March 11

March 11 is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 295 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 1387 – Battle of Castagnaro: English condottiero Sir John Hawkwood leads Padova to victory in a factional clash with Verona.
• 1641 – Battle of Mbororé: Guaranís from Jesuit Reductions fight Bandeirantes, and Portuguese explorers after separation of the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal.
• 1649 – The Frondeurs and the French sign the Peace of Rueil.
• 1702 – The Daily Courant, England's first national daily newspaper is published for the first time.
• 1708 – Queen Anne withholds Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time a British monarch vetoes legislation.
• 1824 – The United States War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• 1845 – The Flagstaff War: Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand.
• 1848 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin become the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government.
• 1851 – The first performance of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Venice.
• 1861 – American Civil War: The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is adopted.
• 1864 – The Great Sheffield Flood: The largest man-made disaster ever to befall England kills over 250 people in Sheffield.
• 1867 – The first performance of Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Paris.
• 1872 – Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
• 1872 – The Meiji Japanese government officially annexes the Ryukyu Kingdom into what would become the Okinawa prefecture.
• 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.
• 1917 – World War I: Baghdad falls to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Stanley Maude.
• 1927 – In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the Roxy Theatre.
• 1931 – Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced in the Soviet Union.
• 1941 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.
• 1942 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur abandons Corregidor.
• 1945 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy attempts a large-scale kamikaze attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Ulithi atoll in Operation Tan No. 2.
• 1977 – The 1977 Hanafi Muslim Siege: more than 130 hostages held in Washington, D.C., by Hanafi Muslims are set free after ambassadors from three Islamic nations join negotiations.
• 1978 – Coastal Road massacre: At least 37 are killed and more than 70 are wounded when Al Fatah hijack an Israeli bus, prompting Israel's Operation Litani.
• 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the Soviet Union's leader.
• 1990 – Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.
• 1990 – Patricio Aylwin is sworn-in as the first democratically elected Chilean president since 1970.
• 1993 – Janet Reno is confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn-in the next day, becoming the first female Attorney General of the United States.
• 1999 – Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
• 2004 – Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid, Spain, kill 191 people.
• 2006 – Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile.
• 2009 – Winnenden school shooting – 17 people are killed at a school in Germany.

