What Happened on October 11?
October 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child — a UN call for girls' education and equality — on the same date Apollo 7 launched in 1968, Saturday Night Live premiered in 1975, and Kathryn Sullivan walked in space in 1984.
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1899 — The South African War (Second Boer War) begins
On October 11, 1899, fighting began between Britain and the Boer republics — a costly war that reshaped southern Africa. Read the full story →
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1962 — The Second Vatican Council opens in Rome
On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council — a major meeting that modernized Catholic Church practices. Read the full story →
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1968 — Apollo 7 launches as the first crewed Apollo flight
On October 11, 1968, Apollo 7 lifted off — the first crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program after the Apollo 1 fire. Read the full story →
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1975 — Saturday Night Live premieres on NBC
On October 11, 1975, NBC's Saturday Night Live debuted — launching a new kind of late-night sketch comedy. Read the full story →
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1984 — Kathryn Sullivan becomes the first American woman to walk in space
On October 11, 1984, astronaut Kathryn Sullivan stepped outside Space Shuttle Challenger — the first spacewalk by an American woman. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) · Michelle Wie West (1989) · Luke Perry (1966–2019) · Cardi B (1992)
Days & observances
International Day of the Girl Child · National Coming Out Day · National Sausage Pizza Day · It's My Party Day