May 11 History, Trivia and Fun Facts |
May 11 History Highlights |
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Why is May 11 Twilight Zone Day? |
| There is no valid reason for this day. “You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead; your next stop, the Twilight Zone.” – Rod Serling |
Chang and Eng Bunker, The “Siamese Twins” |
These conjoined twin brothers are one of the most celebrated in history. They toured extensively, and this pair catapulted the phrase “Siamese twins” to become a euphemism for conjoined twins as general A study by scientists at John Hopkins University on Chang and Eng (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) led them to believe that they may have shared more than their hospital bed; it was discovered that the two were actually monoamniotic twin pregnancy, which made them both share a placenta with each other. Other claims about these famous twins include that Chang paid for his passage from Siam (in today’s Thailand) to Philadelphia thanks to his talent with card tricks. Eng could speak five languages- English, Latin, German, Siamese, and Malayan. |
May 11 is… |
| Eat What You Want Day Mocha Torte Day Twilight Zone Day |
May 11 Birthday Quotes |
“Be nice to everyone, always smile & appreciate things because it could all be gone tomorrow.” “I never kill insects. If I see ants or spiders in the room, I pick them up and take them outside. Karma is everything.” “A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” “Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.” “I’m not bitter, I’m bittersweet.” |
May 11 Birthdays |
| 1811 – Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker, Siamese Twins (died in 1874) 1888 – Irving Berlin, Belarusian-American pianist and composer (died in 1989) 1904 – Salvador Dalí, Spanish artist (died in 1989) 1911 – Phil Silvers, American comedic actor (died in 1985 1927 – Bernard Fox, British comedic actor (died in 2016) 1933 – Louis Farrakhan, American religious leader 1941 – Eric Burdon, English musician 1978 – Laetitia Casta, French model 1982 – Cory Monteith, Canadian actor and singer (died in 2013) 1983 – Holly Valance, Australian actress and singer 1999 – Sabrina Carpenter, American singer and actress |
May 11 History |
| 868 – The first known dated printed book was the Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture. A citation included: “printed on 11 May 868, by Wang Chieh, for free general distribution”. 1811 – The famous Siamese twins, Chang and Eng, were born of Chinese parents in Siam (now Thailand). Glacier National Park: Established on May 11, 1910, in Montana, this park spans 1,583 square miles. Known for its glacier-carved peaks, alpine meadows, and diverse plant and animal life. 1942 – Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner, was published 1947 – B.F. Goodrich Co. announced the development of tubeless tires. 1949 – The first Polaroid cameras were sold for $89.95. 1950 – Evelyn and Paul Trent took the McMinnville UFO photographs 1953 (Tornado) Waco, Texas 1959 #1 Hit May 11, 1959 – May 17, 1959: Dave “Baby” Cortez – The Happy Organ May 11, 1978 – The Return of the King animated film aired on ABC 1980 – Bob Marley died from lung cancer 1981 – East End Show – Cats (Musical) May 11, 1981 1985 #1 Hit May 11, 1985 – May 17, 1985: Madonna – Crazy for You 1985 – Fifty-six spectators died and more than 200 were injured in the Bradford City stadium fire. 1991 #1 Hit May 11, 1991 – May 17, 1991: Roxette – Joyride 1996 – Captain Planet and The Planeteers cartoon series came to an end. 1997 – IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue defeated chess champion, Garry Kasparov. |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
| Truth is not revealed in a courtroom, but the truth is established in a courtroom. Grover Cleveland was on the $1,000 bill. What if the washing machine has been the one taking our socks all along? #sorrydryer If two people on opposite sides of the world each drop a piece of bread, the Earth briefly becomes a sandwich. If Old People started saying stuff like, “What’s up, my Geezer?” or “Geez’ah, please!” that would be adorable. Hasbro denied Pixar the use of GI Joe in Toy Story when found that the GI Joe doll was going to be blown up by Sid. You never see people make typos in movies. #moviecliches “There Are Two Typos Of People In This World: Those Who Can Edit And Those Who Can’t” – Jarod Kintz Based on all the emails I’ve been getting, the key to earning $8500+/week from home is to have poor grammar. Pocahontas is the only Disney princess with a tattoo. El Cid – Real Name: Rodrigo Diaz De Vivar You never realize how cluttered your desk is until you spill a glass of water. #life “Just like a toon to drop a safe on a guy’s head.” #moviequotes |
More Pop Culture History Resources |
