February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 323 days remain until the end of the year (324 in leap years).
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1901–present
- 1903 – Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria.[23]
- 1906 – Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer Nos.[24]
- 1919 – Friedrich Ebert (SPD), is elected President of Germany.[25]
- 1929 – The Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.[26]
- 1933 – LAPD Red Squad raid on John Reed Club art show in the U.S. results in the destruction of a dozen political artworks.[27]
- 1937 – The Flint sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers trade union.[28]
- 1938 – BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television programme, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R., that coined the term "robot".[29]
- 1942 – World War II: Second day of the Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore.[30]
- 1946 – The New Testament of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first significant challenge to the Authorized King James Version, is published.[31][32][33][34]
- 1953 – Cold War: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower denies all appeals for clemency for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.[35]
- 1953 – Israeli-Soviet relations are severed.[36]
- 1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.[37]
- 1963 — The Beatles recorded their first album Please Please Me[38]
- 1970 – Japan launches Ohsumi, becoming the fourth nation to put an object into orbit using its own booster.[39]
- 1971 – Cold War: the Seabed Arms Control Treaty opened for signature outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters.[40]
- 1978 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314 crashes at the Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada with 42 deaths and seven survivors.[41]
- 1979 – The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.[42]
- 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner.[43]
- 1990 – Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing's world Heavyweight title.[44]
- 1997 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.[45]
- 1999 – Pluto crosses Neptune's orbit, ending a nearly 20-year period when it was closer to the Sun than the gas giant; Pluto is not expected to interact with Neptune's orbit again until 2231.[46]
- 2001 – A Dutch programmer launched the Anna Kournikova virus infecting millions of emails via a trick photo of the tennis star.[47]
- 2008 – Rebel East Timorese soldiers seriously wound President José Ramos-Horta. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack.[48]
- 2011 – Arab Spring: 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 17 days of protests.[49]
- 2013 – The Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI would resign the papacy as a result of his advanced age.[50]
- 2013 – Militants claiming to be from the Sultanate of Sulu invade Lahad Datu District, Sabah, Malaysia, beginning the Lahad Datu standoff.[51]
- 2014 – A military transport plane crashes in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province in eastern Algeria, killing 77 people.[52]
- 2015 – A university student was murdered as she resisted an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women.[53]
- 2016 – A man shoots seven people dead at an education center in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia.[54]
- 2017 – North Korea test fires a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan.[55]
- 2018 – Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashes near Moscow, Russia with 71 deaths and no survivors.[56]
- 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic: The World Health Organization officially names the coronavirus outbreak as COVID-19, with the virus being designated SARS-CoV-2.[57]
- 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is elected as the 13th president of Finland.[58]
1601–1900
- 1649 – William Carstares, Scottish minister and academic (d. 1715)[63]
- 1657 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French poet and playwright (d. 1757)[64]
- 1708 – Egidio Duni, Italian composer (d. 1775)[65]
- 1764 – Marie-Joseph Chénier, French poet and playwright (d. 1811)[66]
- 1776 – Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greek politician, 1st Governor of Greece (d. 1831)[67]
