Important Events

1599 Jacob van Neck’s fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a further half a ship full of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon
1838 First public demonstration of telegraph messages sent using dots and dashes at Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail
1879 Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lt-General Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa
1922 Insulin first used on humans to treat diabetes, on Canadian Leonard Thompson, aged 14
1964 First government report by US Surgeon General Luther Terry warning that smoking may be hazardous

Jan 11 in Film & TV

1927 Louis B. Mayer head of film studio MGM announces creation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Jan 11 in Music

1980 Debut of first The Pretenders album “Pretenders”

Jan 11 in Sport

1960 LaMar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts