975 until 1984.
Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, Indian admiral (born 1915)
Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas "Charles" Nanda, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 6th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1970 until 28 February 1973. He led the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and successfully executed a naval blockade of both West and East Pakistan, helping India achieve an overwhelming victory during the war. For the important role he played in the war, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award. Nanda is recognised as one of the most notable commanders in the history of the Indian Navy.
11/05/2008
John Rutsey, Canadian drummer (born 1953)
John Howard Rutsey was a Canadian musician best known as a founding member and original drummer of Rush. He performed on the band's 1974 debut album, but left shortly after its release due to health problems which limited his ability to tour with the band. He was subsequently replaced by Neil Peart, who remained Rush's drummer until 2015.
11/05/2007
Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan ruler (born 1913)
Malietoa Tanumafili II was a Samoan paramount chief and politician who was O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa from its independence in 1962, and the Malietoa titleholder from 1940, until his death in 2007.
11/05/2006
Floyd Patterson, American boxer and actor (born 1935)
Floyd Patterson was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in history to win the title, and was also the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He has been named among the top 15 heavyweights of all time.
11/05/2005
Léo Cadieux, Canadian politician, 17th Canadian Minister of National Defence (born 1908)
Léo Alphonse Joseph Cadieux was a Canadian politician.
Horton Davies, Welsh minister and historian (born 1916)
Horton Marlais Davies was a Welsh Protestant minister, historian of Christianity, and painter. After receiving degrees from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford, he became the minister of Wallington and Carshalton Congregational Church in London in 1942, holding that position through World War II. From 1945 to 1946, he worked in Germany as a director of education for the YMCA, affiliated with the British Army of the Rhine.
11/05/2003
Noel Redding, English bass player (born 1945)
David Noel Redding was an English rock musician, best known as the bass player for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and guitarist/singer for Fat Mattress.
11/05/2002
Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and politician (born 1912)
Louise Marguerite Renaude Lapointe, was a Canadian journalist and a Senator. She was among the first Canadian women to work as a professional journalist and the first French-Canadian woman to preside over the Senate.
Bill Peet, American animator and screenwriter (born 1915)
William Bartlett Peet was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer and animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
11/05/2001
Douglas Adams, English novelist and screenwriter (born 1952)
Douglas Noël Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter. He was best known as the creator of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a 1978 radio comedy series which he adapted into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 14 million copies in his lifetime. He also adapted it into a 1981 television series, a 1984 video game and a 2005 feature film.
11/05/1994
Timothy Carey, American actor, director, and producer (born 1928)
Timothy Agoglia Carey was an American film and television character actor who was typically cast as manic or violent characters who are driven to extremes. He is particularly known for his collaborations with Stanley Kubrick in the films The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957), and for appearing in the two John Cassavetes directed films Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976). Other notable film credits include Crime Wave (1954), East of Eden (1955), One-Eyed Jacks (1961), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), Head (1968) and The Outfit (1973).
11/05/1991
Ulyana Barkova, Russian farm worker (born 1906)
Ulyana Spiridonovna Barkova was a Russian dairy farmer who was the forewoman at the Karavaevo state farm in the Kostroma Oblast who was twice awarded the title of Heroine of Socialist Labour.
11/05/1990
Stratos Dionysiou, Greek Singer, composer and lyricist (born 1935)
Stratos Dionysiou, nicknamed "To Geraki tis Pistas", was a Greek singer, composer and lyricist.
11/05/1988
Kim Philby, British-Soviet double agent (born 1912)
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963, he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring that had divulged British secrets to the Soviets during World War II and in the early stages of the Cold War. Of the five, Philby is widely considered to have been the most successful in providing secret information to the Soviets.
11/05/1987
James Jesus Angleton, CIA counterintelligence leader (born 1917)
James Jesus Angleton was an American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer who served as chief of the counterintelligence department of the CIA from 1954 to 1975. According to director of central intelligence Richard Helms, Angleton was "recognized as the dominant counterintelligence figure in the non-communist world".
