This Day In History : November 11

1966 United States

NASA Launches Gemini 12 Mission

On November 11, 1966, NASA launched the Gemini 12 mission, the final flight of the Gemini program. Astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin embarked on a four-day mission to conduct scientific experiments and docking maneuvers with the Agena target vehicle, further advancing space exploration capabilities and paving the way for the Apollo program.

Also on This Day in History November 11

Discover what happened on November 11 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, November 11
  • 1910 Raemer E. Schreiber

    Raemer Edgar Schreiber was an American physicist who during World War II was one of the scientists that worked on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, N.M., to develop the first atomic bombs.

  • 1907 Joseph G. Hamilton

    Joseph Gilbert Hamilton was an American medical physicist who pioneered in the medical uses and health effects of radioactive isotopes.

  • 1864 George Washington Crile

    American surgeon who was one of the first to study the significance of surgical shock.

  • 1875 Vesto Melvin Slipher

    Vesto Melvin Slipher was an American astronomer who performed the first measurements of radial velocities for galaxies.

  • 1903 Thomas Edward Allibone

    His work included important research into particle physics, X-rays, high voltage equipment, and electron microscopes.

Deaths on This Day, November 11
  • 1675 Thomas Willis

    English physician who made important contributions to anatomy, particularly of the brain and nervous system.

  • 1973 Artturi Ilmari Virtanen

    Artturi Ilmari Virtanen was a Finnish chemist and recipient of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodder preservation method"

  • 1976 Alexander Calder

    Alexander Calder was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobiles that embrace chance in their aesthetic, his static "stabiles", and his monumental public sculptures.

  • 1927 Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen

    He is best known for coining the terms gene, phenotype and genotype, and for his 1903 "pure line" experiments in genetics.

1962

Kuwait adopts constitution

Kuwait adopted its first constitution on November 11, 1962. This constitution marked an important milestone in Kuwait's history as it established a constitutional monarchy and laid down the framework for governance, including the recognition of Islam as the state religion and Arabic as the official language.
1572

Tycho's Supernova

In 1572, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe began his meticulous observations of the supernova discovered in the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia.
1975

Angola Gains Independence

On November 11, 1975, Angola gained independence from Portugal after years of struggle against colonial rule. The independence marked a significant milestone in the history of Angola, paving the way for self-governance and national development.
1918

World War I ends

On November 11, 1918, World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany. This armistice, which took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, marked the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front. It paved the way for the eventual Treaty of Versailles and reshaped the geopolitical landscape of Europe and the world.
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