On This Day: What happened on 11 December?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 11 December, throughout history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

ON THIS DAY: 11 DECEMBER

1969 | Libya adopts a new Constitution which was enforced by the Revolutionary Command Council to protect the Arab people of the Libyan Arab Republic.

1979 | The Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) Parliament gave power back to Britain while awaiting democratic elections.

2007 | Eleven people died when the UN office building in Algeria was bombed by Al-Qaeda terrorists.  

2013 | Nelson Mandela’s body is moved to Union buildings in Pretoria. The coffin had a glass top for people to view his body.

2019 | At least 71 people die when militants attack an army base in Ates, Niger.

READ: On This Day: What happened on 10 December?

DEATHS

1920 | South African author, Olive Schreiner (65)

2001 | Prime Minister of Zambia, Mainza Chona (71)

2003 | Ivorian author, Ahmadou Kourouma (76)

BIRTHDAYS

1937 | Former South African minister of law and order, Adriaan Johannes Vlok

1911 | Egyptian writer, Naguib Mahfouz

1961 | President of Senegal, Macky Sall

1972 | Zimbabwean cricketer, Murray Goodwin

1974 | Ethiopian long-distance runner, Gete Wami

SPORT

2016 | The South African Sevens team lose 19-17 to England in the Cup final of the SA leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

ENTERTAINMENT

1961 | Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii album moved to No 1 and stayed there for 20 weeks.

AFRICA FACT

The oldest human bones were discovered in Ethiopia. They are close to 200 000 years old.