What’s Observed on March 11
Born on March 11: Pisces ♓
Pisces, the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, spans February 19 to March 20 and is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, tied together by a cord, representing the tension between fantasy and reality, or the conscious and subconscious mind. Ruled by Neptune, the planet of dreams, intuition, and illusion, Pisces is widely regarded as the most emotionally sensitive and imaginative sign of the zodiac. As a Water sign, Pisces navigates the world primarily through feeling and empathy, often absorbing the moods of people around it as though they were its own. Its Mutable modality reflects a deep adaptability and fluidity, comfortable going with the flow rather than forcing rigid plans. People born under this sign are often drawn to art, music, and other creative or spiritual pursuits where their vivid imagination can take shape. Compassionate to a fault, Pisces individuals are frequently the ones quietly caring for others, sometimes at the expense of their own boundaries and needs.
Personality Traits
Strengths
- Deeply empathetic and compassionate
- Highly imaginative and artistic
- Intuitive and perceptive
- Selfless and generous
- Adaptable to change
Weaknesses
- Prone to escapism or avoidance
- Overly trusting, can be taken advantage of
- Difficulty setting boundaries
- Tends toward melancholy
- Indecisive
Compatible Signs
Fun Facts
- Pisces' symbol of two fish bound together swimming in opposite directions comes from a Greek myth in which Aphrodite and Eros transformed into fish and tied themselves together to escape the monster Typhon.
- As the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, Pisces is often described as embodying traits of all the preceding signs, a kind of culmination of the zodiac wheel.
- Neptune, Pisces' modern ruling planet, is the Roman god of the sea, discovered in 1846 and named for its blue, oceanic appearance.
- Notable Pisces include Albert Einstein, Rihanna, Steve Jobs, and Kurt Cobain.
- Classical astrology assigns Jupiter as Pisces' ruler, before Neptune's discovery in the 19th century gave the sign its modern ruling planet.
Born on March 11
- 1544
Torquato Tasso
Italian Renaissance poet
- 1811
Urbain Le Verrier
French astronomer who predicted the existence of Neptune
- 1916
Harold Wilson
British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1921
Astor Piazzolla
Argentine composer known for reinventing tango music
- 1950
Bobby McFerrin
American singer known for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
- 1952
Douglas Adams
English author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
- 1978
Didier Drogba
Ivorian professional footballer
On This Day in History
- 1861
Delegates adopt the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.
Delegates from seven seceded Southern states meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, adopted a permanent constitution for the Confederate States of America, closely modeled on the U.S. Constitution but explicitly protecting slavery. The document formalized the government that would fight the Union in the Civil War beginning weeks later.
- 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the U.S. East Coast, eventually burying the region in feet of snow.
An unusually severe blizzard struck the northeastern United States, dumping up to 50 inches of snow and paralyzing New York City and other major urban centers for days. The storm killed several hundred people and prompted infrastructure improvements, including the push to move utility lines underground.
- 1917
Baghdad falls to British-led Anglo-Indian forces during World War I.
British and Indian forces captured Baghdad from Ottoman defenders during the Mesopotamian campaign of World War I, a significant strategic and symbolic victory for Allied forces. The occupation later evolved into the British Mandate for Iraq, shaping the modern borders and politics of the region.
- 1941
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act, allowing the U.S. to supply war materiel to Allied nations before entering World War II.
President Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, authorizing the United States to supply weapons, food, and other war materiel to Britain, the Soviet Union, and other Allied nations without requiring immediate payment. The program provided crucial support before America's own entry into World War II following Pearl Harbor.
- 1985
Mikhail Gorbachev is elected General Secretary of the Communist Party, soon launching reforms that reshaped the Soviet Union.
The Communist Party's Central Committee elected Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary, making him the youngest Soviet leader in decades. His subsequent reforms of glasnost and perestroika opened Soviet society and economy, ultimately contributing to the collapse of Communist rule and the dissolution of the USSR.
- 1990
Lithuania declares independence from the Soviet Union, the first Soviet republic to do so.
The Lithuanian Supreme Council declared restoration of the country's independence from the Soviet Union, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so during the era of Gorbachev's reforms. Moscow initially refused to recognize the declaration and imposed an economic blockade, but Lithuania's independence was internationally recognized within two years.
- 2004
Coordinated bombings on Madrid commuter trains kill 191 people during the morning rush hour.
Ten coordinated bomb blasts targeted crowded commuter trains in Madrid during the morning rush hour, killing 191 people and wounding around 2,000 in Europe's deadliest terrorist attack since World War II. Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda were later held responsible, and the attack significantly influenced Spain's subsequent general election.
- 2011
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes off the coast of Japan, triggering a massive tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
A massive undersea earthquake off Japan's Tohoku coast triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and caused meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The combined disaster remains one of the costliest in recorded history and prompted a global reassessment of nuclear power safety standards.
- 2020
The World Health Organization officially declares the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
As confirmed COVID-19 cases surged across more than 100 countries, the World Health Organization officially characterized the outbreak as a pandemic, a designation reflecting its worldwide spread rather than the severity of the disease itself. The declaration prompted sweeping travel restrictions and lockdowns across the globe.
- 2021
President Joe Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law.
President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that included direct payments to individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and funding for vaccine distribution. The bill represented one of the largest economic stimulus measures in U.S. history, aimed at accelerating recovery from the COVID-19 downturn.