1152 Beautiful, graceful, dark eyed and colorful, Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1137 married King Louis VII of France, son of her guardian, King Louis VI in 1137. Eleanor complained about the pious Louis’s lack of interest in lovemaking saying that he was “more of a monk than a man." Eleanor did produce Louis two daughters, but the marriage was later annulled, as there were no male children. They met on March 11, 1152 at the royal castle of Beaugency to dissolve their marriage.
1302 Romeo Monteveccio and Juliet Cappelleto were married in Citadela, Italy on March 11, 1302. This real life wedding is believed to have had an influence on Shakespeare's sources for his story of star-crossed lovers in a feuding family conflict, Romeo and Juliet.
1708 Queen Anne of Great Britain withheld Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill on March 11, 1708, on the advice of her ministers who feared that the proposed militia created would be disloyal. It was the last time a British monarch has vetoed legislation. Following this event, the power of the monarch to veto legislation was gradually diminished, and by the 19th century, it had become a mere formality.
1787 During his time serving in Antigua, Horatio Nelson met Frances "Fanny" Nisbet, a young widow from a plantation family on the nearby island of Nevis. They were married at Nevis' Montpelier Estate on March 11, 1787, shortly before the end of his tour of duty in the Caribbean. Fanny was a devoted wife, but in time Horatio met Lady Emma Hamilton while serving in the Mediterranean and the two embarked in a highly public affair.
1792 The country of Sierra Leone became a haven for homeless Africans freed from slavery on March 11, 1792 when its capital, Freetown was established as a sanctuary for free-born and freed African American, Liberated African and Caribbean settlers. Freetown is the oldest capital to be founded by African Americans, having been founded thirty years before Monrovia, Liberia and is noted for its unique Creole architecture reflecting American and Caribbean influences.
1845 Henry Jones of Bristol, England patented the world’s first self-raising flour on March 11, 1845. By the end of 1846 its runaway success had led to him being appointed purveyor of patent flour and biscuits to Queen Victoria. It took Jones some years to convince the British Admiralty of the benefits of using the new flour in preference to the hard biscuits to which sailors were accustomed. Eventually in 1855, his flour was approved for use of participants in the Crimean War.
1851 Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto was first performed at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851. It was based on a story called Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo. However the attempted murder of a king was not thought by the censors to be a suitable subject. Verdi had to change the king into a duke in his story and make some other changes before the opera could be performed.
1869 The West first learned of the giant panda on March 11, 1869, when the French missionary and zoologist Armand David received a skin from a hunter. David recorded the find in his journal: "I saw the panda’s skin. It’s big and beautiful, coloured black and white."
1884 In 1884 Queen Victoria created Alfred Tennyson Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth in the County of Sussex and of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight. He took his seat in the House of Lords on March 11, 1884. Tennyson was the first English writer to win so high a title for his work alone.
1916 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson was born at 4 Warneford Road, Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, on March 11, 1916. Harold's father James Herbert Wilson was a works chemist who had been active in the Liberal Party. Wilson became one of the youngest Oxford dons of the century at the age of 21. He was a lecturer in Economic History at New College from 1937, and a research fellow at University College.
1917 The Iraqi city of Baghdad was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1534. Under the Ottomans, the once great medieval city declined, partially as a result of the enmity between its rulers and Iranian Safavids, which did not accept the Sunni control of the city. Baghdad fell to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Stanley Maude on March 11, 1917 during the World War I Mesopotamian Campaign.
1919 Duke Ellington's only son, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Mercer Ellington became a jazz trumpeter and composer. He led his own bands, many of whose members went on to play with his father, or to achieve independent fame (notably Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, and Carmen McRae).
1950 In 1947, Mary Kay and Johnny became the first sitcom broadcast on a network television in the United States. It broadcast the final episode on March 11, 1950. The stars, Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns, were married in real life and played themselves. Most of the action took place in the couple’s apartment..
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| 14th-century representation of the wedding of Louis and Eleanor |
1302 Romeo Monteveccio and Juliet Cappelleto were married in Citadela, Italy on March 11, 1302. This real life wedding is believed to have had an influence on Shakespeare's sources for his story of star-crossed lovers in a feuding family conflict, Romeo and Juliet.
1708 Queen Anne of Great Britain withheld Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill on March 11, 1708, on the advice of her ministers who feared that the proposed militia created would be disloyal. It was the last time a British monarch has vetoed legislation. Following this event, the power of the monarch to veto legislation was gradually diminished, and by the 19th century, it had become a mere formality.
