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Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989.
August 11 in History
52 events
3114 BC – 2023
Today in history
August 11 spans 52 recorded events across recorded history, from 3114 BC to 2023. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1984 — "We begin bombing in five minutes": United States President Ronald Reagan, while running for re-election, jokes while preparing to make his weekly Saturday address on National Public Radio
More major events on August 11
The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.
- 1991 Nickelodeon's first line of "Nicktoons" (Doug, Rugrats & Ren & Stimpy) premiere on the channel. Source
- 1962 Vostok 3 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev becomes the first person to float in microgravity. Source
- 1920 The Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is signed, ending the Latvian War of Independence. Source
- 1960 Chad declares independence from France. Source
-3114
The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins.
One hundred years, from 3200 BC to 3101 BC
The 32nd century BC was a century lasting from the year 3200 BC to 3101 BC.
-2492
Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation.
One hundred years, from 2500 BC to 2401 BC
The 25th century BC comprises the years from 2500 BC to 2401 BC.
106
The south-western part of Dacia (modern Romania) becomes a Roman province: Roman Dacia.
Calendar year
Year 106 (CVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Commodus and Civica.
117
Hadrian is proclaimed Roman emperor, two days after Trajan's death.
Calendar year
Year 117 (CXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus.
355
Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II.
Roman army officer and imperial pretender
Silvanus was a Roman general and usurper of Frankish descent. He revolted in Gaul against Emperor Constantius II, claiming the imperial title for 28 days in AD 355.
490
Battle of Adda: The Goths under Theodoric the Great and his ally Alaric II defeat the forces of Odoacer on the Adda River, near Milan.
Early Germanic people
The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe.
923
The Qarmatians of Bahrayn capture and pillage the city of Basra.
Sevener Ismaili Shia group
The Qarmatians were an Isma'ili Shia militant movement led by an Arabized dynasty of Persian descent.
1315
The Great Famine of Europe becomes so dire that even the king of England has difficulties buying bread for himself and his entourage.
Famine of medieval Europe
The Great Famine of 1315–1317 was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck parts of Europe early in the 14th century. Most of Europe was affected.
1332
Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Dupplin Moor: Scots under Domhnall II, Earl of Mar are routed by Edward Balliol.
War of national liberation between Scotland and England
The Scottish wars (1296–1357) were two extended military conflicts in which the Kingdom of England attempted to establish control over the Kingdom of Scotland.
1473
The Battle of Otlukbeli: Mehmed the Conqueror of the Ottoman Empire decisively defeats Uzun Hassan of Aq Qoyunlu.
Battle between the Aq Qoyunlu and the Ottoman Empire
The Battle of Otlukbeli was fought between the Aq Qoyunlu and the Ottoman Empire on 11 August 1473.
1492
Rodrigo de Borja is elected as Head of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Alexander VI.
Head of the Catholic Church from 1492 to 1503
Pope Alexander VI was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.
1675
Franco-Dutch War: Forces of the Holy Roman Empire defeat the French in the Battle of Konzer Brücke.
1672–1678 European war
The Franco-Dutch War, 1672 to 1678, was primarily fought by France and the Dutch Republic, with both sides backed at different times by a variety of allies.
1685
Morean War: The 49-day Siege of Coron ends with the surrender and massacre of its garrison by the Venetians.
Conflict between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire from 1684 to 1698
The Morean war, also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, was fought between 1684–1699 as part of the wider conflict known as the "Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
1786
Captain Francis Light establishes the British colony of Penang in Malaysia.
British sailor and explorer (c. 1740–1794)
Francis Light was a British sailor and explorer best known for founding the colony of Penang and its capital city of George Town in 1786.
1804
Francis II assumes the title of first Emperor of Austria.
Holy Roman Emperor from 1792 to 1806 and Emperor of Austria from 1806 to 1835
Francis II and I was the last Holy Roman Emperor as Francis II from 1792 to 1806, and the first Emperor of Austria as Francis I from 1804 to 1835.
1812
Peninsular War: French troops engage British-Portuguese forces in the Battle of Majadahonda.
1807–1814 war against Napoleon in Iberia
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by the Iberian nations Spain and Portugal, along with the United Kingdom, against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during…
1813
In Colombia, Juan del Corral declares the independence of Antioquia.
Country in South America
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country located in South America, with insular regions in North America.
1858
The Eiger in the Bernese Alps is ascended for the first time by Charles Barrington accompanied by Christian Almer and Peter Bohren.
Mountain in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland
The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais.
1871
An explosion of guncotton occurs in Stowmarket, England, killing 28.
1871 industrial disaster in Suffolk, England
The Stowmarket Guncotton Explosion happened on 11 August 1871 at the Prentices Guncotton Factory in Stowmarket, Suffolk.
1898
Spanish–American War: American troops enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
1898 conflict between Spain and the United States
The Spanish–American War was fought between Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the U.S.
1918
World War I: The Battle of Amiens ends.
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.
1919
Germany's Weimar Constitution is signed into law.
German constitution of 1919
The Constitution of the German Reich, usually known as the Weimar Constitution, was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era.
1920
The 1920 Cork hunger strike begins which eventually results in the deaths of three Irish Republicans including the Lord Mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney.
Part of the Irish War of Independence
After the death of the Irish revolutionary Thomas Ashe on hunger strike Irish Republicans prisoners carried out several hunger strikes with their demands being granted.
1920
The Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is signed, ending the Latvian War of Independence.
1920 treaty ending the Latvian War of Independence
The Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Riga, was signed on 11 August 1920 by representatives of the Republic of Latvia and Soviet Russia. It officially ended the Latvian War of Independence.
