Summary of the Day ✨ 11 January (11/01)
Wuhan health officials announce the first recorded COVID-19 death while Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes 167 death sentences amid the Jon Burge scandal. In separate incidents, French forces suffer casualties during a failed hostage rescue in Somalia, over 100 people perish in Algeria’s Sidi-Hamed massacre, and Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on its 10th mission.
Historical Events 📜
- 2020: COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei: Municipal health officials in Wuhan announce the first recorded death from COVID-19.
- 2013: One French soldier and 17 militants are killed in a failed attempt to free a French hostage in Bulo Marer, Somalia.
- 2003: Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois’s death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.
- 1998: Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacre in Algeria.
- 1996: Space Shuttle program: STS-72 launches from the Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of Endeavour.
- 1995: 51 people are killed in a plane crash in María La Baja, Colombia.
- 1994: The Irish Government announces the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Féin.
- 1986: The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is officially opened.
- 1983: United Airlines Flight 2885 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing three.
- 1977: The first episode of Finnish children’s TV show Pikku Kakkonen (“Little Number Two”) is aired on Yle TV2.
- 1973: Major League Baseball owners vote in approval of the American League adopting the designated hitter position.
- 1972: East Pakistan renames itself Bangladesh.
- 1966: The Tbilisi Metro is opened.
- 1964: Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
- 1962: Cold War: While tied to its pier in Polyarny, the Soviet submarine B-37 is destroyed when fire breaks out in its torpedo compartment.
Famous Births 👶
- 2002: Elly De La Cruz, Dominican baseball player
- 2000: Lee Chae-yeon, South Korean singer-songwriter
- 1999: Jeanette Hegg Duestad, Norwegian sport shooter
- 1999: Lim Sung-jin, South Korean volleyball player
- 1999: Brandon Wakeham, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
- 1998: Thomas Mikaele, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1997: Cody Simpson, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1996: Leroy Sané, German footballer
- 1995: Nick Solak, American baseball player
- 1993: Chris Boucher, Saint Lucian-Canadian basketball player
- 1993: Park Junghwan, South Korean Go player
- 1993: Michael Keane, English footballer
- 1993: Will Keane, Irish footballer
- 1992: Dani Carvajal, Spanish footballer
- 1992: Lee Seung-hoon, South Korean rapper and dancer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Richard Codey, American politician, 53rd Governor of New Jersey (born 1946)
- 2023: Carole Cook, American actress and singer (born 1924)
- 2019: Michael Atiyah, British-Lebanese mathematician (born 1929)
- 2018: Edgar Ray Killen, American murderer (born 1925)
- 2017: Adenan Satem, Malaysian politician and Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia (born 1944)
- 2016: Monte Irvin, American baseball player (born 1919)
- 2016: David Margulies, American actor (born 1937)
- 2015: Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (born 1925)
- 2015: Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (born 1931)
- 2015: Chashi Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi director and producer (born 1941)
- 2015: Vernon Benjamin Mountcastle, American neuroscientist and academic (born 1918)
- 2014: Keiko Awaji, Japanese actress (born 1933)
- 2014: Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (born 1928)
- 2014: Chai Trong-rong, Taiwanese educator and politician (born 1935)
- 2014: Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (born 1928)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Children’s Day (Tunisia)
- Christian feast day:
Anastasius of Suppentonia (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
Leucius of Brindisi (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
Paulinus II of Aquileia - Christian feast day:
Pope Hyginus - Christian feast day:
Theodosius the Cenobiarch - Christian feast day:
Thomas of Cori - Christian feast day:
Vitalis of Gaza (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
January 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico)
- Independence Resistance Day (Morocco)
- Kagami biraki (Japan)
- National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States)
- Republic Day (Albania)
- Carmentalia (January 11th and January 15th) (Rome)