February 11

February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 323 days remaining until the end of the year (324 in leap years). This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Tuesday or Wednesday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Friday or Sunday (56).

Events

• 660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
• AD 55 – Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman emperorship, dies under mysterious circumstances in Rome. This clears the way for Nero to become Emperor.
• 244 – Emperor Gordian III is murdered by mutinous soldiers in Zaitha (Mesopotamia). A mound is raised at Carchemish in his memory.
• 1177 – John de Courcy's army defeats the native Dunleavey Clan in Ulster. The English establish themselves in Ulster.
• 1534 – Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
• 1626 – Emperor Susenyos I of Ethiopia and Patriarch Afonso Mendes declare the primacy of the Roman See over the Ethiopian Church, and Catholicism to be the state religion of Ethiopia.
• 1659 – The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses.
• 1790 – The Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, petitions U.S. Congress for the abolition of slavery.
• 1794 – First session of United States Senate opens to the public.
• 1808 – Jesse Fell burns anthracite on an open grate as an experiment in heating homes with coal.
• 1812 – Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of "gerrymandering" for the first time.
• 1823 – Carnival tragedy of 1823: About 110 boys are killed during a stampede at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti in Valletta, Malta.
• 1826 – University College London is founded as University of London.
• 1840 – Gaetano Donizetti's opera La fille du régiment receives its first performance in Paris, France.
• 1843 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata receives its first performance in Milan, Italy.
• 1855 – Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam
• 1856 – The Kingdom of Awadh is annexed by the British East India Company and Wajid Ali Shah, the king of Awadh, is imprisoned and later exiled to Calcutta.
• 1858 – Bernadette Soubirous's first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
• 1861 – American Civil War: The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
• 1873 – King Amadeo I of Spain abdicates.
• 1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted; the first National Diet convenes in 1890.
• 1903 – Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria.
• 1906 – Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer Nos.
• 1919 – Friedrich Ebert (SPD), is elected President of Germany.
• 1929 – Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
• 1937 – A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers.
• 1938 – BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R., that coined the term "robot".
• 1939 – A Lockheed P-38 Lightning flies from California to New York in 7 hours 2 minutes.
• 1942 –World War II: The Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore.
• 1943 – World War II: General Dwight D. Eisenhower is selected to command the allied armies in Europe.
• 1953 – U.S.President Dwight D. Eisenhower denies all appeals for clemency for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
• 1953 – The Soviet Union breaks off diplomatic relations with Israel.
• 1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, which will later become South Yemen, is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
• 1964 – Greeks and Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus.
• 1971 – Eighty-seven countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union, sign the Seabed Arms Control Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters.
• 1973 – Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
• 1978 – Censorship: China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.
• 1979 – The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
• 1981 – Around 100,000 US gallons (380 m³) of radioactive coolant leak into the containment building of TVA Sequoyah 1 nuclear plant in Tennessee, contaminating eight workers.
• 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner.
• 1990 – Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing's world Heavyweight title.
• 1997 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
• 2001 – A Dutch programmer launched the Anna Kournikova virus infecting millions of emails via a trick photo of the tennis star.
• 2006 – Then U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney, while participating in a quail hunt on a ranch in Riviera, Texas.
• 2008 – Rebel East Timorese soldiers seriously wound President José Ramos-Horta. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack.
• 2011 – The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 18 days of protests.
• 2013 – The Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI would resign the papacy on 28 February 2013, as a result of his advanced age.
• 2014 – A military transport plane crashes in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province in eastern Algeria, killing 77 people.
• 2015 – A university student was murdered as she resisted an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women.
• 2016 – A man shoots six people dead at an education center in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia.

