March 11
Events
Pre-1600
- 843 - Triumph of Orthodoxy: Empress Theodora II restores the veneration of icons in the Orthodox churches in the Byzantine Empire.
- 1343 - Arnošt of Pardubice becomes the last Bishop of Prague, and, a year later, the first Archbishop of Prague.
- 1387 - Battle of Castagnaro: Padua, led by John Hawkwood, is victorious over Giovanni Ordelaffi of Verona.
1601–1900
- 1641 - Guaraní forces living in the Jesuit reductions defeat bandeirantes loyal to the Portuguese Empire at the Battle of Mbororé in present-day Panambí, Argentina.
- 1649 - The Frondeurs and the French government 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.
- 1784 - The signing of the Treaty of Mangalore brings the Second Anglo-Mysore War to an end.
- 1795 - The Battle of Kharda is fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam of Hyderabad, resulting in Maratha victory.
- 1845 - Flagstaff War: Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hōne Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororāreka, 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 kills 238 people in Sheffield, England.
- 1872 - Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; it is located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
- 1879 - Shō Tai formally abdicates his position of King of Ryūkyū, under orders from Tokyo, ending the Ryukyu Kingdom.
- 1888 - The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400 people.
- 1892 - The Saint-Germain bombing ushers France into the Ère des attentats.
1901–present
- 1917 - World War I: Mesopotamian campaign: Baghdad falls to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Frederick Stanley Maude.
- 1927 - In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the Roxy Theatre.
- 1941 - World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.
- 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.
- 1945 - World War II: The Empire of Vietnam, a short-lived Japanese puppet state, is established.
- 1946 - Rudolf Höss, the first commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, is captured by British troops.
- 1977 - The 1977 Hanafi Siege: Around 150 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 Fatah hijack an Israeli bus, prompting Israel's Operation Litani.
- 1981 - Hundreds of students protest in the University of Pristina in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, to give their province more political rights. The protests then became a nationwide movement.
- 1982 - Fifteen people are killed when Widerøe Flight 933 crashes into the Barents Sea near Gamvik, Norway.
- 1983 - Bob Hawke is appointed Prime Minister of Australia.
- 1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev is elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, making Gorbachev the USSR's de facto, and last, head of state.
- 1990 - Lithuania declares independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1990 - Patricio Aylwin is sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Chile since 1970.
- 2003 - The International Criminal Court holds its inaugural session in The Hague.
- 2004 - Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid, Spain kill 191 people.
- 2006 - Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as the first female president of Chile.
- 2008 - Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-123, carrying the first component of the Japanese Kibō module to the International Space Station.
- 2009 - Winnenden school shooting: Fifteen are killed and nine are injured before recent graduate Tim Kretschmer shoots and kills himself, leading to tightened weapons restrictions in Germany.
- 2010 - Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera is sworn in as President of Chile. Aftershocks of the 2010 Pichilemu earthquakes hit central Chile during the ceremony.
- 2011 - An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people. This event also triggered the second largest nuclear accident in history, and one of only two events to be classified as a Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
- 2012 - A U.S. soldier kills 16 civilians in the Panjwayi District of Afghanistan near Kandahar.
- 2018 - A Bombardier Challenger 604 crashes into the Zagros Mountains near the Iranian city of Shar-e-kord, killing all 11 people on board.
- 2020 - The World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 virus epidemic a pandemic.
- 2021 - US President Joe Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law.
- 2023 - The Burmese military kills at least 30 villagers, including 3 Buddhist monks, during the Pinlaung massacre in Shan State, Myanmar.
