On This Day: April 11

Updated April 10, 2012, 2:28 pm

On April 11, 1951, President Truman relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his commands in the Far East.
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On April 11, 1893, Dean Acheson, who advised four U.S. presidents as secretary of state and played an important role in the Cold War period, was born. Following his death on Oct. 12, 1971, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1689 William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain.

1814 Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as emperor of France and was banished to the island of Elba.

1898 President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war against Spain.

1899 The treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect.

1921 Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax.

1945 American soldiers liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

1951 President Harry S. Truman relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his command in the Far East.

1979 Idi Amin was deposed as president of Uganda as rebels and exiles backed by Tanzanian forces seized control of the capital, Kampala.

2002 U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., D-Ohio, was convicted of taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.

2003 American troops took the northern Iraqi city of Mosul without a fight.

2006 Iran announced that it had enriched uranium on a small scale for the first time.

2006 Israel’s Cabinet declared Prime Minister Ariel Sharon permanently incapacitated.

2007 Charges were dropped against three former Duke University lacrosse players who were falsely accused of rape.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Joel Grey (“Cabaret”) turns 80 years old today.

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira turns 32 years old today.

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

1928 Ethel Kennedy, Widow of Robert F. Kennedy, turns 84

1939 Louise Lasser, Actress (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”), turns 73

1941 Ellen Goodman, Syndicated columnist, turns 71

1947 Meshach Taylor, Actor (“Designing Women”), turns 65

1950 Bill Irwin, Actor, turns 62

1966 Lisa Stansfield, Singer, turns 46

1980 Mark Teixeira, Baseball player, turns 32

Historic Birthdays

Dean Acheson 4/11/1893 – 10/12/1971 American secretary of state (1949-1953).Go to obituary »

57 Margaret of Angouleme 4/11/1492 – 12/21/1549
French queen consort of Henry II of Navarre; Renaissance poet and patron of the arts

71 Edward Everett 4/11/1794 – 1/15/1865
American statesman and orator

76 Sir Charles Halle 4/11/1819 – 10/25/1895
German-born English pianist and conductor

52 John Davidson 4/11/1857 – 3/23/1909
Scottish poet and playwright

86 Charles Evans Hughes 4/11/1862 – 8/27/1948
11th chief justice of the United States (1930-41)

74 Gustav Vigeland 4/11/1869 – 3/12/1943
Norwegian sculptor

63 Quentin Reynolds 4/11/1902 – 3/17/1965
American newscaster and writer

32 Attila Jozsef 4/11/1905 – 12/3/1937
Hungarian poet

89 Leo Rosten 4/11/1908 – 2/19/1997
Polish-born American author and social scientist

1689	William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain.
1814	Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as emperor of France and was banished to the island of Elba.
1898	President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war against Spain.
1899	The treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect.
1921	Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax.
1945	American soldiers liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.
1951	President Harry S. Truman relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his command in the Far East.
1979	Idi Amin was deposed as president of Uganda as rebels and exiles backed by Tanzanian forces seized control of the capital, Kampala.
2002	U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., D-Ohio, was convicted of taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.
2003	American troops took the northern Iraqi city of Mosul without a fight.
2006	Iran announced that it had enriched uranium on a small scale for the first time.
2006	Israel’s Cabinet declared Prime Minister Ariel Sharon permanently incapacitated.
2007	Charges were dropped against three former Duke University lacrosse players who were falsely accused of rape.

1928	Ethel Kennedy, Widow of Robert F. Kennedy, turns 84
1939	Louise Lasser, Actress (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”), turns 73
1941	Ellen Goodman, Syndicated columnist, turns 71
1947	Meshach Taylor, Actor (“Designing Women”), turns 65
1950	Bill Irwin, Actor, turns 62
1966	Lisa Stansfield, Singer, turns 46
1980	Mark Teixeira, Baseball player, turns 32

57	Margaret of Angouleme 4/11/1492 – 12/21/1549 French queen consort of Henry II of Navarre; Renaissance poet and patron of the arts
71	Edward Everett 4/11/1794 – 1/15/1865 American statesman and orator
76	Sir Charles Halle 4/11/1819 – 10/25/1895 German-born English pianist and conductor
52	John Davidson 4/11/1857 – 3/23/1909 Scottish poet and playwright
86	Charles Evans Hughes 4/11/1862 – 8/27/1948 11th chief justice of the United States (1930-41)
74	Gustav Vigeland 4/11/1869 – 3/12/1943 Norwegian sculptor
63	Quentin Reynolds 4/11/1902 – 3/17/1965 American newscaster and writer
32	Attila Jozsef 4/11/1905 – 12/3/1937 Hungarian poet
89	Leo Rosten 4/11/1908 – 2/19/1997 Polish-born American author and social scientist