1929
Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
American baseball player (1895–1948)
George Herman "Babe" Ruth was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935.
1934
The first civilian prisoners arrive at the Federal prison on Alcatraz Island.
Former island prison in San Francisco Bay
United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz or The Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United…
1942
Actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil receive a patent for a Frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication system that later became the basis for modern technologies in wireless telephones, two-way radio communications, and Wi-Fi.
Austrian-American actress and inventor (1914–2000)
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian and American actress and inventor. Regarded as a successful film star, she also co-invented a radio guidance system during World War II.
1945
Poles in Kraków engage in a pogrom against Jews in the city, killing one and wounding five.
City in Poland
Kraków, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland.
1952
Hussein bin Talal is proclaimed King of Jordan.
King of Jordan from 1952 to 1999
Hussein bin Talal was King of Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999. A member of the Hashemite dynasty, he is regarded as a 40th-generation descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
1959
Sheremetyevo International Airport, the second-largest airport in Russia, opens.
International airport serving Moscow, Russia
Alexander S. Pushkin Sheremetyevo International Airport, more commonly known as Sheremetyevo International Airport or simply Sheremetyevo is the busiest of the four international airports that serve the city of Moscow.
1960
Chad declares independence from France.
Country in Central Africa
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa.
1961
The former Portuguese territories in India of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are merged to create the Union Territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Country in South Asia
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's seventh-largest country by area and the largest by population.
1962
Vostok 3 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev becomes the first person to float in microgravity.
1962 Soviet human spaceflights into low Earth orbit
Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 were Soviet space program flights in August 1962, intended to determine the ability of the human body to function in conditions of weightlessness, test the ground control capability to launch and…
1965
Race riots (the Watts Riots) begin in the Watts area of Los Angeles, California.
1965 riots in Los Angeles, United States
The Watts riots, sometimes referred to as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising, took place in the Watts neighborhood and its surrounding areas of Los Angeles from August 11 to 16, 1965.
1969
The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a three-week quarantine following their liftoff from the Moon.
First crewed Moon landing (1969)
Apollo 11 was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon, and the fifth crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program.
1972
Vietnam War: The last United States ground combat unit leaves South Vietnam.
1955–1975 war in Southeast Asia
The Vietnam War was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam and their allies.
1973
At the 1520 Sedgwick Avenue apartment building in The Bronx, New York, DJ Kool Herc hosts a house party widely considered to mark the birthplace of hip-hop culture and music.
DJ Kool Herc demonstrates a new technique of beat juggling and Coke La Rock performs a new style of vocal performance called rapping.
1520 Sedgwick Avenue is a 102-unit apartment building in the Morris Heights neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City.
1975
East Timor: Governor Mário Lemos Pires of Portuguese Timor abandons the capital Dili, following a coup by the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) and the outbreak of civil war between UDT and Fretilin.
Country in Southeast Asia
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia.
1979
Two Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134s collide over the Ukrainian city of Dniprodzerzhynsk and crash, killing all 178 aboard both airliners.
National airline of Russia
PJSC Aeroflot – Russian Airlines, commonly known as Aeroflot, is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia.
1982
A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830, en route from Tokyo, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii, killing one passenger and injuring 15 others.
1982 airliner bombing
Pan Am Flight 830 was a scheduled international flight from New Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California via Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii.
1988
A meeting between Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, and leaders of Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan culminates in the formation of Al-Qaeda.
Ex al-Qaeda member
Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, also known as Dr. Fadl or Abd Al-Qader Bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz, has been described as a "major" figure "in the global jihad movement." He is said to be "one of Ayman Al-Zawahiri's oldest associates",…
1991
Nickelodeon's first line of "Nicktoons" (Doug, Rugrats & Ren & Stimpy) premiere on the channel.
American children's pay television channel
Nickelodeon is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Skydance.
1992
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota opens.
At the time the largest shopping mall in the United States.
Mall of America (MOA) is a super-regional shopping mall and entertainment complex in Bloomington, Minnesota.
1995
The Russell Hill subway accident in Toronto kills 3 and injures 30, due to a combination of human error and a safety system design flaw.
Deadly Toronto Subway train collision
The 1995 Russell Hill subway accident was a train crash that occurred in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway on August 11, 1995.
2000
An air rage incident occurs on board Southwest Airlines Flight 1763 when 19-year-old Jonathan Burton attempts to storm the cockpit, but he is subdued by other passengers and dies from his injuries.
Disruptive or violent behavior on an aircraft
Air rage is aggressive or violent behavior on the part of passengers and crew of aircraft, especially during flight.
2003
NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
Intergovernmental military alliance
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states.
2003
Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.
Southeast Asian salafist organization (1993–2024)
Jemaah Islamiyah was a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group based in Indonesia, which was dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia.
2006
The oil tanker MT Solar 1 sinks off the coast of Guimaras and Negros Islands in the Philippines, causing the country's worst oil spill.
Ship that carries petroleum
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers.
2012
At least 306 people are killed and 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran.
Doublet earthquakes in northwest Iran
The 2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes – also known as the Ahar earthquakes – occurred on 11 August 2012, at 16:53 Iran Standard Time, near the cities of Ahar and Varzaqan in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, approximately…
2017
At least 41 people are killed and another 179 injured after two passenger trains collide in Alexandria, Egypt.
2017 train accident in Egypt
The Alexandria train collision occurred on 11 August 2017 near Khorshid station in the suburbs of the eastern edge of Alexandria, Egypt.
2023
Luna 25 launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Failed Russian lunar lander
Luna 25, also known as the Luna-Glob lander, was a failed Russian lunar lander mission operated by Roscosmos.