11/05/1986
Fritz Pollard, American football player and coach (born 1894)
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was an American professional football player and coach. In 1921, he became the first African-American head coach in the National Football League (NFL). Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first two African-American players in the NFL in 1920. He is also recognized as the first Black quarterback in NFL history, playing the position for the Hammond Pros in 1923. Football pioneer Walter Camp called Pollard "one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen."
11/05/1985
Chester Gould, American cartoonist, created Dick Tracy (born 1900)
Chester Gould was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip, which he wrote and drew from 1931 to 1977, incorporating numerous colorful and monstrous villains.
11/05/1983
Zenna Henderson, American writer (born 1917)
Zenna Chlarson Henderson was an American elementary school teacher and science fiction and fantasy author. Her first story was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1951. Her work is cited as pre-feminist, often featuring middle-aged women, children, and their relationships, but with stereotyped gender roles. Many of her stories center around human aliens called "The People", who have special powers. Henderson was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1959 for her novelette Captivity. Science fiction authors Lois McMaster Bujold, Orson Scott Card, Connie Willis, Dale Bailey, and Kathy Tyers have cited her as an influence on their work.
11/05/1981
Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1897)
Odd Hassel was a Norwegian physical chemist and Nobel Laureate.
Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1945)
Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and became a global figure in popular culture. He became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music, culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for pan-Africanism.
11/05/1980
Dyre Vaa, Norwegian sculptor and painter (born 1903)
Dyre Vaa was a Norwegian sculptor and painter.
11/05/1979
Lester Flatt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1914)
Lester Raymond Flatt was an American singer, bluegrass guitarist, and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs.
11/05/1967
James E. Brewton, American painter (born 1930)
James Edward Brewton was an American painter and printmaker who synthesized expressionism, graffiti and Pataphysics. At the time of his death, Brewton was beginning to distinguish himself as one of Philadelphia's premier painters and printmakers.
11/05/1964
Janne Mustonen, Finnish politician (born 1901)
Johannes Aadolfinpoika Mustonen was a Finnish politician and member of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. A member of the Communist Party of Finland and the Finnish People's Democratic League, he represented Oulu Province between April 1945 and February 1962 and between December 1963 and May 1964. Prior to being elected, he was imprisoned for eight years for political reasons.
11/05/1963
Herbert Spencer Gasser, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1888): 169
Herbert Spencer Gasser was an American physiologist, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1944 for his work with action potentials in nerve fibers while on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis, awarded jointly with Joseph Erlanger.
11/05/1960
John D. Rockefeller Jr., American businessman and philanthropist (born 1874)
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. was an American financier and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fifth child and only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in Midtown Manhattan known as Rockefeller Center, making him one of the largest real estate holders in the city at that time. Towards the end of his life, he was famous for his philanthropy, donating over $500 million to a wide variety of different causes, including educational establishments. Among his projects was the reconstruction of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. He was widely blamed for having orchestrated the Ludlow Massacre and other offenses during the Colorado Coalfield War. Rockefeller was the father of six children: Abby, John III, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop, and David.
11/05/1955
Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer (born 1874)
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricketer, often reckoned to have been one of the fastest run-scorers cricket has ever known. He was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898 and compiled the fastest century ever for England.
11/05/1946
Seán McCaughey, Irish Republican, died on hunger strike (born 1915)
Seán McCaughey was an Irish militant and Republican activist. He was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) leader in the 1930s and 1940s and hunger striker.
11/05/1938
George Lyon, Canadian golfer and cricketer (born 1858)
George Seymour Lyon was a Canadian golfer, an Olympic gold medalist in golf, an eight-time Canadian Amateur Championship winner, and a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. He worked in the insurance industry.
11/05/1929
Jozef Murgaš, Slovak-American priest, architect, botanist, and painter (born 1864)
Jozef Murgaš was a Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter and Roman Catholic priest. He contributed to radio development, which at the time was commonly known as "wireless telegraphy".
