11 February

Across recorded history, 1,679 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 11 February. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← February 10 February 12 →

Sergei Eisenstein

1898–1948

Soviet filmmaker

Sergei Eisenstein was a film director known for his pioneering work in the development of montage theory.

Whitney Houston

1963–2012

American singer, actress, and film producer

Whitney Houston was an American singer who achieved international recognition for her vocal performances and work in film.

Sylvia Plath

1932–1963

American poet and writer

Sylvia Plath was an American poet and novelist known for her contributions to twentieth-century literature.

Frank Herbert

1920–1986

American writer

Frank Herbert was an American science fiction writer best known for authoring the Dune series.

Harry Martinson

1904–1978

Swedish writer

Harry Martinson was a Swedish writer and poet known for his contributions to literature and science fiction.

Léon Foucault

1819–1868

French physicist

Physicist Léon Foucault demonstrated the rotation of the Earth using a pendulum.

Johannes Hans Daniel Jensen

1907–1973

German nuclear physicist

Johannes Hans Daniel Jensen was a German nuclear physicist who contributed to the development of the nuclear shell model.

Alexander Griboyedov

1795–1829

Russian diplomat, playwriter, poet, and composer

Alexander Griboyedov was a Russian diplomat and playwright known for his literary works.

Charles Lyell

1797–1875

British geologist

Charles Lyell was a British geologist who authored influential works on the principles of geology.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

1905–1977

politician, fifth President of India

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was a politician who served as the fifth President of India.

Robert W. Holley

1922–1993

American biochemist

Robert W. Holley was an American biochemist who conducted research on the structure of transfer RNA.

Roger Vadim

1928–2000

French filmmaker

Roger Vadim was a French filmmaker known for his work as a director.

James Van Der Beek

1977–2026

American actor

James Van Der Beek was an American actor known for his work in film, television, and stage productions.

Alexander McQueen

1969–2010

British fashion designer

Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer known for his work in the global fashion industry.

Kelvin Kiptum

1999–2024

Kenyan long-distance runner

Kelvin Kiptum was a Kenyan long-distance runner who competed in international marathon events.

Paul Feyerabend

1924–1994

Austrian-born philosopher of science

Paul Feyerabend was a philosopher of science who argued against the existence of universal methodological rules in scientific inquiry.

Cees Nooteboom

1933–2026

Dutch writer

Cees Nooteboom was a Dutch writer known for his extensive body of work across multiple literary genres.

Axel Munthe

1857–1949

Swedish physician

Axel Munthe was a Swedish physician and writer who served as the personal physician to the Swedish royal family.

Thomas Cole

1801–1848

19th-century American painter

Thomas Cole was an American painter who founded the Hudson River School of landscape painting.

John William Waterhouse

1849–1917

English painter

John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for his works influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and classical mythology.

John Buchan

1875–1940

Scottish author and politician

John Buchan was a writer and politician who served as the Governor-General of Canada.

Charles Algernon Parsons

1854–1931

inventor of the steam turbine

Charles Algernon Parsons was an inventor who developed the steam turbine.

Walter Burley Griffin

1876–1937

American architect and landscape architect

Walter Burley Griffin was an architect who designed the city plan for Canberra.

Mary Jackson

1921–2005

American mathematician and aerospace engineer

Mary Jackson was an aerospace engineer who worked as a mathematician and computer scientist for the United States space program.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.