Welcome to another day on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Today marks the 42nd day of the year, with 323 days remaining.
Historical Events on this Day:
Back in 1975, Margaret Thatcher was elected as the leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party, paving the way for her eventual tenure as prime minister in 1979.
Other significant events on Feb. 11:
In 1847, renowned American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.
In 1937, a six-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors came to an end, with the company agreeing to recognize and negotiate with the United Auto Workers union.
In 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement, with Stalin agreeing to declare war against Imperial Japan after Nazi Germany’s surrender.
In 1990, South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was released after spending 27 years in prison. Mandela went on to become the president of South Africa four years later.
Additionally, in 1990, Buster Douglas caused a major upset in boxing history by knocking out the previously undefeated heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.
Fast forward to 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned following days of pro-democracy protests, ending his three-decade-long authoritarian rule.
In 2012, on the eve of the Grammy Awards, the world was shocked by the untimely death of superstar singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead in a hotel room bathtub in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 48.
In 2013, during a routine morning meeting of Vatican cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world by announcing his resignation as pope, effective Feb. 28, marking the first papal resignation in almost 600 years.
Lastly, in 2020, the World Health Organization officially named the disease caused by the coronavirus that originated in China as COVID-19, ushering in a global pandemic.
Celebrity Birthdays for Today:
- Actor Tina Louise turns 92 today.
- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush celebrates his 73rd birthday.
- Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is 64 years old.
- Musician Sheryl Crow marks her 64th birthday.
- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin turns 62 today.
- Actor Jennifer Aniston celebrates her 57th birthday.
- Actor Damian Lewis is 55 years old today.
- Surfer Kelly Slater is 54 years old.
- Singer-actor Brandy turns 47 today.
- Singer Kelly Rowland celebrates her 45th birthday.
- Actor Natalie Dormer is 44 years old today.
- Actor Taylor Lautner turns 34 today.
- Singer-songwriter Khalid marks his 28th birthday.
