December 11 in History

2006 — Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán

This effort is often regarded as the first event in the Mexican drug war.

December 11 spans 64 recorded events across recorded history, from 220 to 2020. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 11 — Wikipedia

Historical Events 64 events 220 – 2020

More major events on December 11

The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.

2020 The Food and Drug Administration issues an Emergency Use Authorization on the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the agency. Source
1905 A workers' uprising occurs in Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), and establishes the Shuliavka Republic. Source
1994 First Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya. Source

Did you know

In 2006, Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán. This effort is often regarded as the first event in the Mexican drug war. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

He was a member of the National Action Party for 30 years before quitting the party in November 2018. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

In 2006, Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán. This effort is often regarded as the first event in the Mexican drug war had consequences that extended beyond the first headline. The key context is the institutions involved, the policy shift, and how the public response evolved afterward.

Did you know

In 2006, Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán. This effort is often regarded as the first event in the Mexican drug war had consequences that extended beyond the first headline. The key context is the institutions involved, the policy shift, and how the public response evolved afterward.

Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate the throne by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending the Han dynasty.

Emperor of the Han dynasty from 189 to 220

Emperor Xian of Han, personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty of China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until his abdication and subsequent end of the dynasty on 11 December 220.

Wikipedia source

220

Julian enters Constantinople as sole Roman Emperor.

Roman emperor from 361 to 363, Neoplatonic philosopher

Julian was the Caesar of the West from 355 to 360 and Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplatonic Hellenism caused him to be remembered as Julian the Apostate in the Christian tradition.

Wikipedia source

361

Assassination of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil by the Turkish guard, who raise al-Muntasir to the throne, start of the "Anarchy at Samarra".

Third Islamic caliphate

The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire was the third Islamic caliphate, ruled by the Abbasid dynasty. The dynasty was descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, after whom it is named. The Abbasids rose to power in 750, when the Abbasid Revolution overthrew the preceding Umayyad Caliphate, and they ruled as caliphs from their metropole in Iraq until 1258, with Baghdad as their capital for most of their history.

Wikipedia source

861

Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas is assassinated by his wife Theophano and her lover, the later Emperor John I Tzimiskes.

The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire, which fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised sovereign authority are included, to the exclusion of junior co-emperors who never attained the status of sole or senior ruler, as well as of the various usurpers or rebels who claimed the imperial title.

Wikipedia source

969

Michael V, adoptive son of Empress Zoë of Byzantium, is proclaimed emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Byzantine emperor from 1041 to 1042

Michael V Kalaphates was Byzantine emperor for four months in 1041–1042. He was the nephew and successor of Michael IV and the adoptive son of Michael IV's wife Empress Zoe. He was popularly called "the Caulker" (Kalaphates) in accordance with his father's original occupation.

Wikipedia source

1041

Treaty of Benavente: the heiresses of the Kingdom of León renounce their throne to King Ferdinand III of Castile

1230 agreement uniting kingdoms of León and Castile

The Treaty of Benavente, signed on 11 December 1230, was the agreement by which Sancha and Dulce, the heiresses of the Kingdom of León, renounced their throne to their brother, King Ferdinand III of Castile, thus uniting the kingdoms of León and Castile into the Crown of Castile.

Wikipedia source

1239

Battle of Orewin Bridge: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri near Builth Wells in mid-Wales.

1282 battle between the English and Welsh

The Battle of Orewin Bridge was a confrontation between an English force guided by Roger Lestrange and a Welsh force led by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. It was fought on 11 December 1282 near Builth Wells in mid-Wales. It was a decisive defeat for the Welsh and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was killed, leading to the final defeat of the Welsh rebels by the armies of Edward I of England some months later.

Wikipedia source

1282

The Nyköping Banquet (Swedish: Nyköpings gästabud) takes place as King Birger of Sweden celebrates Christmas at Nyköping Castle.

Among the guests are his two brothers Duke Valdemar and Duke Eric, who later that night are imprisoned and eventually starved to death in the castle dungeon.

The Nyköping Banquet was King Birger of Sweden's Christmas celebration 11 December 1317 at Nyköping Castle in Sweden. Among the guests were his two brothers Duke Valdemar and Duke Eric, who later that night were imprisoned and have been assumed to have subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköping Castle. The principal source to these events is the very biased Eric Chronicle. The author Vilhelm Moberg called it "a Shakespearean episode" in his work Min svenska historia.

Wikipedia source

1317

A surprise attack by forces under the command of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva.

(Commemorated annually by the Fête de l'Escalade.)

Charles Emmanuel I, known as the Great and nicknamed Testa di Fuoco, was the 11th Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 30 August 1580 until his death on 26 July 1630, nearly 50 years later. At the time of his death, he was the longest-reigning Savoyard monarch, a record later surpassed by his great-grandson Victor Amadeus II.

Wikipedia source

1602

The Root and Branch petition, signed by 15,000 Londoners calling for the abolition of the episcopacy, is presented to the Long Parliament.

1640 petition to the English Parliament

The Root and Branch Petition was a petition presented to the Long Parliament on 11 December 1640. The petition had been signed by 15,000 Londoners and was presented to the English Parliament by a crowd of 1,500. The petition called on Parliament to abolish episcopacy from the 'roots' and in all its 'branches'.

Wikipedia source

1640

Antonio de Vea expedition enters San Rafael Lake in western Patagonia.

Spanish expedition to Patagonia, 1675–1676

The Antonio de Vea expedition of 1675–1676 was a Spanish naval expedition to the fjords and channels of Patagonia aimed to find whether rival colonial powers—specifically, the English—were active in the region. While this was not the first Spanish expedition to the region, it was the largest up to then, involving 256 men, one ocean-going ship, two long boats and nine dalcas. The expedition dispelled suspicion about English bases in Patagonia. Spanish authorities' knowledge of western Patagonia was greatly improved by the expedition, yet Spanish interest in the area waned thereafter until the 1740s.

Wikipedia source

1675

Glorious Revolution: James II of England, while trying to flee to France, throws the Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames.

British revolution of 1688

The Glorious Revolution was the deposition of King James II in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, James's nephew William III of Orange. The two ruled as joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland until Mary's death in 1694, when William became ruler in his own right. Jacobitism, the political movement that aimed to restore the exiled James or his descendants of the House of Stuart to the throne, persisted into the late 18th century. Some historians consider William's invasion the last successful invasion of England.

Wikipedia source

1688

French Revolution: King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

1789–1799 sociopolitical change in France

The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the Coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799. Many of the revolution's ideas are considered fundamental principles of liberal democracy, and its values remain central to modern French political discourse. It was caused by a combination of social, political, and economic factors which the existing regime proved unable to manage.

Wikipedia source

1792

The U.S.

Senate creates a select committee on finance and a uniform national currency, predecessor of the United States Senate Committee on Finance.

The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, and the U.S. House of Representatives is the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the Constitution to make and pass or defeat federal legislation.

Wikipedia source

1815

Indiana becomes the 19th U.S.

state.

Indiana is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states. The state's capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816.

Wikipedia source

1816

American Civil War: The Battle of Fredericksburg begins as the Army of the Potomac under Union General Ambrose Burnside crosses the Rappahannock River to clash with the Army of Northern Virginia led by Confederate General Robert E.

Lee in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States. The South saw slavery as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.

Wikipedia source

1862

Paraguayan War: Brazilian troops defeat the Paraguayan Army at the Battle of Avay.

Major international war in South America (1864–1870)

The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadliest inter-state war in Latin American history. Paraguay sustained immense casualties, but even the approximate numbers are disputed. Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. The war began in late 1864, as a result of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the Uruguayan War. Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance".

Wikipedia source

1868

Second Boer War: In the Battle of Magersfontein the Boers commanded by general Piet Cronjé inflict a defeat on the forces of the British Empire commanded by Lord Methuen trying to relieve the Siege of Kimberley.

