In History, Today on January 11

The first recorded lottery in England was drawn in St. Paul's Cathedral.

A powerful earthquake struck Sicily, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

The first American life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia.

William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.

Alabama seceded from the United States, joining the Confederacy during the American Civil War.

Insulin was first used to treat diabetes in a human patient.

Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.

Los Angeles received its first recorded snowfall, an unusual weather event for the region.

The U.S. Surgeon General reported that smoking may be hazardous to health, the first such report linking smoking and ill health.

The American League adopted the designated hitter rule in baseball, changing the dynamics of the game.

The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, was officially opened.

President Ronald Reagan delivered his farewell address to the nation.

The Irish Government announced the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Féin.

The first detainees arrive at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, a U.S. military prison located in Cuba, established to hold and interrogate prisoners captured during the War on Terror.

Miep Gies, one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II, passes away at the age of 100.

The French military begins Operation Serval, intervening in the Northern Mali conflict to combat Islamist militants who had taken control of the region.

David Bowie, the iconic British musician and actor, passes away at the age of 69, two days after releasing his final album, 'Blackstar'.

China reports its first death from a new coronavirus, later identified as COVID-19, in Wuhan, marking the beginning of a global pandemic.