Holidays Calendar for April 11, 2025
April 11 is a public holiday in Costa Rica known as Juan Santamaría Day. It commemorates the death anniversary of the country's national hero.
The second Friday in April is a public holiday in Liberia known as Fast and Prayer Day. Although it is a legal holiday, its observance is not mandatory because the constitution of Liberia provides for freedom of religion.
World Parkinson's Day, also referred to as World Parkinson's Disease Day or World Parkinson's Awareness Day, is an annual global awareness day aimed at promoting a better understanding of this health condition. It is observed on April 11.
The Day of Silence is an annual awareness campaign coordinated by the GLSEN (formerly known as the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network). It was launched to raise awareness about the bullying and harassment that LGBTQ+ students have to face, often on a daily basis.
International Louie Louie Day is an annual holiday dedicated to Richard Berry and his famous rhythm and blues song “Louie Louie”. It is celebrated on April 11 (Richard Berry's birthday).
In some countries, April 11 is observed as Day of Nazi Concentration Camps Prisoners Liberation. It marks the anniversary of liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945.
April 11 is National Cheese Fondue Day. It's a perfect day to invite friends over for a cheese fondue party.
Poutine is a signature dish of Québécois cuisine that emerged in the 1950s and has become truly iconic since then. Some might even go as far as to call it the national dish of Canada, although most Quebeckers would probably consider it cultural appropriation. Given the popularity of poutine, it is not surprising that the dish has not one, but two holidays dedicated to it: National Poutine Day is celebrated on March 5 and then again on April 11.
If you have a pet, don’t forget to buy them a treat on National Pet Day observed on April 11. And if you don’t have one, this holiday is a perfect occasion to adopt a pet from an animal shelter.
National Living Donor Day is celebrated annually on April 11. It was created to raise awareness of living organ and tissue donation and to honor the people who save lives through this type of donation.
National Submarine Day is celebrated annually on April 11. It was created to commemorate the acquisition of the Holland VI, the first modern submarine in the United States Navy.
Dog Therapy Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on April 11 to raise awareness of canine-assisted therapy and show appreciation for therapy dogs and their handlers.
This Day in History
- 2012 An earthquake with magnitude 8.6 struck in the Indian Ocean near the province of Aceh, Indonesia. Luckily, only a few people died of shock and heart attacks.
- 2012 Died: Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian socialist soldier and revolutionary who served as the first President of Algeria from 1963 to 1965.
- 2007 Died: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., American writer whose best known works include Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions.
- 2003 Died: Cecil Howard Green, British-born American geophysicist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who founded Texas Instruments in 1951.
- 2002 In Venezuela, a failed coup d'état took place. President Hugo Chávez was ousted from office for 47 hours before being reinstated. 19 people were killed during the coup.
- 2000 Died: Diana Darvey (born Diana Magdalene Roloff), British actress, dancer and singer best known for her appearances on The Benny Hill Show.
- 1992 Died: James Brown, American film and television actor best known for his role as Rip Masters on the ABC series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
- 1987 Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, and King Hussein of Jordan signed the London Agreement that later turned out to be not effective.
- 1983 Died: Dolores del Río, Mexican film actress, Hollywood star and one of the most important figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
- 1981 Born: Matt Ryan, Welsh actor known for portraying Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and John Constantine in NBC's Constantine and The CW's Arrowverse.
- 1981 Born: Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilian model. She is known for her work with Victoria's Secret, being a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2004 to 2017.
- 1977 Died: Jacques Prévert, French poet and screenwriter whose poems are very popular in the French-speaking world and are often studied in schools.
- 1970 NASA launched Apollo 13, the 7th manned mission in the Apollo space program and the 3rd intended to land on the Moon. The crew included James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise, and John L. "Jack" Swigert.
- 1970 Died: Cathy O'Donnell, American film and television actress who is primarily associated with film noir. Her final film role was in the 1959 film Ben-Hur.
- 1970 Died: John O'Hara, American novelist, short story writer, dramatist, and essayist best known for his 1934 novel Appointment in Samarra.
- 1961 Born: Vincent Gallo, American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, composer, singer, and songwriter who is primarily associated with independent film.
- 1960 Born: Jeremy Clarkson, English TV presenter, journalist, columnist, and writer who is best known as a presenter of the BBC television series Top Gear.
- 1953 Born: Andrew Wiles, British mathematician who is best known for having released the first successful proof of Fermat's Last Theorem in 1994.
- 1945 Born: John Krebs, English zoologist specializing in behavioral ecology of birds. He served as the president of the British Science Association in 2012.
- 1934 Born: Mark Strand, Canadian-born American poet, novelist, essayist, and translator. He was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1990.
- 1932 Born: Joel Grey, American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical Cabaret and its 1972 film adaptation.
- 1930 Born: Anton LaVey (born Howard Stanton Levey), American occultist, writer, and musician best known for founding the Church of Satan.
- 1919 The International Labor Organization (ILO) was founded. In 1946, the ILO became the first specialized agency within the United Nations.
- 1916 Died: Richard Harding Davis, American journalist, novelist and short story writer remembered primarily as a prominent war correspondent.
- 1909 66 Jewish families founded the city of Tel Aviv on the outskirts of the ancient port city of Jaffa. Nowadays, it is the second most populous city in Israel.
- 1908 SMS Blücher was launched. It was the last armored cruiser built by the German Empire. It sunk in 1915 during the Battle of Dogger Bank.
- 1908 Born: Masaru Ibuka, Japanese electronic industrialist and writer who is best known as co-founder of Sony Corporation, along with Akio Morita.
- 1869 Born: Kasturba Gandhi (born Kastur Kapadia), Indian political activist, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi. Their marriage lasted for 62 years.
- 1814 Napoleon Bonaparte and representatives from the Austrian Empire, Prussia, and the Russian Empire signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau that ended the War of the Sixth Coalition.
- 1755 Born: James Parkinson, English surgeon, apothecary, paleontologist, geologist, and political activist. He is remembered for describing the condition that is now known as Parkinson's disease.
- 1713 The belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession (including Spain, Great Britain, France, Portugal, Savoy and the Dutch Republic) signed the main treaties of the Peace of Utrecht.
- 1689 William III and Mary II were crowned together as joint sovereigns of England, Scotland, and Ireland. They ascended the throne after the Glorious Revolution.
- 1492 Born: Marguerite de Navarre, the princess of France, Queen of Navarre, and Duchess of Alençon and Berry. She was the wife of Henry II of Navarre.