Births

• 1544 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet (d. 1595)
• 1725 – Henry Benedict Stuart, pretender to the throne of Great Britain (d. 1807)
• 1738 – Benjamin Tupper, Continental Army officer, and pioneer to the Ohio Country (d. 1792)
• 1785 – John McLean, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1861)
• 1787 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (d. 1852)
• 1811 – Urbain Le Verrier, French mathematician (d. 1877)
• 1818 – Marius Petipa, French ballet dancer and choreographer (d. 1910)
• 1822 – Joseph Louis François Bertrand, French mathematician (d. 1900)
• 1863 – Andrew Stoddart, English cricketer (d. 1915)
• 1870 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician (d. 1946)
• 1873 – David Horsley, English-born film executive (d. 1933)
• 1876 – Carl Ruggles, American composer (d. 1971)
• 1878 – Umegatani Tōtarō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 20^th Yokozuna (d. 1927)
• 1880 – Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenecist (d. 1943)
• 1884 – Lewi Pethrus, Swedish politician (d. 1974)
• 1885 – Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver (d. 1948)
• 1887 – Raoul Walsh, American film director (d. 1980)
• 1890 – Vannevar Bush, American engineer and politician (d. 1974)
• 1897 – Henry Cowell, American composer and impresario (d. 1965)
• 1898 – Dorothy Gish, American actress (d. 1968)
• 1899 – Frederick IX of Denmark, Danish King (d. 1972)
• 1903 – Ronald Syme, New Zealand classicist and historian (d. 1989)
• 1903 – Lawrence Welk, American musician (d. 1992)
• 1907 – Jessie Matthews, English actress (d. 1981)
• 1910 – Robert Havemann, German chemist (d. 1982)
• 1915 – Vijay Hazare, Indian cricketer (d. 2004)
• 1915 – Hans Peter Keller, German writer (d. 1988)
• 1915 – J. C. R. Licklider, American computer scientist and Internet pioneer (d. 1990)
• 1916 – Harold Wilson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
• 1916 – Ezra Jack Keats, children's literature author (d. 1983)
• 1920 – Nicolaas Bloembergen, Dutch physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1921 – Frank Harary, American mathematician (d. 2005)
• 1921 – Ástor Piazzolla, Argentine composer (d. 1992)
• 1922 – Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist (d. 1997)
• 1922 – José Luis López Vázquez, Spanish actor (d. 2009)
• 1926 – Reverend Ralph Abernathy, American civil rights leader (d. 1990)
• 1926 – İlhan Mimaroğlu, Turkish musician and composer
• 1927 – Robert Mosbacher, 28^th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
• 1928 – Albert Salmi, American actor (d. 1990)
• 1929 – Timothy Carey, American actor (d. 1994)
• 1930 – Claude Jutra, Quebec film actor and director (d. 1986)
• 1931 – Rupert Murdoch, Australian-born entrepreneur
• 1932 – Leroy Jenkins, American composer and violinist (d. 2007)
• 1934 – Sam Donaldson, American reporter
• 1935 – Sandra Milo, Italian actress
• 1936 – Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court Justice
• 1937 – Carlos Larrañaga, Spanish actor
• 1939 – Lorraine Hunt, former Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
• 1939 – Flaco Jiménez, American musician
• 1940 – Alberto Cortez, Argentinian singer
• 1942 – Joel Steiger, American Producer / Writer
• 1945 – Dock Ellis, American baseball player (d. 2008)
• 1945 – Harvey Mandel, American musician
• 1945 – Jose Mari Chan, Chinese-Filipino singer and songwriter
• 1946 – Patty Waters, American jazz singer
• 1947 – Tristan Murail, French composer
• 1948 – Roy Barnes, 80^th Governor of Georgia
• 1948 – César Gerónimo, Dominican baseball player
• 1948 – Dominique Sanda, French actress
• 1950 – Bobby McFerrin, American singer
• 1950 – Jerry Zucker, American director
• 1952 – Douglas Adams, English writer (d. 2001)
• 1953 – Bernie LaBarge, Canadian musician
• 1953 – László Bölöni, Romanian football player and manager
• 1954 – Gale Norton, 48^th United States Secretary of the Interior
• 1955 – Nina Hagen, German singer
• 1956 – Curtis Brown, NASA astronaut
