March 11 facts for kids

March 11th is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history, from ancient times to modern days. It's a day when important decisions were made, new things were created, and big changes happened around the world. Let's explore some of the most notable moments that took place on this date.

What Happened on March 11?

Important Moments in History

Early Times (Before 1600)

• 843 – In the Byzantine Empire, Empress Theodora II brought back the practice of showing respect to religious images in the Orthodox churches. This event is known as the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
• 1343 – Arnošt of Pardubice became the last Bishop of Prague. Just one year later, he became the very first Archbishop of Prague, a higher religious leader.
• 1387 – The Battle of Castagnaro took place. Forces from Padua, led by a famous general named John Hawkwood, won a victory against the army of Giovanni Ordelaffi from Verona.

From 1601 to 1900

• 1641 – In South America, Guaraní fighters living in Jesuit communities successfully defeated Portuguese explorers who were trying to capture them. This happened at the Battle of Mbororé in what is now Panambí, Argentina.
• 1649 – A peace agreement called the Peace of Rueil was signed between the Frondeurs (a group of French nobles) and the French government, ending a period of conflict.
• 1702 – The Daily Courant, which was England's very first national daily newspaper, was published for the first time.
• 1708 – Queen Anne of Great Britain refused to approve a new law called the Scottish Militia Bill. This was the last time a British monarch ever used their power to veto a law.
• 1784 – The Treaty of Mangalore was signed, which officially ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War in India.
• 1795 – The Battle of Kharda was fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam of Hyderabad in India. The Maratha forces won this battle.
• 1845 – During the Flagstaff War in New Zealand, Māori chiefs Hōne Heke and Kawiti cut down the British flagpole for the fourth time. They were unhappy about how the Treaty of Waitangi was being understood and treated.
• 1848 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin became the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be chosen through a fair election system where the government was responsible to the people.
• 1851 – The famous opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi was performed for the very first time in Venice, Italy.
• 1861 – The Constitution of the Confederate States of America was officially adopted. This happened just before the start of the American Civil War.
• 1864 – The Great Sheffield Flood occurred in Sheffield, England, causing a lot of damage and sadly killing 238 people.
• 1872 – Construction began on the Seven Sisters Colliery in South Wales. This coal mine was built in an area known for having some of Britain's richest coal deposits.
• 1879 – Shō Tai officially stepped down as the King of Ryūkyū, following orders from Tokyo. This event marked the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
• 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 began along the eastern coast of the United States. This huge snowstorm stopped businesses and caused the deaths of more than 400 people.

The 1900s and Today

• 1917 – During World War I, Anglo-Indian forces, led by General Frederick Stanley Maude, captured Baghdad in what was known as the Fall of Baghdad.
• 1927 – In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opened the famous Roxy Theatre.
• 1941 – During World War II, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act. This law allowed the U.S. to send war supplies to its allies on loan, helping them fight the war.
• 1945 – In World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy tried a large kamikaze attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Ulithi atoll. This was part of Operation Tan No. 2.
• 1945 – The Empire of Vietnam, a short-lived state controlled by Japan, was established.
• 1946 – Rudolf Höss, who was the first commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp, was captured by British troops.
• 1977 – The 1977 Hanafi Siege in Washington, D.C., ended. About 150 hostages were set free after ambassadors from three Islamic nations helped with negotiations.
• 1981 – Many students protested at the University of Pristina in Kosovo, which was then part of Yugoslavia. They wanted more political rights for their region. These protests soon grew into a nationwide movement.
• 1983 – Bob Hawke became the Prime Minister of Australia.
• 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev was chosen as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. This made him the leader of the USSR, and he was its last head of state.
• 1990 – Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1990 – Patricio Aylwin was sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Chile since 1970.
• 2003 – The International Criminal Court held its very first meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. This court deals with serious international crimes.
• 2004 – The Madrid train bombings occurred in Spain. Several bombs exploded at the same time on rush hour trains in Madrid, killing 191 people.
• 2006 – Michelle Bachelet became the first female president of Chile.
• 2010 – Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera was sworn in as President of Chile. During the ceremony, aftershocks from the 2010 Pichilemu earthquakes hit central Chile.
• 2011 – A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 struck off the coast of Sendai, Japan. This triggered a huge tsunami that caused thousands of deaths. It also led to the second largest nuclear accident in history.
• 2012 – A U.S. soldier was involved in an incident where he killed 16 civilians in the Panjwayi District of Afghanistan near Kandahar.
• 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 virus outbreak a pandemic, meaning it was spreading worldwide.
• 2021 – U.S. President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law, providing economic relief.
• 2023 – The Burmese military was involved in an incident where at least 30 villagers, including 3 Buddhist monks, were killed during the Pinlaung massacre in Shan State, Myanmar.

Famous People Born Today

• 1544 – Torquato Tasso, a famous Italian poet.
• 1811 – Urbain Le Verrier, a French mathematician and astronomer who helped discover the planet Neptune.
• 1818 – Marius Petipa, a very important French-Russian dancer and choreographer who created many famous ballets.
• 1819 – Henry Tate, an English businessman who founded the company Tate & Lyle and was also a generous giver to charity.
• 1885 – Malcolm Campbell, a famous English race car driver known for breaking speed records.
• 1899 – Frederik IX of Denmark, who was the King of Denmark.
• 1903 – Lawrence Welk, an American accordion player and bandleader.
• 1916 – Harold Wilson, who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1921 – Astor Piazzolla, an Argentine composer and musician who revolutionized tango music.
• 1931 – Rupert Murdoch, an Australian-American businessman and media owner.
• 1952 – Douglas Adams, a well-known English author and playwright, famous for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• 1955 – Nina Hagen, a German singer-songwriter.
• 1963 – Alex Kingston, an English actress.
• 1969 – Terrence Howard, an American actor.
• 1971 – Johnny Knoxville, an American actor and entertainer.
• 1978 – Didier Drogba, a famous Ivorian footballer.
• 1980 – Mark Rober, an American YouTuber and engineer.
• 1982 – Thora Birch, an American actress.
• 1993 – Jodie Comer, an English actress.
• 1993 – Anthony Davis, an American basketball player.

Notable People Who Passed Away

• 222 – Elagabalus, a Roman emperor.
• 1575 – Matthias Flacius, a Croatian theologian.
• 1722 – John Toland, an Irish philosopher.
• 1820 – Benjamin West, a famous American-English painter.
• 1870 – Moshoeshoe I, the first king of Lesotho.
• 1955 – Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist who won the Nobel Prize for discovering penicillin.
• 1957 – Richard E. Byrd, an American admiral and explorer who made several trips to the North and South Poles.
• 1971 – Philo Farnsworth, an American inventor who made important contributions to the development of television.
• 1971 – Whitney Young, an American civil rights activist.
• 2002 – James Tobin, an American economist who won the Nobel Prize.

Special Days and Celebrations

• Christian feast day:
  • Alberta of Agen
  • Constantine
  • Óengus of Tallaght
  • Sophronius of Jerusalem
  • Vindicianus
• Day of Restoration of Independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 (Lithuania)
• Moshoeshoe Day (Lesotho)

See also

In Spanish: 11 de marzo para niños