Births

• 1261 – Otto III, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1312)
• 1380 – Poggio Bracciolini, Italian scholar and translator (d. 1459)
• 1466 – Elizabeth of York (d. 1503)
• 1507 – Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow (d. 1569)
• 1535 – Pope Gregory XIV (d. 1591)
• 1568 – Honoré d'Urfé, French author and playwright (d. 1625)
• 1649 – William Carstares, Scottish minister and academic (d. 1715)
• 1657 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French poet and playwright (d. 1757)
• 1708 – Egidio Duni, Italian composer (d. 1775)
• 1755 – Albert Christoph Dies, German composer and painter (d. 1822)
• 1764 – Joseph Chénier, French poet and playwright (d. 1811)
• 1776 – Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greek politician, 1st Governor of Greece (d. 1831)
• 1796 – Giovanni Pacini, Italian composer and educator (d. 1867)
• 1799 – Basil Moreau, French priest, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (d. 1873)
• 1800 – Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and politician, invented the calotype (d. 1877)
• 1802 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (d. 1880)
• 1805 – Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, American explorer (d. 1866)
• 1812 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1883)
• 1813 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (d. 1865)
• 1821 – Auguste Mariette, French archaeologist and scholar (d. 1881)
• 1830 – Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, Prussian pianist and composer (d. 1913)
• 1833 – Melville Fuller, American lawyer and jurist, 8th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)
• 1839 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist, mathematician, and academic (d. 1903)
• 1845 – Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, Ottoman soldier and politician, 272nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1936)
• 1847 – Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, developed the light bulb and phonograph (d. 1931)
• 1855 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (d. 1940)
• 1860 – Rachilde, French author and playwright (d. 1953)
• 1863 – John F. Fitzgerald, American politician; Mayor of Boston (d. 1950)
• 1869 – Helene Kröller-Müller, German-Dutch art collector and philanthropist, founded the Kröller-Müller Museum (d. 1939)
• 1869 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and author (d. 1945)
• 1874 – Elsa Beskow, Swedish author and illustrator (d. 1953)
• 1881 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (d. 1966)
• 1891 – J. W. Hearne English cricketer (d. 1965)
• 1897 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (d.1954)
• 1898 – Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 1964)
• 1900 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (d. 2002)
• 1900 – Jōsei Toda, Japanese educator and activist (d. 1958)
• 1902 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed Aarhus City Hall and Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (d. 1971)
• 1904 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)
• 1908 – Philip Dunne, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
• 1908 – Vivian Fuchs, English geologist and explorer (d. 1999)
• 1909 – Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)
• 1909 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
• 1912 – Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1994)
• 1914 – Matt Dennis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2002)
• 1914 – Josh White, American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and activist (d. 1969)
• 1915 – Patrick Leigh Fermor, English soldier, author, and scholar (d. 2011)
• 1915 – Richard Hamming, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998)
• 1917 – Sidney Sheldon, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
• 1919 – Eva Gabor, Hungarian-American actress, socialite and businesswoman (d. 1995)
• 1920 – Farouk of Egypt (d. 1965)
• 1920 – Daniel F. Galouye, American author (d. 1976)
• 1920 – Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)
• 1920 – Dorothea Krook-Gilead, Latvian-South African author and translator (d. 1989)
• 1920 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (d. 1978)
• 1921 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 2006)
• 1921 – Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (d. 2013)
• 1921 – Edward Seidensticker, American scholar and translator (d. 2007)
• 1923 – Antony Flew, English philosopher and academic (d. 2010)
• 1924 – Budge Patty, American tennis player
• 1925 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)
• 1926 – Paul Bocuse, French chef
• 1926 – Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2010)
• 1927 – Sinclair Stevens, Canadian businessman, lawyer, and politician
• 1928 – Ivan Hutchinson, Australian film critic and author (d. 1995)
• 1930 – Roy De Forest, American painter and academic (d. 2007)
• 1932 – Dennis Skinner, English miner and politician
• 1934 – Mel Carnahan, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 51st Governor of Missouri (d. 2000)
• 1934 – Tina Louise, American actress and singer
• 1934 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama
• 1934 – Mary Quant, British fashion designer
• 1934 – John Surtees, English motorcycle racer and race car driver
• 1934 – David Taylor, English veterinarian and television host (d. 2013)