11/05/1927
Juan Gris, Spanish painter and sculptor (born 1887)
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic genre Cubism, his works are among the movement's most distinctive.
11/05/1920
James Colosimo, Italian-American mob boss (born 1878)
Vincenzo Colosimo, known as James "Big Jim" Colosimo or as "Diamond Jim", was an Italian-American Mafia crime boss who emigrated from Calabria, Italy, in 1895 and built a criminal empire in Chicago based on prostitution, gambling and racketeering. He gained power through petty crime and heading a chain of brothels. From 1902 until his death in 1920, he led a gang known after his death as the Chicago Outfit. Colosimo was assassinated on May 11, 1920, and no one was ever charged with his murder. Johnny Torrio, an enforcer whom Colosimo imported in 1909 from New York, seized control of Colosimo's businesses after his death. Al Capone, a close associate of Torrio, has been accused of involvement in Colosimo's murder but was not yet in Chicago at the time.
William Dean Howells, American novelist, literary critic, and playwright (born 1837)
William Dean Howells was an American realist novelist, literary critic, playwright, and diplomat, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of The Atlantic Monthly, as well as for the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria, and the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day", which was adapted into a 1996 film of the same name.
11/05/1918
George Elmslie, Australian politician, 25th Premier of Victoria (born 1861)
George Alexander Elmslie was an Australian politician who served as the 25th and shortest serving Premier of Victoria, and the first Labor Premier.
11/05/1916
Karl Schwarzschild, German astronomer and physicist (born 1873): xix
Karl Schwarzschild was a German physicist and astronomer.
11/05/1908
Charles Kingston, Australian politician, 20th Premier of South Australia (born 1850)
Charles Cameron Kingston was an Australian politician. From 1893 to 1899 he was Premier of South Australia, leading a coalition of Radicals supported by the Labor Party.
11/05/1889
John Cadbury, English businessman and philanthropist, founded the Cadbury Company (born 1801)
John Cadbury was an English Quaker and businessman, who founded the Cadbury chocolate company in Birmingham, England. He was also involved in activism and philanthropy, championing workers' rights, environmental and industrial reform, temperance, animal welfare, education, and healthcare, while actively opposing cruelty, exploitation, and indulgent practices.
11/05/1882
Frederick Innes, Scottish-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Tasmania (born 1816)
Frederick Maitland Innes was Premier of Tasmania from 4 November 1872 to 4 August 1873.
11/05/1849
Juliette Récamier, French businesswoman (born 1777)
Jeanne Françoise Julie Adélaïde Récamier, known as Juliette, was a French socialite whose salon drew people from the leading literary and political circles of early 19th-century Paris. An icon of neoclassicism, Récamier cultivated a public persona as a great beauty, and her fame quickly spread across Europe. She befriended many intellectuals, sat for the finest artists of the age, and spurned an offer of marriage from Prince Augustus of Prussia.
11/05/1848
Tom Cribb, English boxer (born 1781)
Tom Cribb was an English bare-knuckle boxer of the 19th century. He was All England Champion from 1808 to 1822.
11/05/1812
Spencer Perceval, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1762)
Spencer Perceval was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, and the only solicitor-general or attorney-general to have become prime minister.
11/05/1779
John Hart, American lawyer and politician (born 1711)
John Hart was an American Founding Father and politician in colonial New Jersey. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, Hart signed the Declaration of Independence. He died several years before the end of the Revolutionary War while still active in patriotic efforts.
11/05/1778
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, English politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (born 1708)
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger, who also served as prime minister. Pitt was also known as "the Great Commoner" because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.
11/05/1610
Matteo Ricci, Italian priest and mathematician (born 1552)
Matteo Ricci was an Italian Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions. He created the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu, a 1602 map of the world written in Chinese characters. In 2022, the Apostolic See declared its recognition of Ricci's heroic virtues, thereby bestowing upon him the honorific of Venerable.