• 1956 – Joey Buttafuoco, American statutory rapist
• 1956 – D. J. MacHale, American author and television writer
• 1956 – Rob Paulsen, American voice actor
• 1956 – Helen Rollason, British sports journalist and television presenter (d. 1999)
• 1957 – Lady Chablis, American entertainer
• 1957 – Cheryl Lynn, American singer
• 1958 – Anissa Jones, American actress (d. 1976)
• 1958 – Jim Pinkerton, American pundit
• 1958 – Flemming Rose, Danish journalist
• 1958 – Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer, interim President of Iraq
• 1959 – Nina Hartley, American porn star
• 1960 – Christophe Gans, French film director
• 1961 – Elias Koteas, Canadian actor
• 1962 – Jeffrey Nordling, American actor
• 1963 – Alex Kingston, English actress
• 1963 – Davis Guggenheim, American director and producer
• 1964 – Peter Berg, American film actor, director and producer
• 1964 – Libba Bray, American author
• 1964 – Vinnie Paul, American drummer (Pantera)
• 1964 – Shane Richie, British actor
• 1965 – Nigel Adkins, English football manager
• 1965 – Jesse Jackson, Jr., American politician
• 1965 – Wallace Langham, American actor
• 1965 – Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, British television presenter
• 1966 – Joe Hachem, Lebanese-born Australian poker player
• 1967 – John Barrowman, Scottish-American actor
• 1967 – Brad Carson, American politician
• 1968 – Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter
• 1968 – Jerod Shelby, founder of Shelby SuperCars and creater of the SSC Ultimate Aero
• 1969 – Terrence Howard, American actor
• 1969 – Soraya, Colombian-American singer (d. 2006)
• 1970 – Delia Gallagher, American journalist
• 1971 – Johnny Knoxville, American television personality
• 1971 – Martin Ručinský, Czech ice hockey player
• 1973 – Martin Hiden, Austrian footballer
• 1974 – Bobby Abreu, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1974 – Jon Dalton, American Survivor castmember
• 1974 – Kate Brian, American writer, Private
• 1975 – Eric the Midget, American radio personality
• 1975 – Shawn Springs, American football player
• 1976 – Thomas Gravesen, Danish footballer
• 1977 – Andre Nickatina, American rapper
• 1977 – Becky Hammon, American basketball player
• 1978 – Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer
• 1978 – Albert Luque, Spanish footballer
• 1978 – Christopher Rice, American author
• 1979 – Elton Brand, American basketball player
• 1979 – Fred Jones, American basketball player
• 1979 – Benji Madden, American guitarist (Good Charlotte)
• 1979 – Joel Madden, American singer (Good Charlotte)
• 1980 – Paul Scharner, Austrian footballer
• 1980 – Dan Uggla, American baseball player
• 1981 – David Anders, American actor
• 1981 – Heidi Cortez, American erotic broadcaster
• 1981 – Lee Evans, American football player
• 1981 – Russell Lissack, English musician (Bloc Party)
• 1981 – LeToya Luckett, American singer (ex-Destiny's Child)
• 1981 – Paul Wall, American rapper
• 1982 – Brian Anderson, Major League Baseball player
• 1982 – Thora Birch, American actress
• 1982 – Benjamin Krause, German rugby player
• 1982 – Lindsey McKeon, American actress
• 1983 – Marietta Chrousala, Greek fashion model
• 1983 – Bianca Gonzalez, Filipina TV host and model
• 1984 – Marc-André Grondin, Canadian actor
• 1984 – Anna Tsuchiya, Japanese model, actress and singer
• 1984 – Tom James, British rower
• 1985 – Paul Bissonnette, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 – Hakuhō Shō, Mongolian sumo wrestler, the 69^th Yokozuna
• 1985 – Derek Schouman, American football player
• 1985 – Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Australian soccer player
• 1985 – Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lankan Cricketer
• 1986 – Mariko Shinoda, Japanese actress and member of AKB48
• 1987 – Marc-André Gragnani, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1989 – Anton Yelchin, Russian/American actor
• 1990 – Janna Dominguez, Filipina actress
• 1990 – Reiley McClendon, American Actor
• 1991 – Jack Rodwell, British football player