- 1800 – Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and politician, invented the calotype (d. 1877)[68]
- 1802 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (d. 1880)[69]
- 1805 – Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Native American-French Canadian explorer (d. 1866)[70]
- 1812 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1883)[71]
- 1813 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (d. 1865)[72]
- 1821 – Auguste Mariette, French archaeologist and scholar (d. 1881)[73]
- 1830 – Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, Prussian pianist and composer (d. 1913)[74]
- 1833 – Melville Fuller, American lawyer and jurist, 8th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)[75]
- 1839 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist (d. 1903)[76]
- 1845 – Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, Ottoman soldier and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1936)[77]
- 1847 – Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, developed the light bulb and phonograph (d. 1931)[78]
- 1855 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (d. 1940)[79]
- 1860 – Rachilde, French author and playwright (d. 1953)[80]
- 1863 – John F. Fitzgerald, American politician; Mayor of Boston (d. 1950)[81]
- 1864 – Louis Bouveault, French chemist (d. 1909)[82]
- 1869 – Helene Kröller-Müller, German-Dutch art collector and philanthropist, founded the Kröller-Müller Museum (d. 1939)[83][84]
- 1869 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and author (d. 1945)[85]
- 1874 – Elsa Beskow, Swedish author and illustrator (d. 1953)[86]
- 1877 – Aasa Helgesen, Norwegian midwife (d. 1968)[87]
- 1881 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (d. 1966)[88]
- 1888 – John Warren Davis, American educator, college administrator, and civil rights leader (d. 1980)[89][90]
- 1897 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (d. 1954)[91]
- 1898 – Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 1964)[92]
- 1900 – Ellen Broe, Danish nurse, pioneer in nursing education (d. 1994)[93]
- 1900 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (d. 2002)[94]
- 1900 – Jōsei Toda, Japanese educator and activist (d. 1958)[95]
1901–present
- 1902 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (d. 1971)[96]
- 1904 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)[97]
- 1904 – Lucile Randon, French supercentenarian[98] (d. 2023)
- 1908 – Philip Dunne, American screenwriter (d. 1992)[99]
- 1908 – Vivian Fuchs, English explorer (d. 1999)[100]
- 1909 – Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)[101]
- 1909 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)[102]
- 1912 – Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1994)[103]
- 1914 – Matt Dennis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2002)[104]
- 1914 – Josh White, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1969)[105]
- 1915 – Patrick Leigh Fermor, English soldier, author, and scholar (d. 2011)[106]
- 1915 – Richard Hamming, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998)[107]
- 1917 – Sidney Sheldon, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)[108]
- 1919 – Eva Gabor, Hungarian-American actress (d. 1995)[109]
- 1920 – Farouk of Egypt (d. 1965)[110]
- 1920 – Daniel F. Galouye, American author (d. 1976)[111]
- 1920 – Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)[112]
- 1920 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (d. 1978)[113]
- 1921 – Lloyd Bentsen, American politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 2006)[114]
- 1921 – Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (d. 2013)[115]
- 1923 – Antony Flew, English philosopher and academic (d. 2010)[116]
- 1924 – Budge Patty, American tennis player (d. 2021)[117]
- 1925 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2013)[118]
- 1925 – Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)[119]
- 1926 – Paul Bocuse, French chef (d. 2018)[120]
- 1926 – Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2010)[121]
- 1930 – Roy De Forest, American painter and academic (d. 2007).[122]
- 1930 – Mary Quant, British fashion designer (d. 2023)[123][notes 1]
- 1932 – Dennis Skinner, English miner and politician[124]
- 1934 – Mel Carnahan, American lawyer and politician, 51st Governor of Missouri (d. 2000)[125]
- 1934 – Tina Louise, American actress and singer[126]
- 1934 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military leader of Panama (d. 2017)[127]