11/05/0912
Leo VI the Wise, Byzantine Emperor, the second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (born 866)
Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise, was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty, he was very well read, leading to his epithet. During his reign, the renaissance of letters, begun by his predecessor Basil I, continued; but the empire also saw several military defeats in the Balkans against Bulgaria and against the Arabs in Sicily and the Aegean. His reign also witnessed the formal discontinuation of several ancient Roman institutions, such as the separate office of Roman consul.
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 11th May
Christian feast day: Anthimus of Rome
Saint Anthimus of Rome, or Sant'Antimo in Italian, is a Christian saint. His life is largely composed of legend. He is said to have been born in Bithynia. A Christian priest, he was imprisoned for his beliefs at the time of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. His feast day is May 11.
Christian feast day: Gangulphus of Burgundy
Gangulphus of Burgundy is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic Church. Gangulphus was a Burgundian courtier whose historical existence can be attested by only a single document: a deed from the court of Pepin the Short, dated 762, attests that he was a great landowner, whose family dominated the region and exercised a lot of power.
Christian feast day: Blessed John Rochester
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. Beati is the plural form, referring to those who have undergone the process of beatification; they possess the title of "Blessed" before their names and are often referred to in English as "a Blessed" or, plurally, "Blesseds".
Christian feast day: Ignatius of Laconi
Ignazio da Laconi - born Vincenzo Peis - was a Catholic professed religious born in Sardinia, and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. His conquering a serious illness prompted him to consecrate his life to God and therefore entered the religious life though not as an ordained priest. Peis was better known in Sardinia for his humble demeanor coupled with his concern for those who were poor. He mingled with all the people he met and was generous towards those who were ill. But he became known as a wonder worker, and it was claimed that he had performed 121 miracles during his life.
Christian feast day: Majolus of Cluny
Majolus of Cluny was the fourth abbot of Cluny. Majolus was very active in reforming individual communities of monks and canons; first, as a personal commission, requested and authorized by the Emperor or other nobility. Later, he found it more effective to affiliate some of the foundations to the motherhouse at Cluny to lessen the likelihood of later relapse.
Christian feast day: Mamertus, the first of the Ice Saints
Mamertus was the bishop of Vienne in Gaul, venerated as a saint. His primary contribution to ecclesiastical practice was the introduction of litanies prior to Ascension Day as an intercession against earthquakes and other disasters, leading to "Rogation Days." His feast day is the first of the Ice Saints.
What Happened on 11th May?
38 significant events took place on Thursday, 11th May — stretching from 330 to 2024. Explore the moments that shaped history on this day.
11/05/2024
Start/Middle of the May 2024 Solar Storms, the most powerful set of geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms.
The solar storms of May 2024 were a series of powerful solar storms with extreme solar flares and geomagnetic storm components that occurred from 10 to 13 May 2024 during solar cycle 25. They are also known as the 2024 Mother's Day solar storm or the Gannon storm. The geomagnetic storm was the most powerful to affect Earth since March 1989, and produced aurorae at far lower latitudes than usual.
The 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is held in Malmö, Sweden. Nemo from Switzerland win with their song "The Code", making them the contest's first non-binary winner.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It consisted of two semi-finals on 7 and 9 May and a final on 11 May 2024, held at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and presented by Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT), which staged the event after winning the 2023 contest for Sweden with the song "Tattoo" by Loreen. Mede had previously presented the 2013 and 2016 contests.
11/05/2022
The Burmese military executes at least 37 villagers during the Mon Taing Pin massacre in Sagaing, Myanmar.
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar. It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Myanmar Police Force, the Border Guard Forces, the Myanmar Coast Guard, and the People's Militia Units. Since independence in 1948, the Tatmadaw has faced significant ethnic insurgencies, especially in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, and Shan states. General Ne Win took control of the country in a 1962 coup d'état, attempting to build an autarkic society called the Burmese Way to Socialism. Following the violent repression of nationwide protests in 1988, the military agreed to free elections in 1990, but ignored the resulting victory of the National League for Democracy and imprisoned its leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The 1990s also saw the escalation of the conflict involving Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State due to RSO attacks on the Tatmadaw forces, which saw the Rohingya minority facing oppression and, starting in 2017, genocide.
Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is killed while covering a raid in Jenin. Israel eventually admitted and apologized for the murder, after initial denials.
Shireen Abu Akleh was a prominent Palestinian-American journalist who worked as a reporter for 25 years for Al Jazeera, before she was killed by Israeli forces while wearing a blue press vest and covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Abu Akleh was one of the most prominent names across the Middle East for her decades of reporting in the Palestinian territories, and seen as a role model for many Arab and Palestinian women. She is considered to be an icon of Palestinian journalism.
11/05/2016
One hundred and ten people are killed in an ISIL bombing in Baghdad.
In May 2016, the Islamic State conducted a series of bombing attacks in and around Shia neighbourhoods in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, killing and wounding hundreds. According to IS, attacks were aimed at Shia fighters.
11/05/2014
Fifteen people are killed and 46 injured in Kinshasa, DRC, in a stampede caused by tear gas being thrown into soccer stands by police officers.
Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, with an estimated population of 18.5 million in 2026. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the third-most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa, the world's seventh-most populous city proper and fourth-most populous capital city. It is the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC, housing several industries including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of the DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the People's Palace, Palace of the Nation, Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, African Union City, Marble Palace, Government House, Kinshasa Financial Center, and other national departments and agencies.
11/05/2013
Fifty-two people are killed in a bombing in Reyhanlı, Turkey.
The 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings took place on 11 May 2013, when two car bombs exploded in the Turkish town of Reyhanlı, a town of 64,000 people, 5 km from the Syrian border and the busiest land border post with Syria, in Hatay Province, Turkey. At least 52 people were killed and 140 injured in the attack.
11/05/2011
An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hits Lorca, Spain.
The 2011 Lorca earthquake was a moderate 5.1 Mw earthquake that occurred 18:47 CEST on 11 May 2011, near the town of Lorca, causing significant localized damage in the Region of Murcia, Spain, and panic among locals, and displacing many from their homes. The quake was preceded by a magnitude 4.4 foreshock at 17:05, that inflicted substantial damage to many older structures in the area, including the historical Espolón Tower of Lorca Castle, the Hermitage of San Clemente and the Convent of Virgen de Las Huertas. Three people were killed by a falling cornice. A total of nine deaths have been confirmed, while dozens are reported injured. The earthquake was the worst to hit the region since a 5.0 Mw tremor struck west of Albolote, Granada in 1956.
The Istanbul Convention is signed in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, is a human rights treaty of the Council of Europe opposing violence against women and domestic violence which was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey. The convention aims at prevention of violence, victim protection and to end the impunity of perpetrators.
11/05/2010
David Cameron takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats form the country's first coalition government since the Second World War.
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK since 1945 and resigned after a referendum supported the country's leaving the European Union. After his premiership, he served as Foreign Secretary in the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from 2023 to 2024. Cameron was Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016 and served as Leader of the Opposition from 2005 to 2010. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney from 2001 to 2016, and has been a member of the House of Lords since November 2023. Cameron identifies as a one-nation conservative and has been associated with both economically and socially liberal policies.
11/05/2009
An American soldier in Iraq opens fire on a counseling center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, killing five other US soldiers and wounding three.
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. Located within the Middle East, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The country covers an area of 438,317 square kilometres (169,235 sq mi) and has a population of over 46 million, making it the 58th largest country by area and the 31st most populous in the world. Baghdad, home to over 8 million people, is the capital city and the largest in the country.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell International company in Southern California and was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Eastern Florida in April 1985. Atlantis is the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J made from October 3 to 7, 1985.
11/05/2000
Second Chechen War: Chechen separatists ambush Russian paramilitary forces in the Republic of Ingushetia.
