This day in history: 11 march

1810: Napoleon Bonaparte married Marie Louise of Austria by proxy, strengthening ties between France and Austria.
1940: During World War II, British bombers sank the German U-boat U-31 off Wilhelmshaven. This submarine was later refloated, only to be sunk again, making it unique in being sunk twice during the war.
1941: The Lend-Lease Act was signed in the United States, allowing vital military aid to Britain and other Allied nations during World War II.
1990: Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so. This marked a pivotal moment in the dissolution of the USSR.

1865: During the Civil War, Union General William T. Sherman captured Fayetteville, North Carolina, and destroyed the Fayetteville Arsenal, which had been manufacturing munitions for the Confederacy.
1888: The Great Blizzard of 1888 began along the eastern seaboard, killing over 400 people and causing widespread devastation.
1918: The Spanish influenza pandemic reached America as 107 soldiers fell ill at Fort Riley, Kansas. This marked the beginning of a pandemic that eventually infected one-quarter of the U.S. population.
2020: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted American life when the NBA suspended its season and top health officials warned of worsening outbreaks. This day marked a turning point in public awareness of the pandemic’s impact.

2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami (Japan): On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a magnitude-9.0 earthquake off the northeastern coast of Honshu, followed by a devastating tsunami. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and caused nearly 20,000 deaths, widespread destruction, and a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The tsunami waves reached heights of up to 40.5 meters and traveled up to 10 kilometers inland.

1792: The founding of Freetown, Sierra Leone. This date marked the establishment of Freetown as a settlement for freed slaves. It symbolized freedom and redemption, as it was created to provide liberated Africans with a home and marked the evolution of the Krio language, which became the lingua franca of Sierra Leone.
1870: The death of King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation in Lesotho. Moshoeshoe played a critical role in uniting various clans to form the Basotho nation and is remembered for his leadership and diplomacy. His death is commemorated annually as “Moshoeshoe’s Day,” a public holiday in Lesotho that includes cultural performances, wreath-laying ceremonies, and heritage events.