• 1935 – Gene Vincent, American singer and guitarist (d. 1971)
• 1936 – Burt Reynolds, American actor and director
• 1937 – Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
• 1937 – Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1937 – Phillip Walker, American singer and guitarist (d. 2010)
• 1938 – Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer
• 1939 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (d. 2014)
• 1940 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
• 1941 – Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian pianist and composer
• 1942 – Otis Clay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
• 1943 – Joselito, Spanish singer and actor
• 1943 – Serge Lama, French singer-songwriter
• 1943 – Alan Rubin, American trumpet player (d. 2011)
• 1943 – Stan Szelest, American keyboard player (d. 1991)
• 1944 – Mike Oxley, American lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
• 1944 – Joy Williams, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
• 1945 – Burhan Ghalioun, Syrian academic and politician
• 1946 – Pierre Curzi, Canadian actor, screenwriter, and politician
• 1946 – Ian Porterfield, Scottish-English footballer and manager (d. 2007)
• 1947 – Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese engineer and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Japan
• 1947 – Johnny Manahan, Filipino actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1947 – Derek Shulman, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer
• 1948 – Al Johnson, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013)
• 1948 – Yoshihito, Prince Katsura of Japan (d. 2014)
• 1953 – Philip Anglim, American actor
• 1953 – Jeb Bush, American banker and politician, 43rd Governor of Florida
• 1953 – Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (d. 2014)
• 1954 – Wesley Strick, American director and screenwriter
• 1955 – Warren Boland, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
• 1956 – Catherine Hickland, American actress
• 1956 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist (Magma)
• 1956 – H.R., American punk rock singer-songwriter (Bad Brains)
• 1957 – Tina Ambani, Indian actress
• 1957 – Peter Klashorst, Dutch painter, sculptor, and photographer
• 1957 – Mitchell Symons, English author and journalist
• 1959 – Deborah Meaden, English businesswoman
• 1959 – Roberto Moreno, Brazilian race car driver
• 1959 – Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi, Iranian educator and politician, Iranian Minister of Health
• 1960 – Momus, Scottish-Japanese author, journalist, and songwriter
• 1960 – Richard Mastracchio, American engineer and astronaut
• 1961 – Carey Lowell, American model and actress
• 1962 – Tammy Baldwin, American lawyer and politician
• 1962 – Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
• 1962 – Bestia Salvaje, Mexican wrestler (d. 2008)
• 1963 – José Mari Bakero, Spanish footballer and manager
• 1964 – Adrian Hasler, Liechtensteiner police officer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein
• 1964 – Sarah Palin, American journalist and politician, 9th Governor of Alaska
• 1964 – Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and wrestler
• 1965 – Vicki Wilson, Australian netball player and coach
• 1966 – Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, French comedian, actor, and activist
• 1967 – Hank Gathers, American basketball player (d. 1990)
• 1967 – Paul McLoone, Irish singer, former radio producer, radio presenter, and voice actor
• 1967 – Ty Treadway, American actor and talk show host
• 1968 – Mo Willems, American author and illustrator
• 1969 – Jennifer Aniston, American actress and producer
• 1969 – Andreas Hilfiker, Swiss footballer
• 1969 – John Salako, Nigerian-English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
• 1970 – Fredrik Thordendal, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
• 1971 – Damian Lewis, English actor
• 1972 – Steve McManaman, English footballer
• 1972 – Bernd Meier, German footballer and coach (d. 2012)
• 1973 – Hernandez, American wrestler and promoter
• 1973 – Varg Vikernes, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter
• 1974 – D'Angelo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1974 – Nick Barmby, English footballer and manager
• 1974 – Isaiah Mustafa, American football player and actor
• 1974 – Jaroslav Špaček, Czech ice hockey player and coach
• 1974 – Zain Verjee, Kenyan-Canadian journalist
• 1975 – Andy Lally, American racing driver
• 1975 – Callum Thorp, Australian cricketer
• 1975 – Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player and coach
• 1976 – Tony Battie, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1976 – Peter Hayes, American singer and guitarist
• 1977 – Ioannis Okkas, Cypriot footballer and manager
• 1977 – Mike Shinoda, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1979 – Brandy Norwood, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1981 – Kelly Rowland, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
• 1982 – Natalie Dormer, English actress
• 1982 – Ľubomíra Kalinová, Slovak biathlete
• 1983 – Rafael van der Vaart, Dutch footballer
• 1984 – Maarten Heisen, Dutch sprinter
• 1984 – Marco Marcato, Italian cyclist
• 1984 – Aubrey O'Day, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
• 1984 – Maxime Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 – William Beckett, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Academy Is...)
