11 October

October 11 is the 284th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 81 days remain until the end of the year.

We have some interesting facts & historic events all about October 11^th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.

Keep reading for more interesting facts about October 11^th in history!

Global Celebrations

National Coming Out Day

Historic Events

What Happened On This Day – October 11

2000: 100th Mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program

Also known as the Space Transportation System or STS, the program was the first in the world to employ reusable spacecraft to take people into outer space. The first flight of the space shuttle fleet, which included Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour took place on April 12, 1981. The 100th flight was on space shuttle Discovery and the mission was designated STS-92. It was the 30th time Discovery had flown into space.

1984: First American Woman to walk in Space

Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan undertook a 3.5-hour long space walk with fellow astronaut David Leestma while on the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-G. The spacewalk was performed to demonstrate the possibility of refueling a satellite. STS-41-G was the first flight mission to carry two women astronauts – Sullivan and Sally Ride.

1975: The First Episode of Saturday Night Live Airs

A popular sketch comedy show, SNL, as it is popularly known, was initially called NBC’s Saturday Night, and it was created and produced by Lorne Michaels. The original cast members of the show, which usually opens with the slogan “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”, included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Chevy Chase.

1911: Wuchang Uprising

The Wuchang Uprising occurred in Wuchang, China, leading to the fall of the Qing dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. This day is celebrated as an important holiday in Taiwan.

1899: Second Boer War Begins

The almost 3-year long conflict was fought between British and Irish troops and the Boers from the Transvaal and Orange Free State. The war began as a result of disagreements between the two sides over the ownership of gold and diamond mines in the region. The two countries were annexed by the British at the end of the war in May 1902. The word Boer is the Afrikaans word for farmer and it was used at that time to refer to Afrikaans-speaking settlers in the region.

1962: Rome 11 Oct 1962 – Panorama inside St. Peter’s Basilica during the 2nd Vatican Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church