Top 5 Historical Events on February 11
Key events on February 11 include the following, which have affected political movements, religious visions, leadership transitions, and geopolitical agreements:
1. Nelson Mandela Freed (1990):
On February 11, 1990, after serving 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela—a legendary figure in the international campaign against apartheid and for racial equality—was released from Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town, South Africa. His release signaled a significant turning point in the history of the country, bringing an end to institutionalized racial discrimination and segregation and ushering in a new era of democracy.
Mandela was first sentenced to five years in prison for leaving the country illegally and inciting a strike; in 1964, he was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government in the Rivonia Trial, along with other prominent ANC leaders. Mandela’s imprisonment started in 1962 when he was arrested for his leadership role in the African National Congress (ANC) and its campaign against the apartheid regime, a system of racial segregation enforced by the South African government that denied basic rights to the country’s black majority.
Despite the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, Mandela remained a steadfast advocate for peace, reconciliation, and the dismantling of apartheid, turning down conditional offers of release that required him to renounce violence and refrain from political activity. During his years in prison, Mandela became a symbol of resistance to apartheid, drawing attention from around the world and support for the anti-apartheid movement.
Increased pressure from the South African government and the outside world, as well as changes in the political landscape—particularly under the leadership of President F.W. de Klerk, who recognized the need for reform—led to Mandela’s release in 1990. Mandela immediately called for peace and negotiations to bring an end to apartheid and establish a multiracial democracy in South Africa.
Apartheid was gradually overthrown in the years that followed Mandela’s release, leading to the nation’s first democratic elections in 1994, where Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president. His presidency and the years that followed were devoted to nation-building, reconciliation, and the drafting of a new constitution that guaranteed equal rights to all South Africans, regardless of race.
2. St. Bernadette’s First Visions of Mary at Lourdes (1858):
On February 11, 1858, in Lourdes, France, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous experienced the first of several visions that would forever change the history of this small town in the Pyrenees and become a cornerstone of Marian devotion in the Catholic Church. Bernadette, who came from a poor family and was known for her piety, reported seeing a “beautiful lady” in a small grotto called Massabielle, near the Gave de Pau river.
Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary eighteen times between February and July of 1858. The first apparition was silent; the woman, who she described as having a white dress with a blue sash and a rosary hanging from her arm, did not say anything. The woman later communicated with Bernadette in a number of ways, urging penance, prayer for the conversion of sinners, and building a chapel at the location of the visions.
A pivotal point in the sequence of apparitions came on February 25, 1858, when the lady told Bernadette to drink from and wash in the grotto’s spring. No spring was visible at the time, but when Bernadette dug a little, one started to flow, and the water from this spring soon became known for its miraculous healing properties—though the lady never explicitly stated that the water had such properties.
Although Bernadette’s claims were initially met with skepticism by the Catholic Church, the visions were officially recognized in 1862 when the Bishop of Tarbes declared that “the Virgin Mary did appear indeed to Bernadette Soubirous” following a thorough investigation that saw the sincerity and consistency of her accounts, as well as the reported healings associated with the water of the spring.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, which includes the Grotto of Massabielle, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the Rosary, and the Basilica of St. Pius X, stands as a testament to the profound impact of the visions experienced by Bernadette Soubirous. The cult of Our Lady of Lourdes grew quickly, transforming the small town of Lourdes into one of the most significant sites of pilgrimage and religious tourism in the world today. Many pilgrims and visitors come to Lourdes each year, many of them seeking both physical and spiritual healing.
3. Margaret Thatcher Elected Conservative Party Leader (1975):
Thatcher’s election as party leader was a significant breakthrough in British politics, breaking the gender barrier in the highest echelons of political power and signaling a shift towards more conservative policies that would define her later tenure as prime minister. On February 11, 1975, British politician Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of the Conservative Party, signaling a turning point in the history of the United Kingdom and paving the way for her to become the first woman prime minister of the country in 1979.