• 1985 – Mike Richards, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1986 – Abu Omar al-Shishani, Georgian commander (d. 2016)
• 1986 – Robin Hawkins, Welsh singer and bass player
• 1986 – Kees Luyckx, Dutch footballer
• 1987 – Ebba Busch Thor, Swedish politician
• 1987 – Brian Matusz, American baseball player
• 1987 – Jan Smeekens, Dutch speed skater
• 1987 – Ellen van Dijk, Dutch cyclist
• 1988 – Vlad Moldoveanu, Romanian basketball player
• 1988 – Alwyn Uytingco, Filipino actor
• 1989 – Alexander Büttner, Dutch footballer
• 1990 – Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer
• 1991 – Hwang Chansung, South Korean singer-songwriter
• 1991 – Georgia May Foote, English actress
• 1991 – Nikola Mirotic, Spanish basketball player
• 1993 – Ben McLemore, American basketball player
• 1993 – Saana Saarteinen, Finnish tennis player
• 1995 – Yang Zhaoxuan, Chinese tennis player

Deaths

• AD 55 – Britannicus, Roman son of Claudius (b. 41)
• 244 – Gordian III, Roman emperor (b. 225)
• 641 – Heraclius, Byzantine emperor (b. 575)
• 731 – Pope Gregory II (b. 669)
• 806 – Emperor Shunzong of Tang (b. 761)
• 824 – Pope Paschal I
• 1127 – William IX, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 1071)
• 1141 – Hugh of Saint Victor, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1096)
• 1160 – Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Japanese general (b. 1123)
• 1324 – Karl von Trier, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
• 1358 – Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, first Bahmani Sultan of Deccan
• 1503 – Elizabeth of York (b. 1466)
• 1626 – Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1552)
• 1650 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1596)
• 1755 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist, playwright, and critic (b. 1675)
• 1763 – William Shenstone, English poet and gardener (b. 1714)
• 1795 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (b. 1740)
• 1829 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian poet, playwright, and composer (b. 1795)
• 1862 – Elizabeth Siddal, English poet and model (b. 1829)
• 1868 – Léon Foucault, French physicist and academic (b. 1819)
• 1901 – Milan I of Serbia (b. 1855)
• 1917 – Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician and epidemiologist (b. 1872)
• 1918 – Alexey Kaledin, Russian general (b. 1861)
• 1923 – Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician and academic (b. 1847)
• 1931 – Charles Algernon Parsons, English-Irish engineer, invented the steam turbine (b. 1854)
• 1935 – Germanos Karavangelis, Greek-Austrian metropolitan (b. 1866)
• 1940 – John Buchan, Scottish-Canadian historian and politician, 15th Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)
• 1940 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)
• 1942 – Jamnalal Bajaj, Indian businessman and philanthropist, founded Bajaj Group (b. 1884)
• 1942 – Ugo Pasquale Mifsud, Maltese politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1889)
• 1947 – Martin Klein, Estonian wrestler and coach (b. 1884)
• 1948 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1898)
• 1958 – Ernest Jones, Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1879)
• 1959 – Marshall Teague, American race car driver (b. 1922)
• 1963 – John Olof Dahlgren, Swedish-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)
• 1963 – Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1932)
• 1967 – Trần Tử Bình, Vietnamese general and diplomat (b. 1907)
• 1967 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American minister and activist (b. 1885)
• 1968 – Howard Lindsay, American actor, director, producer, and playwright (b. 1888)
• 1968 – Deendayal Upadhyaya, Indian journalist, economist, and politician (b. 1916)
• 1973 – J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
• 1975 – Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy colonel and politician, President of Madagascar (b. 1931)
• 1976 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (b. 1911)
• 1976 – Alexander Lippisch, German pilot and engineer (b. 1894)
• 1977 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer and politician, 5th President of India (b. 1905)
• 1977 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1902)