1787 During his time serving in Antigua, Horatio Nelson met Frances "Fanny" Nisbet, a young widow from a plantation family on the nearby island of Nevis. They were married at Nevis' Montpelier Estate on March 11, 1787, shortly before the end of his tour of duty in the Caribbean. Fanny was a devoted wife, but in time Horatio met Lady Emma Hamilton while serving in the Mediterranean and the two embarked in a highly public affair.
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| Frances Nelson, a portrait of the British school, c. 1800 |
1792 The country of Sierra Leone became a haven for homeless Africans freed from slavery on March 11, 1792 when its capital, Freetown was established as a sanctuary for free-born and freed African American, Liberated African and Caribbean settlers. Freetown is the oldest capital to be founded by African Americans, having been founded thirty years before Monrovia, Liberia and is noted for its unique Creole architecture reflecting American and Caribbean influences.
1845 Henry Jones of Bristol, England patented the world’s first self-raising flour on March 11, 1845. By the end of 1846 its runaway success had led to him being appointed purveyor of patent flour and biscuits to Queen Victoria. It took Jones some years to convince the British Admiralty of the benefits of using the new flour in preference to the hard biscuits to which sailors were accustomed. Eventually in 1855, his flour was approved for use of participants in the Crimean War.
1851 Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto was first performed at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851. It was based on a story called Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo. However the attempted murder of a king was not thought by the censors to be a suitable subject. Verdi had to change the king into a duke in his story and make some other changes before the opera could be performed.
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| Act 1, Scene 2 stage set by Giuseppe Bertoja for the world premiere of Rigoletto |
1869 The West first learned of the giant panda on March 11, 1869, when the French missionary and zoologist Armand David received a skin from a hunter. David recorded the find in his journal: "I saw the panda’s skin. It’s big and beautiful, coloured black and white."
1884 In 1884 Queen Victoria created Alfred Tennyson Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth in the County of Sussex and of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight. He took his seat in the House of Lords on March 11, 1884. Tennyson was the first English writer to win so high a title for his work alone.
1916 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson was born at 4 Warneford Road, Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, on March 11, 1916. Harold's father James Herbert Wilson was a works chemist who had been active in the Liberal Party. Wilson became one of the youngest Oxford dons of the century at the age of 21. He was a lecturer in Economic History at New College from 1937, and a research fellow at University College.
1917 The Iraqi city of Baghdad was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1534. Under the Ottomans, the once great medieval city declined, partially as a result of the enmity between its rulers and Iranian Safavids, which did not accept the Sunni control of the city. Baghdad fell to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Stanley Maude on March 11, 1917 during the World War I Mesopotamian Campaign.
1919 Duke Ellington's only son, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Mercer Ellington became a jazz trumpeter and composer. He led his own bands, many of whose members went on to play with his father, or to achieve independent fame (notably Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, and Carmen McRae).
1950 In 1947, Mary Kay and Johnny became the first sitcom broadcast on a network television in the United States. It broadcast the final episode on March 11, 1950. The stars, Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns, were married in real life and played themselves. Most of the action took place in the couple’s apartment..
1952 British writer Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge on March 11, 1952. Adams was 6 feet (1.8 m) by age 12 and stopped growing at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m). He is best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which originated in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy, before developing into a "trilogy" of five books a television series, several stage plays, a video game, and a 2005 feature film.
1955 Sir Alexander Fleming died on March 11, 1955 of a heart attack in London and is buried in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral. Every bullring in Spain has a monument to Alexander Fleming whose discovery of penicillin saved countless toreadors from dying of gangrene after being gored by bulls.
1958 On March 11, 1958, Francis Jorge Bergoglio entered the Society of Jesus in Cordoba as a novice. In 1967 Bergoglio finished his theological studies and he was ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 1969. In 1973, he was named "provincial" or head of the Jesuits in Argentina. 40 years later, he became Pope Francis, the first ever Jesuit pope.
1969 Levi Strauss Co. began selling bell-bottom jeans on March 11, 1969. Bell-bottom jeans are characterized by their wide, flared legs that become wider below the knee. It become popular in the late 1960s as part of the hippie counterculture movement, and Levi Strauss & Co. recognized the trend and began producing bell-bottom jeans to meet the demand.
1990 On March 11, 1990, a year before the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare itself independent, resulting in the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania. Lithuania's declaration of independence was a significant moment in world history, as it marked the beginning of the end of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe and paved the way for the formation of new independent states in the region.
1997 Paul McCartney was made a Knight by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on March 11, 1997 for his contributions to music and to British culture, and for his charity work. "Proud to be British, wonderful day and it’s a long way from a little terrace in Liverpool," McCartney told reporters.
2001 Space shuttle STS-102 crew members Susan J. Helms and James S. Voss performed the longest ever spacewalk (8 hours 56 minutes) on March 11, 2001. The spacewalk was conducted outside the International Space Station (ISS) and involved a variety of tasks, including the installation of new equipment, the testing of new tools and techniques, and the inspection and maintenance of the station's exterior.