- 1934 – David Taylor, English veterinarian and television host (d. 2013)[128]
- 1935 – Gene Vincent, American singer and guitarist (d. 1971)[129]
- 1936 – Burt Reynolds, American actor and director (d. 2018)[130]
- 1937 – Ian Gow, British politician (d. 1990)[131]
- 1937 – Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer and sportscaster[132]
- 1937 – Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2020)[133]
- 1937 – Phillip Walker, American singer and guitarist (d. 2010)[134]
- 1938 – Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2018)[135]
- 1939 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (d. 2014)[136]
- 1940 – Calvin Fowler, American basketball player (d. 2013)[137]
- 1941 – Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian pianist and composer[138]
- 1942 – Otis Clay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)[139]
- 1943 – Joselito, Spanish singer and actor[140]
- 1943 – Alan Rubin, American trumpet player (d. 2011)[141]
- 1944 – Mike Oxley, American lawyer and politician (d. 2016)[142]
- 1944 – Joy Williams, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist[143]
- 1946 – Ian Porterfield, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2007)[144]
- 1947 – Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese engineer and politician and Prime Minister of Japan[145]
- 1947 – Derek Shulman, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer[146]
- 1949 – James Silas, American basketball player[147]
- 1951 – Mike Leavitt, American politician, 14th Governor of Utah[148]
- 1953 – Philip Anglim, American actor[149]
- 1953 – Jeb Bush, American banker and politician, 43rd Governor of Florida[150]
- 1953 – Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (d. 2014)[151]
- 1954 – Wesley Strick, American director and screenwriter[152]
- 1956 – Catherine Hickland, American actress[153]
- 1956 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist (d. 2018)[154]
- 1957 – Tina Ambani, Indian actress and chairperson[155]
- 1959 – Roberto Moreno, Brazilian race car driver[156]
- 1960 – Richard Mastracchio, American engineer and astronaut[157]
- 1961 – Carey Lowell, American actress[158]
- 1962 – Tammy Baldwin, American lawyer and politician[159]
- 1962 – Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter and guitarist[160]
- 1964 – Sarah Palin, American politician, 9th Governor of Alaska[161]
- 1964 – Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and wrestler[162]
- 1965 – Vicki Wilson, Australian netball player[163]
- 1967 – Ciro Ferrara, Italian footballer and manager
- 1968 – Mo Willems, American author and illustrator[164]
- 1969 – Jennifer Aniston, American actress and producer[165]
- 1969 – Andreas Hilfiker, Swiss footballer[166]
- 1969 – John Salako, Nigerian-English footballer, manager, and sportscaster[167]
- 1971 – Damian Lewis, English actor[168]
- 1972 – Steve McManaman, English footballer[169]
- 1972 – Kelly Slater, American surfer[109]
- 1973 – Varg Vikernes, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter[170]
- 1974 – Nick Barmby, English footballer and manager[171]
- 1974 – D'Angelo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer[172]
- 1974 – Alex Jones, American radio show host and conspiracy theorist[173]
- 1974 – Isaiah Mustafa, American actor and football player[109]
- 1974 – Jaroslav Špaček, Czech ice hockey player and coach[174]
- 1975 – Andy Lally, American race car driver[175]
- 1975 – Callum Thorp, Australian cricketer[176]
- 1975 – Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player and coach[177]
- 1976 – Tony Battie, American basketball player and sportscaster[178]
- 1976 – Bryce Salvador, Canadian ice hockey player[179]
- 1977 – Mike Shinoda, American musician and artist[180]
- 1979 – Brandy Norwood, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress[181]
- 1980 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor and singer[158]
- 1981 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress[182]
- 1982 – Daryn Colledge, American football player[183]
- 1982 – Natalie Dormer, English actress[184]
- 1982 – Ľubomíra Kalinová, Slovak biathlete[185]
- 1982 – Neil Robertson, Australian snooker player[186]
- 1983 – Rafael van der Vaart, Dutch footballer[187]
- 1984 – Maarten Heisen, Dutch sprinter[188]
- 1984 – Marco Marcato, Italian cyclist[189]
- 1984 – Aubrey O'Day, American singer and reality television personality[158]
