October 11 has seen history's great councils, revolutionary moments, and breakthrough achievements.
Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council, the most significant Catholic Church event of the 20th century. The council modernized Catholic worship, including allowing Mass in local languages instead of Latin.
The iconic sketch comedy show debuted on NBC with George Carlin as host. SNL has launched the careers of countless comedians and shaped American comedy and political satire for decades.
War erupted between Britain and the Boer republics of South Africa. The three-year conflict introduced concentration camps, guerrilla warfare, and marked the beginning of the end of the British Empire.
Explorer Meriwether Lewis died of gunshot wounds at an inn on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee. Whether his death was suicide or murder remains one of American history's enduring mysteries.
Albert Einstein wrote a second letter to President Roosevelt urging action on nuclear weapons research. The warning helped accelerate what would become the Manhattan Project.
Former President Theodore Roosevelt took a four-minute airplane flight with pilot Arch Hoxsey at a St. Louis aviation exhibition. Roosevelt became the first US president to fly in an airplane.
Former President Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades of work on conflict resolution, human rights, and fighting disease. The award honored his post-presidential humanitarian career.