1899–1902 war in South Africa

The Second Boer War was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the Boer republics over Britain's influence in Southern Africa.

Wikipedia source

1899

Guglielmo Marconi transmits the first transatlantic radio signal from Poldhu, Cornwall, England to St.

John's, Newfoundland.

Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquess of Marconi, was an Italian electrical engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system. This led to his being largely credited as the inventor of radio and sharing the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Ferdinand Braun "in recognition of their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy."

Wikipedia source

1901

A workers' uprising occurs in Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), and establishes the Shuliavka Republic.

Capital and largest city of Ukraine

Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both banks of the Dnieper River. As of January 2022, the population of Kyiv was 2,952,301, making it the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center. It is home to high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive public transport system, which includes the Kyiv Metro.

Wikipedia source

1905

The New Zealand Parliament Buildings are almost completely destroyed by fire.

Government complex in Wellington, New Zealand

The New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington. From north to south, they are the Parliamentary Library building (1899); the Edwardian neoclassical-style Parliament House (1922); the executive wing, called "The Beehive" (1977); and Bowen House. Currently, an additional building for housing Members of Parliament is under construction, which is expected to be completed in 2027. Whilst most of the individual buildings are outstanding for different reasons, the overall setting that has been achieved "has little aesthetic or architectural coherence".

Wikipedia source

1907

More than two years after it was stolen from the Louvre, Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa is recovered in Florence, Italy.

The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, is immediately arrested.

The Louvre is a national art museum in Paris, France. It is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district) and home to some of the most canonical works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French kings.

Wikipedia source

1913

World War I: British General Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot and declares martial law.

Global conflict from 1914 to 1918

World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Major theatres of war included Europe and the Middle East, and well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, World War I resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million deaths, including in mass war crimes against civilians and genocides. The conflict saw important developments in weaponry, including the first large-scale use of machine guns, artillery, aircraft, chemical weapons, and tanks, and was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.

Wikipedia source

1917

Irish War of Independence: In retaliation for a recent IRA ambush, British forces burn and loot numerous buildings in Cork city.

Many civilians report being beaten, shot at, robbed and verbally abused by British forces.

The Irish War of Independence, also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-military Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and its paramilitary forces the Auxiliaries and Ulster Special Constabulary (USC). It was part of the Irish revolutionary period.

Wikipedia source

1920

Roman Catholic papal encyclical Quas primas introduces the Feast of Christ the King.

Christian church based in Rome

The Catholic Church, also called the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2026. It consists of 24 autonomous churches—the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches—organized into nearly 3,500 dioceses and eparchies governed by bishops. Throughout history, the church has had a large role in the development of Western civilization. Catholic communities are present worldwide through missions, immigration, and conversions. The majority of Catholics live in the Global South, reflecting rapid demographic growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as secularization in parts of Europe and North America.

Wikipedia source

1925

Guangzhou Uprising: Communist Red Guards launch an uprising in Guangzhou, China, taking over most of the city and announcing the formation of a Guangzhou Soviet.

1927 Communist revolt in southern China

The Guangzhou Uprising, Canton Uprising or Canton Riots of 1927 was a failed communist uprising in the city of Guangzhou (Canton) in southern China.

Wikipedia source

1927

Statute of Westminster 1931: The British Parliament establishes legislative equality between the UK and the Dominions of the Commonwealth—Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland.

Law recognising autonomy of British Dominions

The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that significantly increased the autonomy of the Dominions of the British Commonwealth.

Wikipedia source

1931

Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, takes his last drink and enters treatment for the final time.

Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (1895–1971)

William Griffith Wilson, also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was an American businessman who co-conceived and co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), with fellow co-founder Bob Smith.

Wikipedia source

1934

Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII's abdication as King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India, becomes effective.

1936 constitutional crisis in Britain

In early December 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when King Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second.

Wikipedia source

1936

Second Italo-Ethiopian War: Italy leaves the League of Nations.