- 1984 – Maxime Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player[190]
- 1984 – Alando Tucker, American basketball player and coach[191]
- 1985 – Mike Richards, Canadian ice hockey player[192]
- 1985 – Šárka Strachová, Czech skier[193]
- 1986 – Gabriel Boric, Chilean politician, 36th President of Chile[194]
- 1987 – Luca Antonelli, Italian footballer[195]
- 1987 – Juanmi Callejón, Spanish footballer[196]
- 1987 – Brian Matusz, American baseball player[197]
- 1987 – Jan Smeekens, Dutch speed skater[198]
- 1987 – Ellen van Dijk, Dutch cyclist[199]
- 1988 – Vlad Moldoveanu, Romanian basketball player[200]
- 1990 – Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer[201]
- 1990 – Q'orianka Kilcher, German-American actress[158]
- 1991 – Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Canadian football player and medical doctor[202]
- 1991 – Nikola Mirotic, Spanish basketball player[203]
- 1992 – Lasse Norman Hansen, Danish track and road cyclist[204]
- 1992 – Taylor Lautner, American actor[205]
- 1992 – Jake Matthews, American football player[206]
- 1993 – Ben McLemore, American basketball player[207]
- 1994 – Dansby Swanson, American baseball player[208]
- 1995 – Milan Škriniar, Slovak footballer[209]
- 1995 – Rick Karsdorp, Dutch footballer[210]
- 1996 – Daniil Medvedev, Russian tennis player[211]
- 1996 – Jonathan Tah, German footballer[212]
- 1996 – Lucas Torreira, Uruguayan footballer[213]
- 1997 – Damien Harris, American football player[214]
- 1997 – Mike Hughes, American football player[215]
- 1997 – Hubert Hurkacz, Polish tennis player[216]
- 1997 – Rosé, New Zealand-South Korean singer and dancer[109]
- 1997 – Zavier Simpson, American basketball player[217]
- 1998 – Trent Frederic, American ice hockey player[218]
- 1998 – Josh Jacobs, American football player[219]
- 1998 – Khalid, American singer and songwriter[220]
- 2000 – Nassir Little, American basketball player[221]
- 2001 – Bryan Gil, Spanish footballer[222]
1601–1900
- 1626 – Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1548)[229]
- 1650 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1596)[230]
- 1755 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist, playwright, and critic (b. 1675)[231]
- 1763 – William Shenstone, English poet and gardener (b. 1714)[232]
- 1768 – George Dance the Elder, English architect, designed St Leonard's and St Botolph's Aldgate (b. 1695)[233][234][235]
- 1795 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (b. 1740)[236]
- 1811 – Juan Sánchez Ramírez, leader of the troops that fought against the French rule of Santo Domingo's colony between 1808 and 1809 (b. 1762)[237]
- 1829 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian poet, playwright, and composer (b. 1795)[238]
- 1862 – Elizabeth Siddal, English poet and artist's model (b. 1829)[239]
- 1868 – Léon Foucault, French physicist and academic (b. 1819)[240]
- 1898 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (b. 1813)[241]
1901–present
- 1901 – Milan I of Serbia (b. 1855)[242]
- 1917 – Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician and epidemiologist (b. 1872)[243]
- 1918 – Alexey Kaledin, Russian general (b. 1861)[244]
- 1931 – Charles Algernon Parsons, English-Irish engineer, invented the steam turbine (b. 1854)[245]
- 1938 – Kalle Korhonen, Finnish politician (b. 1878)[246]
- 1940 – John Buchan, Scottish-Canadian historian and politician, Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)[247]
- 1940 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)[79]
- 1942 – Jamnalal Bajaj, Indian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1884)[248]
- 1947 – Martin Klein, Estonian wrestler and coach (b. 1884)[249]
- 1948 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1898)[250]
- 1949 – Axel Munthe, Swedish doctor (b. 1857)[251]
- 1958 – Ernest Jones, Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1879)[252]
- 1963 – John Olof Dahlgren, Swedish-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)[253]
- 1963 – Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1932)[254]
- 1967 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American minister and activist (b. 1885)[255]
- 1968 – Howard Lindsay, American playwright (b. 1889)[256]
- 1973 – J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)[257]
- 1975 – Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy colonel and politician, President of Madagascar (b. 1931)[258]
- 1976 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (b. 1911)[259]