The Second Chechen War took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russian Federation and the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from August 1999 to April 2009.
11/05/1998
India conducts three underground atomic tests in Pokhran.
Pokhran-II was a series of five nuclear weapon tests conducted by India in May 1998. The bombs were detonated at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. It was the second instance of nuclear testing conducted by India, after the first test, Smiling Buddha, in May 1974.
11/05/1997
Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.
Deep Blue was a customized IBM RS/6000 SP supercomputer for chess-playing designed by computer scientist Feng-hsiung Hsu. It was the first computer to win a game, and the first to win a match, against a reigning world champion under regular time controls. Development began in 1985 at Carnegie Mellon University under the name ChipTest. It then moved to IBM, where it was first renamed Deep Thought, then again in 1989 to Deep Blue. In 1996, it was used to compete against world champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match, where it won one, drew two, and lost three games. In 1997, it underwent an upgrade, and in a six-game rematch it defeated Kasparov by winning two games and drawing three. Deep Blue's victory is considered a milestone in the history of artificial intelligence and has been the subject of several books and films.
11/05/1996
After the aircraft's departure from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold of Atlanta-bound ValuJet Airlines Flight 592 causes the Douglas DC-9 to crash in the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 on board.
ValuJet Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami to Atlanta in the United States. On May 11, 1996, the ValuJet Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the route crashed into the Florida Everglades about 10 minutes after departing Miami due to a fire in the cargo compartment. The fire was caused by mislabeled and improperly stored chemical oxygen generators. All 110 people on board were killed.
11/05/1987
Klaus Barbie goes on trial in Lyon for war crimes committed during World War II.
Niklaus Barbie was a German officer of the Schutzstaffel and Sicherheitsdienst who worked in Vichy France during World War II. He became known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortured prisoners—primarily Jews and members of the French Resistance—as the head of the Gestapo in Lyon.
11/05/1985
Fifty-six spectators die and more than 200 are injured in the Bradford City stadium fire.
The Bradford City stadium fire occurred during a Football League Third Division match on Saturday 11 May 1985 at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, killing 56 spectators and injuring at least 265. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the stand. The stand had been officially condemned and was due to be replaced with a steel structure after the season ended.
11/05/1973
Citing government misconduct, Daniel Ellsberg's charges for his involvement in releasing the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times are dismissed.
The Pentagon Papers, officially titled Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States' political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1968. Released by Daniel Ellsberg, who had worked on the study, it was made public on the front page of The New York Times in 1971. A 1996 article in The New York Times said that the Pentagon Papers had demonstrated, among other things, that Lyndon B. Johnson's administration had "systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress".
Aeroflot Flight 6551 crashes in Semey, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (now Kazakhstan), killing all 63 aboard.
Aeroflot Flight 6551 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight on an Ilyushin Il-18B from Baku to Novosibirsk with a stopover in Tashkent that crashed on 11 May 1973 over Semipalatinsk in the Kazakh SSR, killing all 63 people aboard.
11/05/1970
The 1970 Lubbock tornado kills 26 and causes $250 million in damage.
During the evening hours of May 11, 1970, an extremely violent multiple-vortex tornado struck a large portion of the city of Lubbock, located in the state of Texas, United States. The incident resulted in 26 fatalities and an estimated $250 million in damage. Known as the Lubbock tornado, it was in its time the costliest tornado in U.S. history, damaging nearly 9,000 homes and inflicting widespread damage to businesses, high-rise buildings, and public infrastructure. The tornado's damage was surveyed by meteorologist Ted Fujita in what researcher Thomas P. Grazulis described as "the most detailed mapping ever done, up to that time, of the path of a single tornado." Originally, the most severe damage was assigned a preliminary F6 rating on the Fujita scale, making it one of only two tornadoes to receive the rating, alongside the 1974 Xenia tornado. Later, it was downgraded to an F5 rating. The extremity of the damage and the force required to displace heavy objects as much as was observed indicated that winds produced by vortices within the tornado may have exceeded 290 mph (470 km/h).
