Today in History: February 11, Margaret Thatcher elected to Britain's opposition party

"On Feb. 11, 1975, Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party, a prelude to her eventual rise to prime minister in 1979. Also on this date: In 1847, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio. In 1937, a six-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize and negotiate with the United Auto Workers union."

"In 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement, in which Stalin agreed to declare war against Imperial Japan following Nazi Germany's capitulation. In 1990, South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison. (Mandela would be elected president of South Africa four years later.)"

"In 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned after days of pro-democracy protests, ending three decades of authoritarian rule. In 2012, on the eve of the Grammy Awards, superstar singer Whitney Houston was found dead after she drowned in a hotel room bathtub in Beverly Hills, California; she was 48. The official coroner's report listed heart disease and cocaine as contributing factors in her death."

Feb. 11 features a range of historical events and notable birthdays spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. On Feb. 11, 1975 Margaret Thatcher became leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, and in 1847 Thomas Alva Edison was born. In 1937 a six-week sit-down strike at General Motors ended with recognition of the United Auto Workers. In 1945 Allied leaders signed the Yalta Agreement, with Stalin agreeing to enter the war against Japan. In 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years; later that year Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson. Later milestones include Mubarak’s 2011 resignation, Whitney Houston’s 2012 death, Pope Benedict’s 2013 resignation, and WHO naming COVID-19 in 2020. Birthdays include Tina Louise (92) and Jeb Bush (73).

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