1935–1936 war between Italy and Ethiopia

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Italy against Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to May 1936. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Italian Invasion, and in Italy as the Ethiopian War. The war is regarded as the largest colonial campaign in history.

Wikipedia source

1937

World War II: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, following the Americans' declaration of war on the Empire of Japan in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The United States, in turn, declares war on them.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

Wikipedia source

1941

World War II: Poland declares war on the Empire of Japan.

The Polish government-in-exile was formed in the aftermath of the September 1939 invasion and subsequent occupation of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Slovak Republic, which brought to an end the Second Polish Republic.

Wikipedia source

1941

World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy suffers its first loss of surface vessels during the Battle of Wake Island.

Navy of Japan between 1868 and 1945

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender in World War II. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) was formed between 1952 and 1954 after the dissolution of the IJN.

Wikipedia source

1941

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established.

UN agency providing aid to children

UNICEF, originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The organization is one of the most widely known and visible social welfare entities globally, operating in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.

Wikipedia source

1946

Arab–Israeli War: The United Nations passes General Assembly Resolution 194, creating a Conciliation Commission to mediate the conflict.

Second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war

The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war became a war of separate states with the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight, and the entry of a military coalition of Arab states into the territory of Mandatory Palestine the following morning. The war formally ended with the 1949 Armistice Agreements which established the Green Line.

Wikipedia source

1948

French Upper Volta and French Dahomey gain self-government from France, becoming the Republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin), respectively, and joining the French Community.

French colony in West Africa (1919-1958); now Burkina Faso

Upper Volta was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Côte d'Ivoire. The colony was dissolved on 5 September 1932, with parts being administered by the Côte d'Ivoire, French Sudan and the Colony of Niger.

Wikipedia source

1958

French forces crack down in a violent clash with protesters in French Algeria during a visit by French president Charles de Gaulle.

French colony and later territory in Northern Africa from 1830 to 1962

French Algeria, also known as Colonial Algeria, was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted from the beginning of the French conquest in 1830 until the end of the Algerian War which resulted in Algeria gaining independence on 5 July 1962.

Wikipedia source

1960

Arthur Lucas, convicted of murder, is the last person to be executed in Canada.

Criminal executed in Canada (1907–1962)

Arthur Lucas, a black man originally from the U.S. state of Georgia, was one of the last two people to be executed in Canada, on December 11, 1962. Lucas had been convicted of the murder of 44-year-old Therland Crater, a drug dealer and police informant from Detroit. He is also assumed to have killed 20-year-old Carolyn Ann Newman, Crater's common-law wife, but was never tried in her death. Crater was shot four times, while Newman was nearly decapitated. The murders took place at a hotel in Toronto on 17 November 1961.

Wikipedia source

1962

Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Argentine revolutionary (1928–1967)

Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, politician, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia in popular culture.

Wikipedia source

1964

Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and final Apollo mission to land on the Moon.

Sixth and most recent crewed Moon landing

Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, while Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans orbited above. Schmitt was the only professional geologist to land on the Moon; he was selected in place of Joe Engle, as NASA had been under pressure to send a scientist to the Moon. The mission's heavy emphasis on science meant the inclusion of a number of new experiments, including a biological experiment containing five mice that stayed in orbit with Evans.

Wikipedia source

1972

The Lufthansa heist is committed by a group led by Lucchese family associate Jimmy Burke.

It was the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil, at that time.

The Lufthansa heist was a robbery which took place at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, New York, United States, on December 11, 1978. An estimated US$5.875 million was stolen, with $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry, making it the largest cash robbery committed in U.S. history at the time.

Wikipedia source

1978

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also known as Superfund) is enacted by the U.S.

Congress.

Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is designed to pay for investigating and cleaning up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Sites managed under this program are referred to as Superfund sites. The EPA seeks to identify parties responsible for hazardous substances released to the environment (polluters) and either compel them to clean up the sites, or it may undertake the cleanup on its own using the Superfund, seeking to recover those costs from the responsible parties through settlements or other legal means. The EPA and state agencies use the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) to calculate a site score based on the actual or potential release of hazardous substances from a site. A score of 28.5 results in a site being placed on the National Priorities List, eligible for long-term, remedial action under the Superfund program. Sites on the NPL are considered the most highly contaminated and undergo longer-term remedial investigation and remedial action (cleanups). The state of New Jersey, the fifth smallest state in the U.S., disproportionately contains about ten percent of the priority Superfund sites. As of March 13, 2026, there were 1,343 sites listed; an additional 460 had been deleted, and 37 new sites have been proposed on the NPL.

Wikipedia source

1980

El Mozote massacre: Armed forces in El Salvador kill an estimated 900 civilians in an anti-guerrilla campaign during the Salvadoran Civil War.

Event during the Salvadoran Civil War (1981)

The El Mozote massacre took place both in and around the village of El Mozote, in the Morazán Department, El Salvador, on December 11 and 12, 1981, when the Salvadoran Army killed more than 811 civilians during the Salvadoran Civil War. The army had arrived in the village on the 10th, following clashes with guerrillas in the area. The Salvadoran Army's Atlácatl Battalion, under the orders of Domingo Monterrosa, was responsible for the massacre.

Wikipedia source

1981

A Soviet Air Force Il-76 aircraft crashes while participating in the Armenian earthquake relief, killing 78 people.

Aerial warfare branch of the Soviet Union's armed forces

The Soviet Air Forces was one of two air forces belonging to the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces were formed from components of the Imperial Russian Air Service in 1917, and faced their greatest test during World War II. The groups were also involved in the Korean War, and dissolved along with the Soviet Union itself in 1991–92. Former Soviet Air Forces' assets were subsequently divided into several air forces of former Soviet republics, including the new Russian Air Force. The "March of the Pilots" was its marching song.

Wikipedia source

1988

Demonstrations by students and workers across Albania begin, which eventually trigger the fall of communism in Albania.

Country in Southeast Europe

Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south. With an area of 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi), it has a varied range of climatic, geological, hydrological and morphological conditions. Albania's landscapes range from rugged snow-capped mountains in the Albanian Alps and the Korab, Skanderbeg, Pindus and Ceraunian Mountains, to fertile lowland plains extending from the Adriatic and Ionian seacoasts. Tirana is the capital and largest city in the country, followed by Durrës, Vlorë, and Shkodër.

Wikipedia source

1990

Several fatal collisions in the 1990 Interstate 75 fog disaster result in a total of 12 deaths and 42 being injured

1990 multi-vehicle traffic collision in Tennessee, United States

The 1990 Interstate 75 fog disaster was a traffic collision that occurred on the morning of December 11, 1990, on a section of Interstate 75 (I-75) near Calhoun, Tennessee, during dense fog which obscured the visibility of motorists. The collisions occurred in an area where fog is common and had been the site of previous multi-vehicle collisions caused by poor visibility. It consisted of a series of multi-vehicle collisions that ultimately involved 99 vehicles, and resulted in 12 deaths and 42 injuries. It was reportedly the largest motor vehicle collision in United States history when it occurred, in terms of the number of vehicles, and was the largest and second deadliest vehicle accident in Tennessee history behind the 1972 Bean Station bus-truck collision, which killed 14. The disaster resulted in multiple safety improvements to the section of I-75 where the collision occurred.

Wikipedia source

1990

A block of the Highland Towers condominium complex collapses following a landslide caused by heavy rain and water flowing from a construction site at Ampang district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

48 of its residents die, including one who died in hospital after being rescued alive, leaving only two survivors.

The Highland Towers collapse occurred on 11 December 1993 in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. Tower Block 1 collapsed from a major landslide caused by heavy rains that burst diversion pipes. The Highland Towers consisted of three 12-storey buildings or "blocks". The collapse of Block 1 resulted in 48 deaths. Residents of the other two blocks and neighbouring establishments were evacuated due to safety concerns.