• 1978 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (b. 1893)
• 1978 – Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
• 1982 – Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (b. 1912)
• 1985 – Henry Hathaway, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1898)
• 1985 – C. Suntharalingam, Sri Lankan academic, lawyer, and politician (b. 1895)
• 1986 – Frank Herbert, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
• 1986 – Evelio Javier, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1942)
• 1989 – George O'Hanlon, American actor and voice artist (b. 1912)
• 1993 – Kamal Amrohi, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1918)
• 1993 – Robert W. Holley, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
• 1994 – Neil Bonnett, American race car driver and sportscaster (b. 1946)
• 1994 – Sorrell Booke, American lieutenant, actor, and director (b. 1930)
• 1994 – William Conrad, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)
• 1994 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (b. 1924)
• 1994 – Nicole Germain, Canadian actress and journalist (b. 1917)
• 1996 – Kebby Musokotwane, Zambian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Zambia (b. 1946)
• 1996 – Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet and author (b. 1930)
• 2000 – Lord Kitchner, Trinidadian singer (b. 1922)
• 2000 – Roger Vadim, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
• 2002 – Frankie Crosetti, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)
• 2002 – Barry Foster, English actor (b. 1931)
• 2004 – Shirley Strickland, Australian runner and coach (b. 1925)
• 2005 – Jack L. Chalker, American author (b. 1944)
• 2006 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1940)
• 2006 – Ken Fletcher, Australian tennis player (b. 1940)
• 2006 – Jackie Pallo, English wrestler and actor (b. 1926)
• 2008 – Tom Lantos, American lawyer and politician (b. 1928)
• 2008 – Frank Piasecki, American engineer (b. 1919)
• 2009 – Estelle Bennett, American singer (b. 1941)
• 2009 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch-American physician and academic (b. 1911)
• 2010 – Heward Grafftey, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1928)
• 2010 – Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founded his own eponymous brand (b. 1969)
• 2011 – Chuck Tanner, American baseball player and manager (b. 1928)
• 2012 – Siri Bjerke, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of the Environment (b. 1958)
• 2012 – Aharon Davidi, Israeli general (b. 1927)
• 2012 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (b. 1963)
• 2013 – Jim Boatwright, American basketball player and coach (b. 1952)
• 2013 – Rick Huxley, English bass player (b. 1940)
• 2013 – D. Vinayachandran, Indian poet and educator (b. 1946)
• 2014 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (b. 1924)
• 2014 – Tito Canepa, Dominican-American painter (b. 1916)
• 2014 – Fernando González Pacheco, Spanish-Colombian journalist and actor (b. 1932)
• 2015 – Anne Cuneo, Swiss journalist and author (b. 1936)
• 2015 – Roger Hanin, Algeria-born French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1925)
• 2015 – Bob Simon, American journalist (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
• 2016 – Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (b. 1971)
• 2016 – Zeng Xuelin, Thai-Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1929)
• 2017 – Fab Melo, Brazilian basketball player (b. 1990)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Benedict of Aniane
  • Blaise
  • Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, circa 680 CE (Anglicanism)
  • Fanny Crosby (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • Gobnait
  • Gregory II
  • February 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• 112 day (European Union)
• Armed Forces Day (Liberia)
• Day of Revenue Service (Azerbaijan)
• Evelio Javier Day (Panay Island, the Philippines)
• Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Church), and its related observance:
  • World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic Church)
• Inventors' Day (United States)
• National Foundation Day (Japan)
• Youth Day (Cameroon)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada