February 11

Independence Day
Holy See (vaticancity) : 11 February 1929

February 11
World Day of the Sick Instituted by Pope John Paul II
The World Day of the Sick is a feast day of the Roman Catholic Church which was instituted on May 13, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Beginning on February 11, 1993, it is celebrated every year on the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes, for all believers seeks to be "a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering". Pope John Paul II had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease as early as 1991, an illness which was only disclosed later, and it is significant that he decided to create a World Day of the Sick only one year after his diagnosis. The Pope had written a great deal on the topic of suffering and believed that it was very much a salvific and redeeming process through Christ, as he indicated in his apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris. The feast of Lourdes was chosen because many pilgrims and visitors to Lourdes have reportedly been healed by intercessions of the Blessed Virgin. The pontiff was also fond of the sanctuary of Harissa in Lebanon.

Events February 11

660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
1752 – Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States, is opened by Benjamin Franklin.
1826 – Swaminarayan writes the Shikshapatri, an important text within the Swaminarayan faith.
1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted; the first Diet of Japan convenes in 1890.
1916 – Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing on birth control.
1937 – A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers Union.
1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, which will later become South Yemen, is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
1964 – The Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan) breaks off diplomatic relations with France.
1971 – Eighty-seven countries, including the US, UK, and USSR, sign the Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters.
1987 – The Constitution of the Philippines goes into effect.

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