June 11 Birthday
On June 11, 1963, Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama, physically blocking two Black students from enrolling. He had promised "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" in his inaugural address. President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard, and General Henry Graham told Wallace to step aside. Wallace stepped aside. Vivian Malone and James Hood registered. Wallace later renounced segregation and sought Black votes. He won his final term as governor in 1982 with over 90% of the Black vote. The image of Thich Quang Duc, sitting in lotus position while flames consumed him, shocked the world. The monk, sixty-three, set himself on fire at a Saigon intersection to protest the persecution of Buddhists by the Catholic Diem regime. He did not move. The photograph by Malcolm Browne won the Pulitzer Prize and is considered one of the most powerful images of the 20th century. President Kennedy said, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world." Seven more monks followed. People born on June 11 fall under the zodiac sign of Gemini. The birthstone is Pearl and the birth flower is Rose. Historical events on June 11 include 1963: Governor George Wallace stands in schoolhouse door at University of Alabama, 1963: Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc self-immolates in Saigon protesting Diem regime, 2001: Timothy McVeigh executed by lethal injection for Oklahoma City bombing. Famous people born on June 11 include Jacques Cousteau (1910), Gene Wilder (1933), Joe Montana (1956).