Abou Diaby
b. 1986
French footballer
On This Day · The 131st day of the year
May 11
May 11 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 868 and 2022. A copy of the Diamond Sūtra is published, the earliest dated and printed book known.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on May 11?
May 11 is the 131st day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 868 and 2022. Famous people born on May 11 include Abou Diaby, Salvador Dalí and Edsger W. Dijkstra.
The shape of the day
From 868 to 2022, May 11 gathers 1,154 years of history. Most of the weight falls in the 19th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.
Taurus is the sign for May 11 — read more on the Taurus page, or see May's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on May 11
Movies, games, albums & shows2026
- Game Outbound
- TV Regular Show: The Lost Tapes
- TV The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
2022
- Game Soundfall
- Game Source of Madness
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 868
Diamond Sutra
A copy of the Diamond Sūtra is published, the earliest dated and printed book known.
- 1812
Spencer Perceval
Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons.
- 1813
William Lawson (explorer)
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth discover a route across the Blue Mountains, opening up inland Australia to settlement.
- 1858
Minnesota
Minnesota becomes the 32nd U.S. state.
- 1889
Wham Paymaster robbery
An attack upon a U.S. Army paymaster and escort results in the theft of over $28,000 and the award of two Medals of Honor.
- 1997
Deep Blue (chess computer)
Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.
- 1998
Pokhran-II
India conducts three underground atomic tests in Pokhran.
- 2010
David Cameron
David Cameron takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats form the country's first coalition government since the Second World War.
- 2011
2011 Lorca earthquake
An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hits Lorca, Spain.
- 2022
Shireen Abu Akleh
Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is killed while covering a raid in Jenin. Israel eventually admitted and apologized for the murder, after initial denials.
Famous birthday twins
Born on May 11Salvador Dalí
b. 1904
Spanish artist
Edsger W. Dijkstra
b. 1930
Dutch computer scientist and academic
Maurice Harkless
b. 1993
American-Puerto Rican basketball player
Richard Feynman
b. 1918
American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate
Andrés Iniesta
b. 1984
Spanish footballer
Eric Burdon
b. 1941
English musician
Louis Farrakhan
b. 1933
American religious leader
Deaths
- 2001Douglas Adams
- 1981Bob Marley
- 1927Juan Gris
- 1916Karl Schwarzschild
- 1812Spencer Perceval
- 912Leo VI the Wise
Holidays & observances
- —Christian feast day: Anthimus of Rome
- —Christian feast day: Gangulphus of Burgundy
- —Christian feast day: Blessed John Rochester
- —Christian feast day: Ignatius of Laconi
- —Christian feast day: Majolus of Cluny
- —Christian feast day: Mamertus, the first of the Ice Saints
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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