Deaths

• 1425 BC – Thutmose III, Egyptian pharaoh
• 222 – Elagabalus, Roman Emperor
• 222 – Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus (b. 180)
• 859 – Eulogius of Cordoba, Spanish Bishop and Christian Martyr
• 1198 – Marie de Champagne, daughter of Louis VII of France (b. 1145)
• 1486 – Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg (b. 1414)
• 1514 – Donato Bramante, Italian architect (b. 1444)
• 1575 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian Protestant reformer (b. 1520)
• 1602 – Emilio de' Cavalieri, Italian composer
• 1607 – Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer
• 1722 – John Toland, Irish philosopher (b. 1670)
• 1759 – John Forbes, British general (b. 1710)
• 1786 – Charles Humphreys, American delegate to the Continental Congress (b. 1714)
• 1801 – Paul I of Russia, Russian tsar (b. 1754)
• 1820 – Benjamin West, English-American painter (b. 1738)
• 1851 – George McDuffie, Governor of South Carolina (b. 1790)
• 1854 – Willard Richards, American religious leader (b. 1804)
• 1856 – James Beatty, Irish railway engineer (b. 1820)
• 1863 – Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet, English general (b. 1803)
• 1866 – Ulysses F. Doubleday, American congressman (b. 1792)
• 1869 – Vladimir Odoevsky, Russian philosopher (b. 1803)
• 1870 – King Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho
• 1874 – Charles Sumner, American politician (b. 1811)
• 1898 – William Rosecrans, American Civil War Union general (b. 1819)
• 1907 – Jean Casimir-Perier, French politician (b. 1847)
• 1908 – Revd Benjamin Waugh, American activist (b. 1839)
• 1915 – Thomas Alexander Browne, Australian writer (b. 1826)
• 1920 – Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer (b. 1865)
• 1926 – Usui Mikao, Japanese founder of Reiki (b. 1865)
• 1931 – F.W. Murnau, German film director (b. 1888)
• 1937 – Joseph S. Cullinan, American oil industrialist (b. 1860)
• 1944 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-born American historian (b. 1882)
• 1949 – Anastasios Charalambis, Greek general and interim Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1862)
• 1952 – Pierre Renoir, French stage and film actor and director (b. 1885)
• 1955 – Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish scientist, Nobel laureate (b. 1881)
• 1955 – Oscar Mayer, Bavarian-born American meat packer (b. 1859)
• 1957 – Admiral Richard E. Byrd, American explorer (b. 1888)
• 1958 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish inventor of Legos (b. 1891)
• 1960 – Roy Chapman Andrews, American explorer and adventurer (b. 1884)
• 1967 – Geraldine Farrar, American soprano (b. 1882)
• 1969 – John Wyndham, English author (b. 1903)
• 1970 – Erle Stanley Gardner, American novelist (b. 1889)
• 1971 – Philo T. Farnsworth, American television pioneer (b. 1906)
• 1971 – Whitney Young, American civil rights leader (b. 1921)
• 1977 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist (b. 1893)
• 1977 – Alberto Rodriguez Larreta, Argentine racing driver (b. 1934)
• 1978 – Claude François, French singer (b. 1939)
• 1978 – Sofia Vembo, Greek Female Singer, dubbed the "Singstress of Victory" (b. 1910)
• 1982 – Edmund Cooper, English author (b. 1926)
• 1982 – Horace Gregory, American poet (b. 1898)
• 1984 – Kostas Roukounas, Greek rembetiko singer and song writer (b. 1903)
• 1986 – Sonny Terry, American blues musician (b. 1911)
• 1987 – Joe Gladwin, English actor (b. 1906)
• 1989 – James Kee, American politician (b. 1917)
• 1989 – John J. McCloy, United States Secretary of War (b. 1895)
• 1990 – Dean Horrix, English footballer (b. 1961)
• 1992 – Richard Brooks, American film director (b. 1912)
• 1993 – Dino Bravo, Italian-born professional wrestler (b. 1949),
• 1995 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (b. 1945)
• 1996 – Vince Edwards, American film actor and director (b. 1928)
• 1999 – Camille Laurin, Quebec psychiatrist and politician (b. 1922)
• 2002 – James Tobin, American economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1918)
• 2003 – Brian Cleeve, Irish author (b. 1921)
• 2003 – Ivar Hansen, speaker of the Danish Folketing (b. 1938)
• 2006 – Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1931)
• 2006 – Slobodan Milošević, President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
• 2009 – Charles Lewis, Jr., American businessman, promoter and entertainer (b. 1963)
• 2010 – Hans van Mierlo, Dutch politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister (b. 1931)
• 2010 – Leena Peltonen-Palotie, Finnish human geneticist (b. 1952)
• 2010 – Merlin Olsen, American football player / Actor (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast Day
  • Aengus the Culdee
  • Alberta of Agen
  • Aurea of San Millán
  • Blessed John Righi
  • Sophronius
  • Vindician
• Johnny Appleseed Day (United States)
• Reestablishment of Lithuania's Independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 (Lithuania)
• Youth Day (Zambia)

External links

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