Births
Pre-1600
- 1278 - Mary of Woodstock, daughter of Edward I of England
- 1544 - Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and educator
1601–1900
- 1738 - Benjamin Tupper, American general
- 1785 - John McLean, American jurist and politician
- 1806 - Louis Boulanger, French Romantic painter, lithographer and illustrator
- 1811 - Urbain Le Verrier, French mathematician and astronomer
- 1815 - Anna Bochkoltz, German operatic soprano, voice teacher and composer
- 1818 - Marius Petipa, French-Russian dancer and choreographer
- 1819 - Henry Tate, English businessman and philanthropist, founded Tate & Lyle
- 1822 - Joseph Louis François Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic
- 1863 - Andrew Stoddart, English cricketer and rugby player
- 1870 - Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and theorist
- 1876 - Carl Ruggles, American composer and painter
- 1880 - Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenicist and sociologist
- 1884 - Lewi Pethrus, Swedish minister and hymn-writer
- 1885 - Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver
- 1887 - Raoul Walsh, American actor and director
- 1890 - Vannevar Bush, American engineer and academic
- 1893 - Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator
- 1897 - Henry Cowell, American pianist and composer
- 1898 - Dorothy Gish, American actress
- 1899 - Frederik IX of Denmark
- 1899 - James H. Douglas, Jr., American lawyer, and politician, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
1901–present
- 1903 - Ronald Syme, New Zealand historian and scholar
- 1903 - Lawrence Welk, American accordion player and bandleader
- 1907 - Jessie Matthews, English actress, singer, and dancer
- 1908 - Matti Sippala, Finnish javelin thrower
- 1910 - Robert Havemann, German chemist and academic
- 1911 - Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish general and politician
- 1913 - Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, German colonel and pilot
- 1915 - Vijay Hazare, Indian cricketer
- 1915 - J. C. R. Licklider, American computer scientist and psychologist
- 1915 - Dude Martin, American country singer, bandleader, radio and television host
- 1916 - Harold Wilson, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1920 - Nicolaas Bloembergen, Dutch-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1921 - Astor Piazzolla, Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player
- 1922 - Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek economist and philosopher
- 1922 - Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Malaysia
- 1922 - José Luis López Vázquez, Spanish actor, costume designer, scenic designer and assistant director
- 1923 - Louise Brough, American tennis player
- 1925 - Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, American biochemist and academic
- 1926 - Ralph Abernathy, American minister and activist
- 1927 - Vince Boryla, American basketball player, coach, and executive
- 1927 - Freda Meissner-Blau, Austrian activist and politician
- 1927 - Robert Mosbacher, American businessman, and politician, United States Secretary of Commerce
- 1927 - Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter
- 1929 - Timothy Carey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1929 - Jackie McGlew, South African cricketer
- 1930 - David Gentleman, English illustrator and engraver
- 1930 - Claude Jutra, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter
- 1931 - Rupert Murdoch, Australian-American businessman and media magnate
- 1932 - Leroy Jenkins, American violinist and composer
- 1932 - Nigel Lawson, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1934 - Sam Donaldson, American journalist
- 1936 - Antonin Scalia, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- 1940 - Alberto Cortez, Argentinian-Spanish singer-songwriter
- 1941 – Shelly Zegart, quilt historian
- 1943 - Arturo Merzario, Italian race car driver
- 1945 - Dock Ellis, American baseball player and coach
- 1945 - Harvey Mandel, American guitarist
- 1946 - Mark Metcalf, American actor
- 1947 - Tristan Murail, French composer and educator
- 1948 - Roy Barnes, American politician, 80th Governor of Georgia
- 1948 - Jim McMillian, American basketball player
- 1950 - Bobby McFerrin, American singer-songwriter, producer, and conductor
- 1950 - Jerry Zucker, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1951 - Dominique Sanda, French model and actress
- 1952 - Douglas Adams, English author and playwright
- 1953 - Derek Daly, Irish-American race car driver and sportscaster
- 1953 - Jimmy Iovine, American record producer and businessman, co-founded Beats Electronics