Wikipedia source

1993

First Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya.

1994–1996 war between Russia and Chechen separatists

The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a conflict between the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. The conflict ended in a peace treaty that saw Russian forces withdraw from the territory only for them to invade again three years later, sparking the Second Chechen War of 1999–2009.

Wikipedia source

1994

A bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, en route from Manila, Philippines, to Tokyo, Japan, killing one.

The captain is able to land the plane safely.

Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was a scheduled flight on December 11, 1994, from Manila to Tokyo with a quick stopover in Cebu on a Boeing 747-200 that was seriously damaged by a bomb, killing one passenger and damaging vital control systems, although the plane was in a repairable state. The bombing was a test run of the unsuccessful Bojinka terrorist attacks. The Boeing 747 was flying the second leg of a route from Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu, Philippines to Narita International Airport, in Tokyo, Japan. After the bomb detonated, 58-year-old veteran pilot Captain Eduardo "Ed" Reyes was able to land the aircraft, saving it and the remaining passengers and crew.

Wikipedia source

1994

The Kyoto Protocol, an agreement committing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opens for signature.

1997 international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The Kyoto Protocol (Japanese: 京都議定書, Hepburn: Kyōto Giteisho) was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring and that human-made CO2 emissions are driving it. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. There were 192 parties (Canada withdrew from the protocol, effective December 2012) to the Protocol in 2020.

Wikipedia source

1997

Thai Airways Flight 261 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101.

The pilot flying the Airbus A310-200 is thought to have suffered spatial disorientation.

Thai Airways International Flight 261 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport to Surat Thani International Airport in Surat Thani, Thailand. The flight was operated by Thai Airways International, the flag carrier of Thailand. On 11 December 1998, the aircraft, an Airbus A310 registered in Thailand as HS-TIA, stalled and crashed into a swamp during its landing attempt at Surat Thani Airport. A total of 101 people were killed in the crash.

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1998

SATA Air Açores Flight 530M crashes into Pico da Esperança on São Jorge Island in the Azores, killing 35.

Fatal aircraft crash in the Azores, 1999

SATA Air Açores Flight 530M was a Portuguese regional commuter flight operated by SATA Air Açores that connected Ponta Delgada-João Paulo II Airport and Flores Airport, with an intermediary stop at Horta, on 11 December 1999. At 10:20 a.m., the British Aerospace BAe ATP, named Graciosa, while en route to Horta, collided with Pico da Esperança, on the central mountains of the island of São Jorge, resulting in the deaths of all 35 people on board. It is the deadliest aviation accident involving the British Aerospace ATP.

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1999

China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Intergovernmental trade organization

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. Established on 1 January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, it succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was created in 1948. As the world's largest international economic organization, the WTO has 166 members, representing over 98% of global trade and global GDP. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

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2001

The Buncefield Oil Depot catches fire in Hemel Hempstead, England.

2005 oil storage fire and explosion in England

The Buncefield fire was a major fire at an oil storage facility that started at 06:01 UTC on Sunday 11 December 2005 at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal, located near the M1 motorway, Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, England. The terminal was the fifth largest oil-products storage depot in the United Kingdom, with a capacity of about 60 million imperial gallons (270,000 m3) of fuel. The terminal is owned by Total UK Limited (60%) and Texaco (40%).

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2005

Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese in Cronulla, New South Wales; these are followed up by retaliatory ethnic attacks on Cronulla.

Series of race riots in Sydney, Australia

The Cronulla riots were a series of race riots in Sydney, Australia. They began in the beachside suburb of Cronulla on 11 December 2005, and over the following nights spread to additional suburbs. The instigating event was a physical altercation on 4 December between a group of youths of Middle Eastern descent and lifeguards at Cronulla beach, following reports of assault of lifeguards and harassment by "young Lebanese men." Following reporting by the tabloid media and shock jocks on local radio, a racially motivated gathering was organised via chain texting.