2009 The first commercial hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, first went on sale in Japan on December 10, 1997 and was launched worldwide three years later. Toyota Motor Company announced on March 11, 2009 it had sold over 1 million gas-electric hybrid vehicles in the U.S.
2010 An earthquake hit central Chile on March 11, 2010. It struck just minutes before Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera was sworn in as the country's President at the National Congress of Chile. The earthquake measured magnitude 6.9 and was centered next to Pichilemu, capital of Cardenal Caro Province. President Piñera cancelled the ceremonial lunch with his visitors and traveled to Rancagua, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake.
2011 The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered major damage from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. Three of the reactors overheated, causing meltdowns that eventually led to explosions, which released large amounts of radioactive material into the air. After the disaster, the radiation levels at were so high that the robots sent to remove the plant's melted fuel rods died.
2013 Thieves stole an entire 22 tonne, 82 foot metal bridge overnight on March 11, 2013 in the Golcuk district of the Turkish province of Kocaeli. The bridge was located in a remote area and was used primarily for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The thieves had disassembled the bridge and removed it piece by piece, likely to sell the metal for scrap.
2018 The English comedian Ken Dodd died aged 90 on March 11, 2018, after recently being hospitalized for six weeks with a chest infection. He passed away at his home in Knotty Ash, the same house in which he was born and raised. Ken Dodd kept a ‘giggle map’ of Britain to record which jokes go down best in which parts of the country.
1955 Sir Alexander Fleming died on March 11, 1955 of a heart attack in London and is buried in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral. Every bullring in Spain has a monument to Alexander Fleming whose discovery of penicillin saved countless toreadors from dying of gangrene after being gored by bulls.
1958 On March 11, 1958, Francis Jorge Bergoglio entered the Society of Jesus in Cordoba as a novice. In 1967 Bergoglio finished his theological studies and he was ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 1969. In 1973, he was named "provincial" or head of the Jesuits in Argentina. 40 years later, he became Pope Francis, the first ever Jesuit pope.
1969 Levi Strauss Co. began selling bell-bottom jeans on March 11, 1969. Bell-bottom jeans are characterized by their wide, flared legs that become wider below the knee. It become popular in the late 1960s as part of the hippie counterculture movement, and Levi Strauss & Co. recognized the trend and began producing bell-bottom jeans to meet the demand.
1990 On March 11, 1990, a year before the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare itself independent, resulting in the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania. Lithuania's declaration of independence was a significant moment in world history, as it marked the beginning of the end of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe and paved the way for the formation of new independent states in the region.
1997 Paul McCartney was made a Knight by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on March 11, 1997 for his contributions to music and to British culture, and for his charity work. "Proud to be British, wonderful day and it’s a long way from a little terrace in Liverpool," McCartney told reporters.
2001 Space shuttle STS-102 crew members Susan J. Helms and James S. Voss performed the longest ever spacewalk (8 hours 56 minutes) on March 11, 2001. The spacewalk was conducted outside the International Space Station (ISS) and involved a variety of tasks, including the installation of new equipment, the testing of new tools and techniques, and the inspection and maintenance of the station's exterior.
2009 The first commercial hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, first went on sale in Japan on December 10, 1997 and was launched worldwide three years later. Toyota Motor Company announced on March 11, 2009 it had sold over 1 million gas-electric hybrid vehicles in the U.S.
2010 An earthquake hit central Chile on March 11, 2010. It struck just minutes before Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera was sworn in as the country's President at the National Congress of Chile. The earthquake measured magnitude 6.9 and was centered next to Pichilemu, capital of Cardenal Caro Province. President Piñera cancelled the ceremonial lunch with his visitors and traveled to Rancagua, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake.
2011 The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered major damage from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. Three of the reactors overheated, causing meltdowns that eventually led to explosions, which released large amounts of radioactive material into the air. After the disaster, the radiation levels at were so high that the robots sent to remove the plant's melted fuel rods died.
2013 Thieves stole an entire 22 tonne, 82 foot metal bridge overnight on March 11, 2013 in the Golcuk district of the Turkish province of Kocaeli. The bridge was located in a remote area and was used primarily for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The thieves had disassembled the bridge and removed it piece by piece, likely to sell the metal for scrap.
2018 The English comedian Ken Dodd died aged 90 on March 11, 2018, after recently being hospitalized for six weeks with a chest infection. He passed away at his home in Knotty Ash, the same house in which he was born and raised. Ken Dodd kept a ‘giggle map’ of Britain to record which jokes go down best in which parts of the country.
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