Famous people born on February 11th
February 11 has an unusually wide-ranging roster of birthdays, spanning science and invention, screen and stage, literature, and public life. The date links household-name entertainers with foundational thinkers and designers whose work shaped modern culture. Together, these figures show how one calendar day can connect breakthroughs in technology, enduring art, and consequential civic leadership.
Notable highlights
- Thomas Edison (1847) - Prolific inventor and industrial innovator whose Menlo Park lab helped define modern R&D and popularized practical electric light.
- Jennifer Aniston (1969) - Became a defining face of 1990s television and later built a durable film-and-streaming career.
- Sheryl Crow (1962) - Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for blending rock, pop, and Americana into radio staples across decades.
- Arne Jacobsen (1902) - Danish modernist who brought architecture and product design together, creating iconic chairs and cohesive interiors.
- Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900) - Influential philosopher of hermeneutics whose work reframed interpretation as a dialog between past and present.
- Leslie Nielsen (1926) - Transitioned from straight dramatic roles to deadpan comedy, helping define the modern spoof film.
- Harriet Ann Jacobs (1813) - Author of a landmark slave narrative that foregrounded the lived realities of Black women under slavery.
- Mary Quant (1934) - Fashion designer associated with the Swinging London look and the rise of youthful, street-driven style.
- Leo Szilard (1898) - Physicist who conceived key ideas behind the nuclear chain reaction and later became a prominent voice on scientific responsibility.
- Kelly Rowland (1981) - Singer who rose with Destiny's Child and sustained a solo career spanning pop and R&B hits.
On this day
- 1858 - The first transatlantic telegraph cable is completed, a landmark step toward near-instant long-distance communication.
- 1929 - The Lateran Treaty is signed, establishing Vatican City as an independent state and reshaping church-state relations in Italy.
- 1945 - The Yalta Conference concludes, with Allied leaders outlining plans for postwar Europe as World War II nears its end.
- 1990 - Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years, accelerating South Africa's transition away from apartheid.