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2005

The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust is opened in Tehran, Iran, by then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; nations such as Israel and the United States express concern.

2006 conference of Holocaust deniers and skeptics in Tehran, Iran

The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust was a two-day meeting in Tehran, Iran, that began on 11 December 2006. It was hosted by the Iranian government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki stated that it had been organized "neither to deny nor prove the Holocaust... [but] to provide an appropriate scientific atmosphere for scholars to offer their opinions in freedom about a historical issue." The meeting took place shortly after Iran's International Holocaust Cartoon Competition, which was sponsored by Tehran's government-owned newspaper Hamshahri. Most of the invitees were far-right activists, several of whom had faced legal charges or imprisonment in Western countries for their advocacy of neo-Nazism, Holocaust denial, or Islamic extremism.

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2006

Insurgency in the Maghreb: Two car bombs explode in Algiers, Algeria, one near the Supreme Constitutional Court and the other near the offices of the United Nations.

Sunni Islamist insurgency in the Maghreb

An Islamist insurgency is taking place in the Maghreb region of North Africa, followed on from the end of the Algerian Civil War in 2002. The Algerian militant group Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) allied itself with al-Qaeda to eventually become al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The Algerian and other Maghreb governments fighting the militants have worked with the United States and the United Kingdom since 2007, when Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara began.

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2007

Bernie Madoff is arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

American financier and con artist (1938–2021)

Bernard Lawrence Madoff was an American financier, con artist, and stock broker who was the admitted mastermind of the largest-known Ponzi scheme in history, worth an estimated $65 billion. He was at one time chairman of the Nasdaq stock exchange. Madoff's firm had two basic units: a stock brokerage and an asset management business; the Ponzi scheme was centered in the asset management business.

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2008

Finnish game developer Rovio Entertainment releases the hit mobile game Angry Birds internationally on iOS.

Finnish video game developer

Rovio Entertainment Oy is a Finnish video game developer based in Espoo. Founded in 2003 by Helsinki University of Technology students Niklas Hed, Jarno Väkeväinen and Kim Dikert, the company is best known for the Angry Birds franchise. The company currently operates studios in Barcelona, Toronto, Espoo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, with former offices in Montreal. The company's success has helped to establish Finland as a leading player in the mobile game industry and has helped to create a thriving ecosystem for game development in the country. In August 2023, Sega purchased Rovio for US$776 million and it was made a subsidiary of the Sega Europe division.

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2009

At least 125 people are killed and up to 200 injured in bombings in the Alawite village of Aqrab, Syria.

Terrorist attack in Hama Governorate Syria

The Aqrab massacre is a contested event which occurred on 10/11 December 2012, during the Syrian civil war, in the Alawite section of the mixed town of Aqrab, Hama Governorate, Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that 125 people were killed or wounded in those events, while other activists claimed that as many as 300 people were killed. Activists said that they could confirm the deaths of 10 people.

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2012

New York City Subway bombing: A pipe bomb partially detonates in the New York City Subway, in the Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Four people are injured, including the perpetrator.

On December 11, 2017, a pipe bomb partially detonated in a corridor between the Times Square–42nd Street and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal subway stations adjoining the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States, injuring four people including the bomber. Mayor Bill de Blasio described the incident as "an attempted terrorist attack". The bomber, 27-year-old Bangladeshi national Akayed Ullah, was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison in 2021.

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2017

The results of the 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum are announced.

The results are overwhelmingly one-sided. Over 98% of voters vote for Bougainville's independence.

A non-binding independence referendum was held in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, between 23 November and 7 December 2019. The referendum question presented a choice between greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea and full independence; voters voted overwhelmingly (98.31%) for independence.

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2019

The Food and Drug Administration issues an Emergency Use Authorization on the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the agency.

Federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, caffeine products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed, and veterinary products.

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2020

December 11 in History

2006 — Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán

More major events on December 11

History runs on facts, and this project runs on coffee!