On this day in history - May 11

What Happened On This Day – May 11

• 1998 India executes a series of nuclear weapons tests

  The detonations raised fears of a nuclear conflict in the area and sparked international protests. On May 13, 1998, India officially declared itself a nuclear power.

• 1996 ValuJet flight 592 crashes into the Florida Everglades shortly after takeoff

  All 110 people on board lost their lives in the crash that was caused by a fire in the cargo compartment.

• 1985 56 football fans die in a stadium fire

  During a match against Lincoln City, the wooden stands at Valley Parade football ground went up in flames. The exits were locked. A burning cigarette thrown into a waste bin has been determined as the probable cause of the disaster.

• 1981 The musical Cats is premiered

  The piece sparked a musical craze around the world and catapulted the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to stardom.

• 868 The earliest surviving dated printed book is produced in China

  The “Diamond Sutra” is one of the most important texts in Mahayana Buddhism. The British Library in London presently houses the copy.