- 1953 - Bernie LaBarge, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1954 - David Newman, American composer and conductor
- 1954 - Gale Norton, American politician, 48th United States Secretary of the Interior
- 1955 - Leslie Cliff, Canadian swimmer
- 1955 - Nina Hagen, German singer-songwriter
- 1956 - Willie Banks, American triple jumper
- 1956 - Helen Rollason, English sports journalist and sportscaster
- 1957 - Qasem Soleimani, Former Iranian commander of the Quds Force
- 1958 - Anissa Jones, American child actress
- 1959 - Nina Hartley, American pornographic actress/director, sex educator, sex-positive feminist, and author
- 1960 - Warwick Taylor, New Zealand rugby player
- 1961 - Elias Koteas, Canadian actor
- 1961 - Bruce Watson, Canadian-Scottish guitarist
- 1962 - Matt Mead, American politician, 32nd Governor of Wyoming
- 1962 - Jeffrey Nordling, American actor
- 1963 - Gary Barnett, English footballer and manager
- 1963 - Alex Kingston, English actress
- 1963 - David LaChapelle, American photographer and director
- 1964 - Peter Berg, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor
- 1964 - Raimo Helminen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
- 1964 - Vinnie Paul, American drummer, songwriter and producer
- 1964 - Shane Richie, English actor and singer
- 1965 - Nigel Adkins, English footballer and manager
- 1965 - Jesse Jackson, Jr., American lawyer and politician
- 1965 - Wallace Langham, American actor
- 1965 - Jenny Packham, English fashion designer
- 1966 - John Thompson III, American basketball player and coach
- 1967 - John Barrowman, Scottish-American actor and singer
- 1967 - Sergei Bautin, Belarusian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 - Brad Carson, American lawyer and politician
- 1968 - Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter
- 1969 - Terrence Howard, American actor and producer
- 1969 - Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1971 - Johnny Knoxville, American actor and entertainer
- 1971 - Martin Ručinský, Czech ice hockey player
- 1971 - Lee Sang-hoon, South Korean baseball player
- 1974 - Bobby Abreu, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1976 - Thomas Gravesen, Danish footballer
- 1977 - Becky Hammon, American-Russian basketball player and coach
- 1977 - Michal Handzuš, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1978 - Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer
- 1978 - Albert Luque, Spanish footballer
- 1979 - Elton Brand, American basketball player
- 1979 - Fred Jones, American basketball player
- 1979 - Benji Madden, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1979 - Joel Madden, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1980 - Rich Hill, American baseball player
- 1980 - Mark Rober, American YouTuber and engineer
- 1980 - Dan Uggla, American baseball player
- 1981 - David Anders, American actor
- 1981 - Lee Evans, American football player
- 1981 - Russell Lissack, English musician
- 1981 - LeToya Luckett, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1982 - Brian Anderson, American baseball player
- 1982 - Thora Birch, American actress, producer, and director
- 1983 - Lukáš Krajíček, Czech ice hockey player
- 1984 - Rob Brown, American actor
- 1985 - Paul Bissonnette, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 - Daniel Vázquez Evuy, Equatoguinean footballer
- 1985 - Cassandra Fairbanks, American journalist and activist
- 1985 - Stelios Malezas, Greek footballer
- 1985 - Greg Olsen, American football player and commentator
- 1985 - Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Australian footballer
- 1986 - Dario Cologna, Swiss skier
- 1987 - Marc-André Gragnani, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1987 - Tanel Kangert, Estonian cyclist
- 1987 - Ngonidzashe Makusha, Zimbabwean sprinter and long jumper
- 1988 - Pedro Báez, Dominican baseball player
- 1988 - Fábio Coentrão, Portuguese footballer
- 1988 - Cecil Lolo, South African footballer
- 1989 - Malcolm Delaney, American basketball player
- 1989 - Orlando Johnson, American basketball player
- 1989 - Anton Yelchin, Russian-American actor
- 1990 - Ayumi Morita, Japanese tennis player
- 1992 - Austin Swift, American producer and actor
- 1993 - Jodie Comer, English actress
- 1993 - Anthony Davis, American basketball player
- 1994 - Andy Robertson, Scottish footballer
- 1996 - Conor Garland, American ice hockey player
- 1997 - Travis Konecny, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1997 - Ray Spalding, American basketball player
- 2003 - Tristan Vukčević, Serbian-Swedish basketball player