Historical eventMarch 172011

Libyan civil war (2011)

First Libyan Civil War: The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, authorizing military intervention in Libya to protect civilians.

In context

When
Thursday, March 17 201115 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: 2011-02-15 – 2011-10-23.

Place: Libya, Libya.

Type: civil war and revolutionary war.

What came before

Part of: Arab Spring and Libyan crisis.

What happened

The Libyan Civil War, also known as the First Libyan Civil War and Libyan Revolution, was an armed conflict fought in 2011 in the North African country of Libya between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups attempting to oust his government. The war was ignited by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011 inspired by the Arab Spring, which led to clashes with security forces and armed protesters. The protests escalated into a rebellion spreading across the country,

March 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1985Richard Ramirez
  2. 1988Eritrean War of Independence
  3. 1988Colombia
  4. 19921992 South African apartheid referendum
  5. 19921992 Buenos Aires Israeli embassy bombing
  6. 2000Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God
  7. 2000Uganda
  8. 2003Leader of the House of Commons
  9. 20042004 unrest in Kosovo
  10. 2011Libyan civil war (2011)
  11. 2016Rojava Revolution

Also in 2011

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  • May 11Istanbul ConventionThe Istanbul Convention is signed in Istanbul, Turkey.
  • September 11National September 11 Memorial & MuseumA dedication ceremony is held at the United States National September 11 Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in…
  • September 15Gleision Colliery mining accidentFour miners are killed in the Gleision Colliery mining accident in the Swansea Valley, Wales.
  • September 17AdbustersAdbusters, a Canadian anti-consumerist publication, organized a protest against corporate influence on democracy at Zuccotti Park in New…
  • September 17Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street movement begins in Zuccotti Park, New York City.
  • September 182011 Sikkim earthquakeThe 2011 Sikkim earthquake is felt across northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and southern Tibet.
  • October 20Libyan civil war (2011)First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of Sirte, and was kill…

Everything we record for 2011 →

Sources

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“Libyan civil war (2011)”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/libyan-civil-war-2011-2011-march-17, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Libyan civil war (2011) happen?

March 17 2011 — 15 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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