May 11

Scott Winters May 11, 2025 1 Comment

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1858 – Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.

1910 – Glacier National Park in Montana was established.

1924 – Mercedes-Benz was formed when Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merged two companies.

1927 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded.

1934 – A severe two-day dust storm stripped the topsoil from the Great Plains of the U.S. and created a “Dust Bowl.” The storm was one of many.

1947 – The creation of the tubeless tire was announced by the B.F. Goodrich Company.

1948 – The first Polaroid camera was sold in New York, NY for $89.99.

1960 – The first contraceptive pill was made available.

1972 – The San Francisco Giants announced the trade of Willie Mays to the New York Mets.

1976 – ABC broadcast the final episode of TV’s “Marcus Welby MD”.

1984 – The Detroit Tigers set a major league record by winning 26 of their first 30 games

1985 – More than 50 people died when a flash fire swept a soccer stadium in Bradford, England.

1987 – In Baltimore, MD, the first heart-lung transplant took place. The surgery was performed by Dr. Bruce Reitz of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

1990 – Ritchie Valens was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously.

1996 – On a single day, eight people died during summit attempts on Mount Everest.

1996 – An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire (started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold) shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades. All 110 people on board were killed.

1997 – Garry Kasparov, world chess champion, lost his first ever multi-game match. He lost to IBM’s chess computer Deep Blue. It was the first time a computer had beaten a world-champion player.

1998 – A French mint produced the first coins of Europe’s single currency. The coin is known as the euro.

2001 – U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced his decision to approve a 30-day delay of the execution of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh had been scheduled to be executed on May 16, 2001. The delay was because the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had failed to disclose thousands of documents to McVeigh’s defense team.

2005 – Macaulay Culkin took the stand in Michael Jackson’s defense and called claims that Jackson molested him “absolutely ridiculous.”

2005 – In Washington, DC, the White House and the Capitol were evacuated after a small plane entered restricted airspace. Two fighter jets escorted the Cessna, which was carrying a pilot and his student, to a nearby airport. Authorities did not press charges.

2015 – Fox announced that TV’s “American Idol” would conclude at the end of its fifteenth season.

2020 – The American Hockey League cancelled the remainder of their 2019-2020 hockey season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs due to COVID-19. The Grand Rapids Griffins playing season ended.

BIRTHDAYS:

Louis Farrakhan – 92 a old (1933) – National Representative of the Nation of Islam

Eric Burdon – 84 a old (1941) – Singer (The Animals)

Dr. Robert Jarvik – 79 a old (1946) – Scientist, researcher, entrepreneur (Developed the Jarvik-7 artificial heart). Born in Midland, MI.

Shohreh Adhdashloo – 73 a old (1952) – Actress (“The Report”, “Shatranje Bad”, “Sand and Fog”, TV’s “House of Saddam”)

Frances Fisher – 73 a old (1952) – Actress (“Titanic,” “Unforgiven”)

Boyd Gaines – 72 a old (1953) – Actor (TV’s “One Day at a Time”, movies “Porky’s”, “Heartbreak Ridge”, “The Sure Thing”)

Martha Quinn – 66 a old (1959) – One of the original MTV VJ’s

Jeffrey Donovan – 57 a old (1968) – Actor (TV’s “Burn Notice”)

Austin O’Brien – 44 a old (1981) – Actor (“Last Action Hero”, “My Girl 2”, “The Lawnmower Man”, TV’s “Promised Land”)

Jonathan Jackson – 43 a old (1982) – Actor (TV’s “General Hospital”, “Nashville”)

Prince Royce – 36 a old (1989) – Singer

TODAY IS:

National Eat What You Want Day: Drop your rules and restrictions around eating and just enjoy life a little by eating what you want on this health and body image conscious day.
National Technology Day: From smartphones to social media, and with new innovations emerging every day, it's exciting to see how tech will shape our future.
World Ego Awareness Day: Spend some time in self-reflection, and understand the role of the ego in your own life, in order to make sure it doesn’t come into conflict with others.
National Foam Rolling Day:
National Women’s Checkup Day:
Hostess CupCake Day:
National Twilight Zone Day: Enter another dimension…a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. Binge some of Rod Serling’s mind-bending episodes of The Twilight Zone.
National Stationery Week: Sharpen your pencils and break out your fine pens, and take this excuse to use some fancy stationery. Write a loved one, find a pen pal, or even make your to-do list.
American Craft Beer Week: Exploring diverse flavors and styles, American craft beer showcases innovation and craftsmanship, delighting enthusiasts worldwide.
Donkey Week:
Foster Care Fortnight:
National Nurse’s Week: Give a big thank-you to the hard-working, often under-paid medical professionals who keep hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and hospice care running.
Bike to Work Week:
National Salt Awareness Week:
Learning at Work Week:
Tracky Dack Day:
Sun Awareness Week:
Christian Aid Week:
National Stuttering Awareness Week:
National Hoarding Awareness Week:
National Mental Health Awareness Week:
National Hospital Week:
National Public Gardens Week:
M.E. Awareness Week:
National Salvation Army Week: Supporting those in need, providing hope, and creating positive change—efforts that embody the essence of humanitarian assistance.
I Love My State Parks Week: