At A Glance

17 March 2011 at a glance

Day of the week
17 March 2011 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Someone like You” by Adele.
Top Film of 2011
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2011 was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 March 2011 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 March 2011 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 17 March

  • 1973 The Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
  • 1988 Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1992 A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%.
  • 2003 Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Robin Cook, resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
  • 2016 Rojava conflict: At a conference in Rmelan, the Movement for a Democratic Society declares the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

Famous people born on 17 March

  • Rob Lowe, American actor (born 1964)
  • Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer (born 1944)
  • Grimes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist (born 1988)
  • Claressa Shields, American boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1995)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2011 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2011 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 7 January – The film The King's Speech, with Colin Firth playing the role of the stuttering George VI, is released in the UK. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, on 27 February.
  • 15 January – Three former Church of England bishops are ordained as priests in the new Roman Catholic Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham at Westminster Cathedral.
  • 19 March – Operation Unified Protector: British, French and American military initiate air strikes in Libya following United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

Life in 2011

Prime Minister

David Cameron

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£2.95

Loaf of Bread

£1.30

Average House

£162,083

Weekly Wage

£711.00

Or

Browse by Year

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →