Recorded history by calendar date
What happened on February 11?
Explore notable historical events, births, deaths, and observances connected with February 11. This page organizes a useful shortlist from recorded history so the date is easy to scan, cite, and explore further.
Looking for the weekday and calendar conversions too? View February 11, 2026 for the same month and day in the closest available year.
Events
1
Births
1
Deaths
1
Observances
0
On This Day in History
Major events, milestones, and turning points that happened on this date.
Curated highlights
The shortlist below is ordered to surface the most notable items first while keeping the page readable. When a holiday or observance is relevant, you’ll also see direct links into the related countdown pages.
Historical Events
1990
Nelson Mandela is released
Nelson Mandela walked free after 27 years in prison, accelerating the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Births
1847
Thomas Edison is born
Inventor Thomas Edison, associated with the phonograph and practical electric lighting, was born in Ohio.
Deaths
1963
Sylvia Plath dies
Poet and novelist Sylvia Plath died in London, leaving a major literary legacy through works such as Ariel.
Observances / Holidays
No observances are highlighted in the current shortlist for this date.
Why dates can carry multiple meanings
A single month-day can connect political milestones, scientific breakthroughs, notable lives, and annual observances. That is why Whatistheday groups this archive into events, births, deaths, and observances rather than mixing everything into one long timeline.
Some observances are fixed on the same Gregorian date every year, while others move because they follow lunar, lunisolar, or rule-based calendars. For calculation details, see the methodology page.
How long ago?
Curious how many days have passed since iconic moments in history? Browse our Days Since directory — live counters for the Moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, and more.
Who was born on February 11?
See famous people born on this date — filterable by footballers, actors, musicians, scientists and more. View birthdays for February 11 →