- History of Today
- Posts
- What happened on May 11th?
What happened on May 11th?
A machine challenged the best mind in chess and made history
Matthew Jones
May 11, 2025
1997 IBM’s Deep Blue Defeats Garry Kasparov in Historic Chess Match
On May 11th, 1997, IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue, defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match, becoming the first computer to triumph over a reigning champion in a full chess competition. The match, which took place in New York City, demonstrated the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and sparked debates about the future of human-machine competition. Kasparov, who had previously defeated Deep Blue in 1996, accused IBM of unfair practices, but the victory marked a turning point in the relationship between AI and strategic thinking.
This animation shows the 1997 Deep Blue vs Kasparov game.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on May 11:
2010 — Gordon Brown resigned as prime minister of the United Kingdom after a hung parliament in the general election led to a coalition government.
1960 — Israeli intelligence agents captured Adolf Eichmann, orchestrator of the Holocaust, near Buenos Aires.
1910 — Glacier National Park was established in Montana, protecting over a million acres of rugged mountain landscapes and wildlife.
1846 — US President James K. Polk urged Congress to declare war on Mexico, citing border disputes and expansionist ambitions.
330 — Constantine inaugurated New Rome, later known as Constantinople, as the new capital of the Roman Empire, shifting power to the east.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On May 11, we’re singing to:
Irving Berlin (1888) — American composer known for timeless songs like White Christmas and God Bless America.
Salvador Dalí (1904) — Spanish surrealist painter famous for The Persistence of Memory and his eccentric persona, which revolutionized modern art.
Richard Feynman (1918) — American physicist awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in quantum electrodynamics and known for his charismatic teaching style.
Louis Farrakhan (1933) — American religious leader and activist recognized for his leadership of the Nation of Islam and his controversial political views.
🪦Who Died Today?
On May 11, we’re saying goodbye to:
Bob Marley (1981) — Jamaican musician, a reggae pioneer whose songs like “No Woman, No Cry” and “Redemption Song” carried messages of peace and resistance.
Kim Philby (1988) — British intelligence officer and Soviet double agent whose espionage for the KGB rocked the Cold War intelligence community.
How Am I Doing?
What do you think of the History of Today?Let me know what you think so I can be better 😀 |