What Happened on January 11

Historical Events

  • 1599 Jacob van Neck's fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a further half a ship full of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon
  • 1838 First public demonstration of telegraph messages sent using dots and dashes at Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail
  • 1879 Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lt-General Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa
  • 1922 Insulin first used on humans to treat diabetes, when Frederick Banting injects fellow Canadian Leonard Thompson, aged 14
  • 1964 First government report by US Surgeon General Luther Terry warning that smoking may be hazardous
  • More Historical Events

Jan 11 in Film & TV

  • 1927 Louis B. Mayer head of film studio MGM announces creation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Jan 11 in Music

  • 1963 Beatles release single "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why"; peaks at #2 in UK, and #3 in US

Jan 11 in Sport

  • 1960 LaMar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts

Did You Know?

First recorded lottery in England is drawn in St Paul's Cathedral in London. First prize was £5,000, other prizes included silver plate, tapestries and high quality linen cloth.

On January 11, 1569

Would You Believe?

Snowfall 1st recorded in Los Angeles

On January 11, 1949

Famous Weddings

  • 1892 Painter Paul Gauguin marries Teha'amana, a 13-year-old Tahitian girl
  • 1911 American actress Hattie McDaniel (16) weds pianist Howard Hickman (30) in Denver, Colorado
  • 1924 German-Swiss poet and novelist Hermann Hesse (36) weds Swiss soprano and painter Ruth Wenger (26); divorce in 1927

Famous Divorces

  • 1971 1st "Quickie" Divorce granted in UK

More Weddings & Divorces