May 11 facts for kids

This article is about the date May 11th.

May 11th is a day filled with interesting events, important births, and notable deaths throughout history. From ancient empires to modern technology, many significant moments have happened on this day.

Historical Events on May 11th

This section explores some of the key events that have shaped our world on May 11th.

Ancient Times and Early History (Before 1600)

• 330 – The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great officially made the city of Byzantium the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. He renamed it New Rome, but it later became known as Constantinople.
• 868 – The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist text, was published. This makes it the oldest known printed book with a specific date.
• 973 – Edgar the Peaceful was crowned King of England. This was the first recorded coronation ceremony for an English monarch. His wife, Ælfthryth, also became the first Queen of England to have a recorded coronation.
• 1068 – Matilda of Flanders, who was married to William the Conqueror, was crowned Queen of England.
• 1258 – Louis IX of France and James I of Aragon signed the Treaty of Corbeil. This agreement helped to separate the politics of France from the House of Barcelona in Spain.

Major Events from 1601 to 1900

• 1713 – During the Great Northern War, Swedish and Finnish troops burned the city of Helsinki after losing a battle to the Russians. They did this to prevent the city from falling into Russian hands intact.
• 1812 – Spencer Perceval, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was assassinated in the British House of Commons.
• 1813 – Explorers William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland, and William Wentworth found a new route across the Blue Mountains in Australia. This discovery helped open up the inland parts of Australia for settlement.
• 1857 – The Indian Rebellion of 1857 saw Indian rebels take control of Delhi from the British.
• 1894 – Four thousand workers from the Pullman Palace Car Company started a large strike.

Significant Events from 1901 to Today

• 1919 – Uruguay joined the Buenos Aires Convention, an international agreement about copyright protection.
• 1970 – The 1970 Lubbock tornado hit Lubbock, Texas, causing a lot of damage and sadly, 26 deaths.
• 1985 – A terrible fire at the Bradford City stadium fire in England caused the deaths of 56 spectators and injured over 200 people.
• 1996 – ValuJet Flight 592 crashed in the Florida Everglades after a fire started in its cargo hold. All 110 people on board died.
• 1997 – Deep Blue, a supercomputer designed to play chess, defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in their final game. This was the first time a computer beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match.
• 1998 – India conducted three underground atomic tests in Pokhran.
• 2011 – An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 struck Lorca, Spain.
• 2014 – In Kinshasa, DRC, a stampede at a soccer stadium led to 15 deaths and 46 injuries.

People Born on May 11th

Many famous and influential people were born on this day throughout history.

Notable Births Before 1900

• 1752 – Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German scientist who studied human biology and different groups of people.
• 1811 – Chang and Eng Bunker, known as the original conjoined twins. They were famous showmen.
• 1852 – Charles W. Fairbanks, an American journalist and politician who became the 26th U.S. Vice President.
• 1875 – Harriet Quimby, an American pilot and screenwriter. She was the first American woman to earn a pilot's license.
• 1881 – Theodore von Kármán, a Hungarian-American mathematician and engineer who made big contributions to aeronautics.
• 1888 – Irving Berlin, a famous Belarusian-American pianist and composer who wrote many popular songs.
• 1894 – Martha Graham, an American dancer and choreographer who was a pioneer in modern dance.
• 1895 – Jiddu Krishnamurti, an influential Indian philosopher and speaker.
• 1895 – William Grant Still, an American composer and conductor, known as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers."

Notable Births from 1901 to Today

• 1904 – Salvador Dalí, a famous Spanish artist known for his surrealist paintings.
• 1911 – Phil Silvers, an American actor and comedian.
• 1916 – Camilo José Cela, a Spanish author and politician who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 1918 – Richard Feynman, an American physicist and engineer who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in quantum electrodynamics.
• 1924 – Antony Hewish, an English astronomer who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on pulsars.
• 1930 – Edsger W. Dijkstra, a Dutch computer scientist who made important contributions to programming.
• 1932 – Valentino Garavani, a famous Italian fashion designer.
• 1941 – Eric Burdon, an English musician, known as the lead singer of The Animals.
• 1943 – Nancy Greene, a Canadian skier and politician, an Olympic champion.
• 1950 – Jeremy Paxman, an English journalist and author.
• 1963 – Natasha Richardson, an English actress.
• 1964 – Tim Blake Nelson, an American actor.
• 1978 – Laetitia Casta, a French model and actress.
• 1981 – Lauren Jackson, an Australian basketball player, considered one of the greatest female players.
• 1982 – Cory Monteith, a Canadian actor and singer.
• 1983 – Andrés Iniesta, a Spanish footballer, known for his incredible skills.
• 1989 – Cam Newton, an American football player, a former NFL MVP.
• 1992 – Thibaut Courtois, a Belgian footballer, one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
• 1999 – Sabrina Carpenter, an American singer and actress.
• 2000 – Yūki Tsunoda, a Japanese racing driver in Formula 1.

People Who Passed Away on May 11th

This section remembers some of the notable individuals who died on this day.

Deaths Before 1900

• 912 – Leo VI the Wise, a Byzantine Emperor.
• 1610 – Matteo Ricci, an Italian priest and mathematician who was one of the first Westerners to live in China.
• 1778 – William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, an English politician who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
• 1812 – Spencer Perceval, the British Prime Minister mentioned earlier, who was assassinated.
• 1889 – John Cadbury, an English businessman and philanthropist who founded the famous Cadbury Company.

Deaths from 1901 to Today

• 1916 – Karl Schwarzschild, a German astronomer and physicist who made important discoveries about black holes.
• 1927 – Juan Gris, a Spanish painter and sculptor who was a pioneer of Cubism.
• 1960 – John D. Rockefeller Jr., an American businessman and philanthropist, son of the famous John D. Rockefeller.
• 1963 – Herbert Spencer Gasser, an American physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on nerve fibers.
• 1981 – Odd Hassel, a Norwegian chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
• 1981 – Bob Marley, a legendary Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist, famous for his reggae music.
• 1988 – Kim Philby, a British-Soviet double agent.
• 2001 – Douglas Adams, an English novelist and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• 2006 – Floyd Patterson, an American boxer and actor, a former world heavyweight champion.
• 2020 – Jerry Stiller, an American comedian and actor, known for his roles in Seinfeld and The King of Queens.
• 2021 – Norman Lloyd, an American actor, producer, and director, who had a very long career in Hollywood.

Holidays and Observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Anthimus of Rome
  • Gangulphus of Burgundy
  • Majolus of Cluny
  • Mamertus, the first of the Ice Saints

See also

In Spanish: 11 de mayo para niños