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On This Day in History: February 11

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on February 11th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

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1482 CE, February 11

Pope Sixtus IV, authorizes on February 11, 1482, the appointment of Tomás de Torquemada as one of seven chief inquisitors in Spain. He became the Grand Inquisitor c. August 15, 1483 for Castile and Aragon.

On October 17, 1483, Torquemada's authority was extended to include Aragon, Catalonia, Majorca and Valencia effectively making him the Inquisitor General for all of Spain. Torquemada served as the Grand Inquisitor until his death on September 16, 1498. It is believed that the Spanish Inquisition was responsible for over 30,000 executions. The institution was finally shut down on July 15, 1834, during a period of liberal reform in Spain. The last person executed by the Inquisition was Cayetano Ripoll, a schoolmaster hanged in 1826.

1852 CE, February 11

The first British flushing public toilets for women are opened in Bedford Street, London on February 11, 1856. These early toilets failed to gain popularity among Victorian women and closed within a year.

1858 CE, February 11

Fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous (Later St. Bernadette) claims to have seen the Virgin Mary on February 11, 1858 in a small town located near Lourdes in the foothills of the Pyrenee mountains. in southern France. This was the first of 18 reported encounters, the last one took place on July 16, 1858.

The "Lady" identified herself as the "Immaculate Conception" and directed Bernadette to a, now-famous, miraculous spring, known as the Massabielle Grotto. The Catholic Church officially recognized these apparitions ,as "worthy of belief" in 1862. leading to the creation of the major pilgrimage site, Our Lady of Lourdes. Bernadette was canonized as a saint in 1933. The Massabielle grotto is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. More

1896 CE, February 11

Oscar Wilde's play "Salomé" is premiered on February 11, 1896, at the Théâtre de l'Œuvre in Paris,. The one-act play debuted while Wilde was imprisoned in England, following a ban on his 1892 London production due to its depiction of Biblical characters. The performance was viewed as a protest against English censorship.

1937 CE, February 11

The 44-day Flint sit-down strike ends on February 11, 1937 with a General Motors agreement recognizing the United Auto Workers union (UAW) as the bargaining agent for its employees.

1970 CE, February 11

Japan launches Ohsumi, its first man-made satellite on February 11, 1970, making Japan the fourth country in the world (after the former Soviet Union, the United States and France) to have launched a satellite without aid from outside sources.

The satellite's transmitter failed within hours due to power loss but the satellite remained in orbit for 33 years when it re-entered the atmosphere on August 2, 2003. More

1990 CE, February 11

South African President F.W. de Klerk lifts the 30-year ban on the African National Congress and other black liberation parties and releases Nelson Mandela from prison in South Africa on February 11, 1990, after 27 years in captivity.

The presidential order also allowed, freedom of the press and the release of political prisoners marking the beginning of the end of apartheid. More

2011 CE, February 11

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns on February 11, 2011, amidst widespread protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square which had lasted 18 days. His resignation was a pivotal moment in the Arab Spring uprisings.

2020 CE, February 11

The World Health Organization officially names on February 11, 2020, the coronavirus disease as "COVID-19. The first case of COVID 19 .been confirmed on January 20, 2020, a day after 35-year-old man presented to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington, with a 4-day history of cough and subjective fever. He disclosed that he had returned to Washington State on January 15 after traveling to visit family in Wuhan, China. More