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.
1997 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner.
1973 – Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
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.
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".
1903 – Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria.
1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted; the first National Diet convenes in 1890.
1861 – American Civil War: The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
1858 – Bernadette Soubirous's first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
1843 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata receives its first performance in Milan, Italy.
1840 – Gaetano Donizetti's opera La fille du régiment receives its first performance in Paris, France.
1826 – University College London is founded as University of London.
1812 – Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of "gerrymandering" for the first time.
1794 – First session of United States Senate opens to the public.
Births
1993 – Ben McLemore, American basketball player. Ben Edward McLemore III (born February 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
1992 – Taylor Lautner, American actor, model and martial artist. He is known for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga film series based on the novels of the same name by Stephenie Meyer.
1987 – Brian Matusz, American baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Cubs.
1984 – Aubrey O'Day, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress. Aubrey Morgan O'Day (born February 11, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and reality television personality, best known for being a member of the girl group Danity Kane.
1981 – Kelly Rowland, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress. During the group's two-year hiatus, Rowland released her first solo album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
1979 – Brandy Norwood, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress. In 1993, Norwood signed with Atlantic Records.
1977 – Mike Shinoda, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Shinoda later created a hip-hop-driven side project, Fort Minor, in 2004.
1976 – Tony Battie, American basketball player and sportscaster. He is currently an analyst for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
1975 – Andy Lally, American racing driver. Andrew "Andy" Lally (born February 11, 1975) is an American professional sports car and stock car racing driver as well as a street Luge racer.
1975 – Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player and coach. Jacque Vaughn (born February 11, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
1974 – D'Angelo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (pronounced di-Angelo), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.
1974 – Isaiah Mustafa, American football player and actor. Isaiah Amir Mustafa (born February 11, 1974) is an American actor and former American football wide receiver.
1973 – Hernandez, American wrestler and promoter. Hernández is a widespread Spanish surname that became common around the 15th century.
1969 – Jennifer Aniston, American actress and producer. Her first major film role came in the 1993 horror comedy Leprechaun.
1968 – Mo Willems, American author and illustrator. Mo Willems (born February 11, 1968) is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and creator of children's books.
1967 – Hank Gathers, American basketball player (d. 1990), was an American college basketball player for the Loyola Marymount Lions who died after collapsing during a game. He was the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season.
1967 – Ty Treadway, American actor and talk show host. Treadway co-hosted Soap Talk with Lisa Rinna.
1964 – Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and wrestler. Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (born Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick; February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter, semi-retired professional wrestler, and retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer.
1964 – Sarah Palin, American journalist and politician, 9th Governor of Alaska. Sarah Louise Palin (/ˈpeɪlɪn/ (listen); née Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality, who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009.
1962 – Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress. She has released ten studio albums, four compilations, two live albums, and has contributed to a number of film soundtracks.
1962 – Tammy Baldwin, American lawyer and politician. Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American politician serving as the junior United States Senator from Wisconsin since 2013.
1961 – Carey Lowell, American model and actress. Carey Lowell (born February 11, 1961) is an American actress and former model.
1960 – Richard Mastracchio, American engineer and astronaut. He is currently the Senior Director of Operations for Commercial Resupply Services at Orbital ATK.
1956 – Catherine Hickland, American actress. Catherine Hickland (born February 11, 1956) is an American film, stage, and television actress, as well as a singer, author and cosmetics-company CEO and hypnotist.
1956 – H.R., American punk rock singer-songwriter (Bad Brains). Hudson (born February 11, 1956), known professionally as H.R. (Human Rights), is an American musician who leads the hardcore punk band Bad Brains.
1954 – Wesley Strick, American director and screenwriter. Wesley Strick (born February 11, 1954) is an American screenwriter who has written such films as the comic-horror hit Arachnophobia, the Martin Scorsese remake of Cape Fear and the video game adaptation Doom.
1953 – Jeb Bush, American banker and politician, 43rd Governor of Florida. W.
1953 – Philip Anglim, American actor. Other notable roles include the title role in Macbeth on Broadway and Dane O'Neill, the ill-fated love child who grew up to follow in his unknown father's footsteps on the path to the priesthood in the television mini-series The Thorn Birds.
1953 – Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (d. 2014), was an American baseball shortstop. He played 12 years in Major League Baseball, appearing in 979 games for the Detroit Tigers (1973-1977), Cleveland Indians (1978-1981), New York Mets (1982), and Chicago Cubs (1983-1984).
1944 – Mike Oxley, American lawyer and politician (d. 2016), was an American Republican politician and attorney who served as a U.S. Representative from the 4th congressional district of Ohio.
1943 – Alan Rubin, American trumpet player (d. 2011). Alan Rubin (February 11, 1943 – June 8, 2011), also known as Mr.
1943 – Stan Szelest, American keyboard player (d. 1991), was an American musician from Buffalo, New York, known for founding an influential blues band in the 1950s and 1960s, Stan and the Ravens, and later as a keyboardist with Ronnie Hawkins and, briefly, with The Band.
1942 – Otis Clay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016), was an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. In 2013, Clay was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
1940 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (d. 2014), was an American politician. He was a Republican from West Virginia.
1939 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (d. 2014), was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", and "Go Away Little Girl".
1937 – Phillip Walker, American singer and guitarist (d. 2010), was an American electric blues guitarist, most noted for his 1959 hit single, "Hello My Darling", produced by J. R.
1936 – Burt Reynolds, American actor and director, was an American actor, director, and producer. He first rose to prominence when he starred in several different television series such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August (1970–1971).
1935 – Gene Vincent, American singer and guitarist (d. 1971), was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly.
