What are the important events that happened on May 11? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

May 11: Facts & Myths About This Day

May 11 is the 131^st day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 234 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 28, 2025 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 485,256 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectatriacontahenagon’ day.

Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 282 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,524 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

May 11 Historical Events

• 1813 –
  In Australia, William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney. Their route opens up inland Australia for continued expansion throughout the 19th century.
• 1846 –
  President James K. Polk asked for and received a Declaration of War against Mexico, starting the Mexican-American War
• 1880 –
  Seven people are killed in the Mussel Slough Tragedy, a gun battle in California
• 1927 –
  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded.
• 1942 –
  William Faulkner’s collections of short stories, Go Down, Moses, is published.
• 1943 –
  World War II: American troops invade Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands in an attempt to expel occupying Japanese forces.
• 1945 –
  World War II: Off the coast of Okinawa, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill, is hit by two kamikazes, killing 346 of her crew. Although badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the U.S. under her own power.
• 1953 –
  The 1953 Waco tornado outbreak: an F5 tornado hits downtown Waco, Texas, killing 114.
• 1985 –
  Bradford City stadium fire: Fifty-six spectators die and more than 200 are injured in a flash fire at Valley Parade football ground during a match against Lincoln City in Bradford, England.
• 1995 –
  In New York City more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions.

Who were born on May 11?

• 1892 –
  Margaret Rutherford, English actress (d. 1972)
• 1912 –
  Foster Brooks, American actor and comedian (d. 2001)
• 1927 –
  Mort Sahl, Canadian comedian and political commentator
• 1943 –
  Nancy Greene, Canadian alpine skier
• 1946 –
  Robert Jarvik, American physician and inventor
• 1954 –
  Lubomir Stoykov, Bulgarian journalist and broadcaster
• 1961 –
  Luis Felipe, Cuban gangster
• 1964 –
  Bobby Witt, American baseball player
• 1981 –
  Lauren Jackson, Australian basketball player
• 1983 –
  Frédéric Xhonneux, Belgian decathlete

Who died on May 11?

• 912 –
  Leo VI, Byzantine Emperor (b. 866)
• 1304 –
  Mahmud Ghazan, Mongol ruler (b. 1271)
• 1760 –
  Alaungpaya, Founder of Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (b. 1714)
• 1939 –
  Evgenii Miller, Russian counter-revolutionary (b. 1867)
• 1960 –
  John D. Rockefeller, Jr., American philanthropist (b. 1874)
• 1990 –
  Stratos Dionysiou, Greek singer (b. 1935)
• 2000 –
  Paula Wessely, Austrian actress (b. 1907)
• 2004 –
  John Whitehead, American singer (McFadden & Whitehead) (b. 1949)
• 2007 –
  Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan Head of State (O le Ao o le Malo) (b. 1913)
• 2008 –
  Bruno Neves, Portuguese cyclist (b. 1981)