11/05/1953
In the deadliest of a series of tornadoes, an F5 tornado kills 114 in Waco, Texas.
A deadly series of at least 33 tornadoes hit at least 10 different U.S. states on May 9–11, 1953. Tornadoes appeared daily from Minnesota in the north to Texas in the south. The strongest and deadliest tornado was a powerful F5 tornado that struck Waco, Texas on May 11, causing 114 of the 144 deaths in the outbreak. Alongside the 1902 Goliad tornado, it was the deadliest tornado in Texas history and is the 11th deadliest tornado in U.S. history. The tornado's winds demolished more than 600 houses, 1,000 other structures, and over 2,000 vehicles. 597 injuries occurred, and many survivors had to wait more than 14 hours for rescue. The destruction dispelled a myth that the geography of the region spared Waco from tornadoes, and along with other deadly tornadoes in 1953, the Waco disaster was a catalyst for advances in understanding the link between tornadoes and radar-detected hook echoes. It also generated support for improved civil defense systems, the formation of weather radar networks, and improved communications between stakeholders such as meteorologists, local officials, and the public.
11/05/1919
Uruguay becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It is part of the Southern Cone region of South America. Uruguay covers an area of approximately 176,215 square kilometers (68,037 sq mi). It has a population of almost 3.5 million people, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.
11/05/1894
Four thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers go on a wildcat strike.
The Pullman Strike comprised two interrelated strikes in 1894 that shaped national labor policy in the United States during a period of deep economic depression. First came a strike by the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company's factory in Chicago in spring 1894. When it failed, the ARU launched a national boycott against all trains that carried Pullman passenger cars. The nationwide railroad boycott that lasted from May 11 to July 20, 1894, was a turning point for US labor law. It pitted the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, the main railroads, the main labor unions, and the federal government of the United States under President Grover Cleveland.
11/05/1889
An attack upon a U.S. Army paymaster and escort results in the theft of over $28,000 and the award of two Medals of Honor.
The Wham Paymaster robbery was an armed robbery of a United States Army paymaster and his escort on May 11, 1889, in the Arizona Territory. Major Joseph W. Wham was transporting a payroll consisting of more than US$28,000 in gold and silver coins from Fort Grant to Fort Thomas when he and his escort of eleven Buffalo Soldiers were ambushed. During the attack, the bandits wounded eight of the soldiers, forced them to retreat to cover, and stole the payroll.
11/05/1880
Seven people are killed in the Mussel Slough Tragedy, a gun battle in California.
The Mussel Slough Tragedy was a shootout over disputed land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). It took place on May 11, 1880, on a farm located 5.6 miles (9 km) northwest of Hanford, California, in the central San Joaquin Valley. Seven people were killed. The episode became a major theme in many protests and publications denouncing the railroads as villains in California history.
11/05/1878
Hödel assassination attempt by anarchist Max Hödel targeting the German Kaiser, Wilhelm I.
The Hödel assassination attempt, or the assassination attempt on Wilhelm I of 11 May 1878, was an armed attack carried out by Max Hödel, a young German anarchist, against the Kaiser, Wilhelm I. Along with the Nobiling assassination attempt, less than a month later and aimed at the same target, it was one of the first acts of propaganda by the deed in history.
11/05/1858
Minnesota becomes the 32nd U.S. state.
Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the west. The northeast corner has a water boundary with Michigan. It is the 12th-largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd-most populous, with about 5.8 million residents. Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"; it has 14,420 bodies of fresh water covering at least ten acres each. Roughly a third of the state is forested. Much of the remainder is prairie and farmland. More than 60% of Minnesotans live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, known as the "Twin Cities", which is Minnesota's main political, economic, and cultural hub and the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Other minor metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas include Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud.