1934 – Mel Carnahan, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 51st Governor of Missouri (d. 2000), was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A Democrat, he was elected posthumously to the U.S.
1934 – Tina Louise, American actress and singer. Tina Louise (born February 11, 1934) is an American actress best known for playing movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy Gilligan's Island.
1930 – Roy De Forest, American painter and academic (d. 2007), was an American painter, sculptor, and teacher. He was involved in both the Funk art and Nut art movements in the Bay Area of California.
1926 – Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2010), was a Canadian actor, comedian, and producer. He appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.
1925 – Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001), was an American actress, primarily in television and theatre, but with occasional film performances.
1925 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2013). Johnson, born Mary Virginia Eshelman (February 11, 1925 – July 24, 2013), was an American sexologist, best known as a member of the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team.
1924 – Budge Patty, American tennis player. John Edward "Budge" Patty (born February 11, 1924) is a former world no. 1 American tennis player whose career spanned a period of 15 years after World War II.
1921 – Edward Seidensticker, American scholar and translator (d. 2007), was a noted post-World War II scholar, historian, and preeminent translator of classical and contemporary Japanese literature. His English translation of the epic The Tale of Genji, published in 1976, was especially well received critically and is counted among the preferred modern translations.
1921 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 2006), was an American politician who was a four-term United States Senator (1971–1993) from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. He also served as the 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton.
1921 – Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (d. 2013), was the founder of the Italian fashion label Missoni and an Italian Olympic hurdler who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Along with his wife Rosita, he was part of the group of designers who launched Italian ready-to-wear in the 1950s, thereby ensuring the global success of Italian fashion.
1920 – Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976). Halop came from a theatrical family; his mother was a dancer, and his sister, Florence Halop, was an actress who worked on radio and in television.
1920 – Daniel F. Galouye, American author (d. 1976), was an American science fiction writer. During the 1950s and 1960s, he contributed novelettes and short stories to various digest size science fiction magazines, sometimes writing under the pseudonym Louis G.
1919 – Eva Gabor, Hungarian-American actress, socialite and businesswoman (d. 1995), was a Hungarian-American actress, singer, and socialite. She was widely known for her role on the 1965–71 television sitcom Green Acres as Lisa Douglas, the wife of Eddie Albert's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas.
1917 – Sidney Sheldon, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007), was an American writer and producer.
1915 – Richard Hamming, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998), was an American mathematician whose work had many implications for computer engineering and telecommunications. His contributions include the Hamming code (which makes use of a Hamming matrix), the Hamming window, Hamming numbers, sphere-packing (or Hamming bound), and the Hamming distance.
1914 – Josh White, American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and activist (d. 1969), was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names Pinewood Tom and Tippy Barton in the 1930s.
1914 – Matt Dennis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2002), was an American singer, pianist, band leader, arranger, and writer of music for popular songs.
1912 – Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1994), was a Czech-born, Czech-American classical pianist.
1909 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993), was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won the Oscar back-to-back for both Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950).
1902 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed Aarhus City Hall and Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (d. 1971). FAIA (11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and designer.
1898 – Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 1964), was a Hungarian-German-American physicist and inventor. He conceived the nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented the idea of a nuclear fission reactor in 1934, and in late 1939 wrote the letter for Albert Einstein's signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb.
1897 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (d.1954), was a Polish-born American mathematician and logician. He is best known for his work in the field that eventually became known as computability theory.
1869 – Helene Kröller-Müller, German-Dutch art collector and philanthropist, founded the Kröller-Müller Museum (d. 1939), was one of the first European women to put together a major art collection. She is credited with being one of the first collectors to recognise the genius of Vincent van Gogh.
1863 – John F. Fitzgerald, American politician; Mayor of Boston (d. 1950), was an American politician, father of Rose Kennedy and maternal grandfather of President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert F.
1855 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (d. 1940), was an American Impressionist painter and printmaker from Boston. She studied art in Paris and during her adult life lived in Paris, London and Boston.
1847 – Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, developed the light bulb and phonograph (d. 1931), was an American inventor and businessman who has been described as America's greatest inventor. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures.
1839 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist, mathematician, and academic (d. 1903), was an American scientist who made significant theoretical contributions to physics, chemistry, and mathematics. His work on the applications of thermodynamics was instrumental in transforming physical chemistry into a rigorous inductive science.
1833 – Melville Fuller, American lawyer and jurist, 8th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910), was a politician, lawyer, and judge from Illinois. He was the eighth Chief Justice of the United States from 1888 to 1910.
1812 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1883), was an American politician who served as the vice president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, and later as the 50th Governor of Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1883. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives prior to becoming Governor.
1805 – Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, American explorer (d. 1866), was a Native American-French Canadian explorer, guide, fur trapper trader, military scout during the Mexican–American War, alcalde (mayor) of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia and a gold prospector and hotel operator in Northern California. His mother was a Shoshone Indian known as Sacagawea.
1802 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (d. 1880), was an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism.
1800 – Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and politician, invented the calotype (d. 1877), was an English scientist, inventor and photography pioneer who invented the salted paper and calotype processes, precursors to photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th centuries. His work, in the 1840s on photomechanical reproduction, led to the creation of the photoglyphic engraving process, the precursor to photogravure.
1799 – Basil Moreau, French priest, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (d. 1873), was the French priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross from which three additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and the Sisters of Holy Cross. Father Moreau was beatified on September 15, 2007 in Le Mans, France.
Deaths
2016 – Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (b. 1971)
2015 – Bob Simon, American journalist (b. 1941)
2015 – Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
Remind me of this day