- 1976 – Alexander Lippisch, German pilot and engineer (b. 1894)[260]
- 1977 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer and politician, 5th President of India (b. 1905)[261]
- 1977 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1902)[262]
- 1978 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist and academic (b. 1893)[263]
- 1978 – Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)[264]
- 1982 – Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (b. 1912)[265]
- 1985 – Henry Hathaway, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1898)[266]
- 1986 – Frank Herbert, American journalist and author (b. 1920)[267]
- 1989 – George O'Hanlon, American actor and voice artist (b. 1912)[268]
- 1993 – Robert W. Holley, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)[269]
- 1994 – Neil Bonnett, American race car driver (b. 1946)[270]
- 1994 – Sorrell Booke, American actor and director (b. 1930)[271]
- 1994 – William Conrad, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)[272]
- 1994 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (b. 1924)[273]
- 1996 – Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet and author (b. 1930)[274]
- 2000 – Lord Kitchner, Trinidadian singer (b. 1922)[275]
- 2000 – Roger Vadim, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)[276]
- 2002 – Frankie Crosetti, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)[277]
- 2002 – Barry Foster, English actor (b. 1931)[278]
- 2004 – Tony Pope, American voice actor (b. 1947)[279]
- 2004 – Shirley Strickland, Australian runner (b. 1925)[280]
- 2005 – Jack L. Chalker, American author (b. 1944)[281]
- 2006 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1940)[282]
- 2006 – Ken Fletcher, Australian tennis player (b. 1940)[283]
- 2006 – Jackie Pallo, English wrestler and actor (b. 1926)[284]
- 2006 – Matilda, American chicken and stage magician, oldest known chicken (h. 1990)[285]
- 2008 – Tom Lantos, American lawyer and politician (b. 1928)[286]
- 2008 – Frank Piasecki, American engineer (b. 1919)[287]
- 2009 – Estelle Bennett, American singer (b. 1941)[288]
- 2009 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch-American physician and academic (b. 1911)[289]
- 2010 – Heward Grafftey, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1928)[290]
- 2010 – Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founder of his eponymous brand (b. 1969)[291]
- 2011 – Chuck Tanner, American baseball player and manager (b. 1928)[292]
- 2012 – Siri Bjerke, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of the Environment (b. 1958)[293]
- 2012 – Aharon Davidi, Israeli general (b. 1927)[294]
- 2012 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (b. 1963)[295]
- 2013 – Rick Huxley, English bass player (b. 1940)[296]
- 2014 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (b. 1924)[297]
- 2014 – Tito Canepa, Dominican-American painter (b. 1916)[298][299]
- 2014 – Fernando González Pacheco, Colombian journalist and actor (b. 1932)[300]
- 2015 – Roger Hanin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1925)[301]
- 2015 – Bob Simon, American journalist (b. 1941)[302]
- 2015 – Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)[303]
- 2016 – Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (b. 1971)[304]
- 2016 – Zeng Xuelin, Thai-Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1929)[305]
- 2017 – Fab Melo, Brazilian basketball player (b. 1990)[306]
- 2017 – Jaap Rijks, Dutch Olympian (b. 1919)[307]
- 2017 – Trish Doan, Korean-Canadian musician (b. 1985)[308]
- 2018 – Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1928)[309]
- 2018 – Asma Jahangir, Pakistani human-rights lawyer and social activist (b. 1952)[310]
- 2018 – Jan Maxwell, American stage and television actress (b. 1956)[311]
- 2018 – Qazi Wajid, Pakistani drama actor, writer and artist (b. 1930)[312]
- 2023 – Donald Spoto, American biographer (b. 1941)[313]
- 2024 – Allen J. Bard, American chemist (b. 1933)[314]
The Mary Quant exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2019–20 stated her year of birth as 1930, and that she became a student at Goldsmiths College around 1950. However, the sleeve to her own autobiography (2012) gives the year as 1934, a date that has been widely cited over the years. Obituaries in April 2023 seemed universally to have accepted that she was 93 when she died: in other words, that she was born on 11 February 1930.