December 11
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Cian, Daniel the Stylite, María de las Maravillas de Jesús, Pope Damasus I, Sabinus of Piacenza, Victoricus, Fuscian, and Gentian, December 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A religious feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church honoring several saints, including Cian, Daniel the Stylite, and María de las Maravillas de Jesús.
Establishment of Kurdish Women's Union(Iraqi Kurdistan)
Marks the founding of the Kurdish Women's Union in Iraqi Kurdistan, a pivotal organization advocating for women's rights and social empowerment.
Indiana Day(United States)
A state observance celebrating Indiana's admission to the United States on December 11, 1816.
International Mountain Day
Annual UN observance to highlight the importance of mountains for ecosystems, livelihoods, and sustainable development.
National Tango Day(Argentina)
Celebrates the rich musical and dance tradition of tango, Argentina's emblematic cultural heritage.
Pampanga Day(Pampanga province, Philippines)
Commemorates the founding and rich cultural heritage of Pampanga province in the Philippines.
Republic Day, the day whenUpper Voltabecame an autonomous republic in theFrench Communityin 1958. (Burkina Faso)
National holiday marking Upper Volta's establishment as an autonomous republic within the French Community on December 11, 1958.
Cian
Feast day honoring Saint Cian in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.
Daniel the Stylite
Feast day of Saint Daniel the Stylite, renowned for his ascetic life atop a pillar in the 5th century.
Events
Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate the throne by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending the Han dynasty.
In 220, Emperor Xian of Han was compelled to abdicate the throne to Cao Pi, marking the end of the Eastern Han dynasty.
Julian enters Constantinople as sole Roman Emperor.
In 361, Julian returned to Constantinople and assumed sole rule as Roman Emperor after the death of Constantius II.
Assassination of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil by the Turkish guard, who raise al-Muntasir to the throne, start of the "Anarchy at Samarra".
In 861, Caliph al-Mutawakkil was assassinated by his Turkish guard, ushering in the chaotic Anarchy at Samarra.
Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas is assassinated by his wife Theophano and her lover, the later Emperor John I Tzimiskes.
In 969, Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas was murdered in his bath by conspirators, including his wife Theophano and John I Tzimiskes.
Michael V, adoptive son of Empress Zoë of Byzantium, is proclaimed emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.
In 1041, Michael V was proclaimed Byzantine emperor, the adopted son of Empress Zoë.
Treaty of Benavente: the heiresses of the Kingdom of León renounce their throne to King Ferdinand III of Castile
In 1239, the Treaty of Benavente saw the Leonese heiresses renounce their claim, uniting León with Castile under Ferdinand III.
Battle of Orewin Bridge: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri near Builth Wells in mid-Wales.
In 1282, the native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was slain at the Battle of Orewin Bridge, marking the end of Welsh independence.
A surprise attack by forces under the command of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva. (Commemorated annually by the Fête de l'Escalade.)
In 1602, citizens of Geneva repelled a surprise attack by Savoyard and Spanish forces, an event now celebrated as the Fête de l'Escalade.
The Root and Branch petition, signed by 15,000 Londoners calling for the abolition of the episcopacy, is presented to the Long Parliament.
In 1640, 15,000 Londoners presented the Root and Branch petition to Parliament, demanding abolition of the episcopacy in the Church of England.
Births
Eberhard I
Eberhard I, known as Eberhard im Bart, was the first Duke of Württemberg who strengthened the duchy’s autonomy in the late 15th century.
Ashikaga Yoshihisa
Ashikaga Yoshihisa was the ninth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who sought to strengthen shogunal authority in late 15th-century Japan.
Pope Leo X led the Catholic Church during the early Reformation and was a notable patron of Renaissance art.
Manuel Cardoso
Manuel Cardoso was a prominent Portuguese organist and composer whose sacred polyphonic works epitomize the early Baroque style.
Heo Mok
Heo Mok was a prominent Joseon dynasty scholar-official, poet, and politician known for his Confucian scholarship and literary works.
Amar Singh Rathore
Amar Singh Rathore was a celebrated 17th-century Rajput nobleman renowned for his valor and defiance against Mughal authority.
Francesco Algarotti
Francesco Algarotti was an 18th-century Italian writer and philosopher who popularized Enlightenment ideas through his essays on art and science.
George Mason
George Mason was an American Founding Father who drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, a cornerstone of the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter was a German composer and conductor best known for mentoring Felix Mendelssohn and directing Berlin’s Sing-Akademie.
Deaths
Pope Damasus I was the Bishop of Rome from 366 to 384 who strengthened the papacy and commissioned the Vulgate translation of the Bible.
Al-Fath ibn Khaqan
Al-Fath ibn Khaqan was the chief confidant and political adviser to Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil in the mid-9th century.
Nikephoros II Phokas
Nikephoros II Phokas was a Byzantine emperor and celebrated military commander who expanded the empire’s frontiers in the 10th century.
Al-Afdal Shahanshah
Al-Afdal Shahanshah was a powerful Fatimid vizier in Egypt who effectively ruled on behalf of the caliphs during the early Crusades.
Averroes
Averroes (Ibn Rushd) was a medieval Andalusian polymath whose commentaries on Aristotle shaped both Islamic and Western thought.
Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan was the third son of Genghis Khan and the second Great Khan who oversaw the Mongol Empire’s greatest early expansions.
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was the last native Prince of Wales who led Welsh resistance against English conquest in the 13th century.
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos was the Byzantine emperor who restored imperial rule by recapturing Constantinople in 1261 and founded the Palaiologan dynasty.
Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV of Castile was a 15th-century monarch whose troubled reign was marked by noble revolts and disputes over his succession.