Events for March 11

March 11, 1951

Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, died

Sir Alexander Fleming (August 06, 1881 – March 11, 1955) was a Scottish biologist and pharmacologist. He discovered the enzyme lysozyme and isolated the antibiotic substance penicillin from the fungus Penicillium notatum, for which he shared a Nobel Prize.

March 11, 1747

Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams), Welsh Poet, born

Iolo Morganwg, born Edward Williams, was a significant figure in Welsh culture and literature, best known for his poetry and for being a major influence on the Welsh Romantic period. He was born on March 10, 1747, in Pen-onn, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Morganwg was not just a poet; he was also an antiquarian, a collector, and an influential literary forger who had a profound impact on Welsh national identity and the revival of the Eisteddfod, a Welsh festival of literature, music, and performance.

March 12, 1873

Gladstones Irish University Bill is defeated

William Ewart Gladstone’s Irish University Bill was defeated in the House of Commons on March 11, 1873. This bill was part of Gladstone’s broader efforts to address various Irish grievances and reform aspects of Irish society and governance under British rule. As Prime Minister, Gladstone was deeply involved in attempts to pacify Ireland and reduce tensions between Ireland and Britain through legislative reforms.

March 11, 1926

Eamon de Valera resigns as head of Sinn Féin

Éamon de Valera resigned as the head of Sinn Féin in January 1926. This resignation came after a significant split in the party over the issue of taking the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown, which was a requirement for entering the Free State’s Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) according to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. De Valera was opposed to the Treaty, which led to the Irish Civil War (1922-1923) because he and his followers believed it did not offer true independence for Ireland, as it kept Ireland as a dominion of the British Empire.