Nicosia, Cyprus. Several significant events occurred on May 11 across decades, spanning war, diplomacy, culture, aviation, technology, currency, nuclear testing, and protests.
Wartime and international milestones
In 1943, U.S. amphibious forces landed on Attu in the Aleutians, marking the first American territory to be recaptured from the Japanese.
In 1949, Israel was admitted to the United Nations.
Culture and public tragedies
In 1981, Bob Marley, the Jamaican-born singer who with his group The Wailers popularised reggae, died of cancer.
In 1996, a ValuJet Airlines DC-9 crashed in the swampy Everglades near Miami International Airport, killing 110.
Technology, currency, and geopolitical developments
In 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated at chess by the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, the first time a machine had triumphed over a reigning world champion.
In 1998, the first euro coin to be minted came off the presses in France.
Also in 1998, India conducted three underground nuclear tests, drawing worldwide condemnation and heightening tension with Pakistan.
Population milestone and protest
In 2000, India welcomed its billionth citizen when a baby girl was born at Delhi’s state-run Safdarjang Hospital.
In 2008, Nepali police detained 562 Tibetan women at an anti-China rally in Kathmandu, described as the first all-women protest against Chinese rule in their homeland.
Which of these May 11 events do you think had the most lasting impact?
