This Day In History, May 11th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on May 11th.
Emperor Constantine the Great establishes Constantinople (now Istanbul) as the new capital of the Roman Empire in 330.
The Diamond Sutra, the earliest known printed book, is published in China in 868.
John Bellingham assassinates British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in the foyer of the House of Commons in 1812.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is established in Beverly Hills, California in 1927.
1997 - In a six-game encounter, IBM's Deep Blue computer overcomes world chess champion Garry Kasparov, becoming the first computer to defeat a reigning world champion under regular chess tournament time limits.
330 – Constantinople (now Istanbul) is inaugurated as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine the Great.
In 330 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great relocated the Roman Empire's capital from Rome to a new city he created named Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). He saw the strategic and economic benefits of this site, which was at the crossroads of Europe and Asia with access to the Black Sea. For almost a thousand years, Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire) until it was seized by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
868 – The first known printed book, the Diamond Sutra, is published in China.
The Diamond Sutra is a Buddhist treatise that was first printed in China in 868 AD, making it the world's oldest known printed book. The book was printed using a process known as woodblock printing, in which a block of wood with the text is carved and then inked and pressed into paper. The Diamond Sutra is a treasured literature in Mahayana Buddhism, and printing it allowed for greater circulation and preservation of the teachings. The discovery of the Diamond Sutra and other early printed works in China has aided researchers in their understanding of the evolution of printing and its influence on society and culture.
1812 – British prime minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons.
John Bellingham killed British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in the foyer of the House of Commons in London on May 11, 1812. Bellingham, who had previously been imprisoned in Russia and believed that the British government had done nothing to gain his release, blamed Perceval and other authorities for his predicament. Bellingham fired a handgun at Perceval and was swiftly arrested and taken to trial. He was found guilty and condemned to death, and he was hung a week later. Perceval's assassination was the only assassination of a British Prime Minister in history.
1927 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded in Beverly Hills, California.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was formed in Beverly Hills, California on May 11, 1927. The organization was founded to promote and develop the art and science of filmmaking, as well as to reward exceptional success in the film industry. The Academy is most recognized for giving the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, which acknowledge achievement in a variety of filmmaking categories. The inaugural Academy Awards event took place in 1929, and it has since evolved into one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the entertainment world. The Academy also runs a museum, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is committed to preserving and presenting filmmaking history.
1997 – IBM's Deep Blue computer defeats world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match, becoming the first computer to beat a reigning world champion under standard chess tournament time controls.
IBM's Deep Blue computer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match on May 11, 1997, becoming the first computer to defeat a reigning world champion under regular chess tournament time limits. The match was extensively covered and regarded as a watershed moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence. Deep Blue was a customized computer developed particularly for playing chess, and it analyzed the game and made moves using a combination of brute force computation and complex algorithms. Deep Blue had already defeated Kasparov in 1996, but the enhanced version was able to overcome him in the rematch. The encounter was keenly monitored by both chess fans and computer scientists, and it left an indelible impression on both.