The policies of Margaret Thatcher‘s government, often referred to as “Thatcherism,” included tax cuts, deregulation of the economy, and the privatization of state-owned industries. Known as the “Iron Lady” for her strong leadership style and unwavering resolve, Thatcher was prime minister from 1979 to 1990. During her tenure, she implemented a number of radical economic and social policies aimed at reducing state intervention, championing free-market principles, and weakening the power of trade unions.
However, her policies and approach to governance also sparked considerable controversy and division, leading to significant social unrest and polarizing public opinion. Thatcher’s leadership was also characterized by her resolute stance on the international stage, particularly her close friendship with American President Ronald Reagan and her leadership during the Falklands War in 1982, which increased her popularity and solidified her reputation as a decisive leader.
4. Lateran Treaty Signed (1929):
Benito Mussolini, who represented the Kingdom of Italy, and Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, who represented the Holy See, signed the Lateran Treaty on February 11, 1929. This historic agreement resolved long-standing disputes between the Vatican and the Italian state, which had persisted since the Kingdom of Italy’s capture of Rome in 1870 and the subsequent loss of the Papal States. It recognized the sovereignty of the Vatican City within Rome, effectively establishing Vatican City as an independent entity.
The Lateran Treaty was divided into three parts: a financial convention that provided the Holy See with compensation for the loss of the Papal States; a political treaty that recognized the Holy See’s full sovereignty in the State of Vatican City; and a concordat that regulated the Italian Catholic Church and its religious landscape, establishing, among other things, Catholic religious education in schools and recognizing Roman Catholicism as the country’s official religion.
The treaty guaranteed the Holy See’s neutrality in international relations and its independence from the political and territorial ambitions of other states, and it established Vatican City as an independent sovereign entity, thereby granting the Pope absolute temporal authority over the territory, which includes the Vatican itself, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the surrounding properties.
The Lateran Treaty, which ended almost sixty years of the “Roman Question” and established the Vatican’s status in a contemporary national framework, was a watershed in the relationship between the Vatican and the Italian government and has had a long-lasting impact on both the Vatican’s standing internationally and the Catholic Church’s place in Italian politics and society.
The Lateran Treaty has undergone revisions over time to reflect shifts in the relationship between the Holy See and the Italian Republic. This is especially true in the wake of the 1984 Concordat revision, which modified several of the treaty’s provisions to take into account the secular state and the principle of religious freedom.
5. Hosni Mubarak Steps Down (2011):
After nearly 30 years in office, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned on February 11, 2011, culminating 18 days of massive protests across Egypt, most notably in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where hundreds of thousands of people demanded greater freedoms, political reform, and an end to his authoritarian regime. Mubarak’s resignation marked a significant turning point in Egypt’s political landscape as well as a pivotal moment in the larger wave of pro-democracy uprisings known as the Arab Spring.
The use of social media for organizing and communication, as well as a strong desire for democratic governance, economic opportunity, and an end to human rights abuses and corruption among the majority-young populace, were characteristics of the Arab Spring, which started in late 2010 and spread to many Arab countries. The protests that took place in Egypt were a part of this movement.
The assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 ushered in Mubarak’s regime, which was characterized by limited freedoms, widespread corruption, police brutality, and political repression despite economic reforms. The Egyptian public’s discontent grew as a result of these factors, and the successful uprising in Tunisia served as the immediate impetus for the January 2011 protests.
When protests became more intense and the military put pressure on Mubarak, he tried to appease the masses by promising reforms and declaring he would not run for office again. But these moves did not stop the unrest, and on February 11, 2011, Vice President Omar Suleiman declared that Mubarak had resigned and that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) would take over as the country’s governing body.
Protesters celebrated Mubarak’s resignation, viewing it as a triumph for the force of popular mobilization and nonviolent protest; however, the transition period that followed was difficult, marked by military rule, political unrest, and economic hardships; in the years that followed, President Mohamed Morsi was elected and later removed from office, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi gained power, and discussions about Egypt’s democracy and governance continued.
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