11/05/1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857: Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power, including military forces, on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 as a mutiny of sepoys of the company's garrison in Meerut, a town 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Delhi. It then erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions chiefly in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, though incidents of revolt also occurred farther north and east. The rebellion posed a military threat to British power in that region, and was contained only with the rebels' defeat in Gwalior on 20 June 1858. On 1 November 1858, the British granted amnesty to all rebels not involved in murder, though they did not declare the hostilities to have formally ended until 8 July 1859.
11/05/1813
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth discover a route across the Blue Mountains, opening up inland Australia to settlement.
William Lawson, MLC was a British soldier, explorer, land owner, grazier and politician. In 1800, he migrated to Sydney, New South Wales, and from 1819, he served as the commandant of the Bathurst, New South Wales region, and from 1843, he served as a member of the New South Wales Parliament.
11/05/1812
Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons.
Spencer Perceval was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, and the only solicitor-general or attorney-general to have become prime minister.
11/05/1713
Great Northern War: After losing the Battle of Helsinki to the Russians, the Swedish and Finnish troops burn the entire city, so that it would not remain intact in the hands of the Russians.
In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by Russia successfully contested the supremacy of Sweden in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I of Russia, Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway and Augustus II the Strong of Saxony-Poland-Lithuania. Frederick IV and Augustus II were defeated by Sweden, under Charles XII, and forced out of the alliance in 1700 and 1706, respectively, but rejoined it in 1709 after the defeat of Charles XII at the Battle of Poltava. George I of Great Britain and the Electorate of Hanover joined the coalition in 1714 for Hanover and in 1717 for Britain, and Frederick William I of Brandenburg-Prussia joined it in 1715.
11/05/1560
The Ottoman naval forces inflict a defeat on a Spanish fleet in the battle of Djerba. This marks the highpoint of Ottoman naval dominance in the Mediterranean, which starts declining five years later after the failed siege of Malta.
The Ottoman Navy or the Imperial Navy, also known as the Ottoman Fleet, was the naval warfare arm of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottomans first reached the sea in 1323 by capturing Praenetos, the site of the first Ottoman naval shipyard and the nucleus of the future navy.
11/05/1258
Louis IX of France and James I of Aragon sign the Treaty of Corbeil, renouncing claims of feudal overlordship in one another's territories and separating the House of Barcelona from the politics of France.
Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians, is the sole king of France to be canonised as a saint of the Catholic Church, and is also the direct ancestor of all subsequent French kings. Following the death of his father, Louis VIII, he was crowned in Reims at the age of 12. His mother, Blanche of Castile, effectively ruled the kingdom as regent until he came of age, and continued to serve as his trusted adviser until her death.
11/05/1068
Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, is crowned Queen of England.
Matilda of Flanders was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was the mother of at least nine children who survived to adulthood, including two kings of England, William II and Henry I.
11/05/0973
In the first coronation ceremony ever held for an English monarch, Edgar the Peaceful is crowned King of England, having ruled since 959 AD. His wife, Ælfthryth, is crowned queen, the first recorded coronation for a Queen of England.
Edgar, also known as Edgar the Peaceful, the Peacemaker and the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. He became king of all England on his brother Eadwig's death. He was the younger son of King Edmund I and his first wife, Ælfgifu. A detailed account of Edgar's reign is not possible, because only a few events were recorded by chroniclers and monastic writers, who were more interested in recording the activities of the leaders of the church.
11/05/0868
A copy of the Diamond Sūtra is published, the earliest dated and printed book known.
The Diamond Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sutra from the genre of Prajñāpāramitā sutras. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the Diamond Sūtra is one of the most influential Mahayana sutras in East Asia, and it is particularly prominent within the Chan tradition, along with the Heart Sutra.
11/05/0330
Constantine the Great dedicates the much-expanded and rebuilt city of Byzantium, changing its name to New Rome and declaring it the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Christianity in the Roman Empire, the Edict of Milan decriminalising Christian practice and ceasing Christian persecution. This was a turning point in the Christianisation of the Roman Empire. He founded the city of Constantinople and made it the capital of the Empire, which it remained for over a millennium.