Historical Events on August 11

  • 3114 BC: The Maya and other Mesoamerican civilizations begin using the Long Count Calendar.
  • 1786: The British colony of Penang is established by Captain Francis Light in Malaysia.
  • 1804: Francis II becomes the 1st Austrian Emperor.
  • 1812: French troops attack British and Portuguese forces during the Battle of Majadahonda.
  • 1813: Juan del Corral declares Antioquian independence in Columbia.
  • 1898: American troops enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War.
  • 1918: The Battle of Amiens comes to an end during WWI.
  • 1920: The Latvian War of Independence ends when Russia relinquishes authority over Latvia.
  • 1929: Babe Ruth hits his 500th home rum on this day at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • 1934: The first civilian prisoners to Alcatraz Island arrive.
  • 1965: The Watts Riots began in Los Angeles, California.
  • 1968: The last steam powered train runs on the British rail.
  • 1972: The last U.S ground combat forces leave South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
  • 1982: On route from Tokyo, Japan, a bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830. One passenger is killed and fifteen others are wounded.
  • 2006: An oil tanker sinks off of the coast of Negros and Gumaras islands in the Philippines; It’s the biggest oil spill in the country’s history.
  • 2009: In Shizuoka, Japan a 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs.
  • 2012: A pair of earthquakes around Tabriz, Iran kill over 300 people and injure thousands of others.

Famous Birthdays on August 11

  • The Holy Roman Emperor Henry V is born in 1086.
  • Mary of York is born in 1384.
  • Catholic Cardinal Nikolaus von Schönberg is born in 1472.
  • Sovereign Marchioness of Montferrat Margaret Paleologa is born in 1510.
  • American minister Jeremiah Shepard is born in 1648.
  • English physician Richard Mead is born in 1673.
  • American author Brian Azzarello is born in 1962.
  • Co-founder of Revolution Software and game designer Charles Cecil is born in 1962.
  • English journalist John Micklethwait is born in 1962.