John Hancock became the first Governor of Massachusetts after winning 90% of the votes in the Massachusetts Constitution.
Source
The British singer Cliff Richard was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV was made available to PC players in North America.
Taylor Swift's third studio album 'Speak Now' was released. It won Billboard's 2011 Album of the Year.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first African American US Army brigadier general.
Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini discovered Iapetus, Saturn's third-largest moon.