August 11
Events
Pre-1600
- 3114 BC - The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins.
- 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation.
- 106 - The south-western part of Dacia becomes a Roman province: Roman Dacia.
- 117 - Hadrian is proclaimed Roman emperor, two days after Trajan's death.
- 355 - Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II.
- 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.
- 923 - The Qarmatians of Bahrayn capture and pillage the city of Basra.
- 1315 - The Great Famine of Europe becomes so dire that even the king of England has difficulties buying bread for himself and his entourage.
- 1332 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Dupplin Moor: Scots under Domhnall II, Earl of Mar are routed by Edward Balliol.
- 1473 - The Battle of Otlukbeli: Mehmed the Conqueror of the Ottoman Empire decisively defeats Uzun Hassan of Aq Qoyunlu.
- 1492 - Rodrigo de Borja is elected as Head of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Alexander VI.
1601–1900
- 1675 - Franco-Dutch War: Forces of the Holy Roman Empire defeat the French in the Battle of Konzer Brücke.
- 1685 - Morean War: The 49-day Siege of Coron ends with the surrender and massacre of its garrison by the Venetians.
- 1786 - Captain Francis Light establishes the British colony of Penang in Malaysia.
- 1804 - Francis II assumes the title of first Emperor of Austria.
- 1812 - Peninsular War: French troops engage British-Portuguese forces in the Battle of Majadahonda.
- 1813 - In Colombia, Juan del Corral declares the independence of Antioquia.
- 1858 - The Eiger in the Bernese Alps is ascended for the first time by Charles Barrington accompanied by Christian Almer and Peter Bohren.
- 1871 - An explosion of guncotton occurs in Stowmarket, England, killing 28.
- 1898 - Spanish–American War: American troops enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
1901–present
- 1918 - World War I: The Battle of Amiens ends.
- 1919 - Germany's Weimar Constitution is signed into law.
- 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.
- 1920 - The Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is signed, ending 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.
- 1934 - The first civilian prisoners arrive at the Federal prison on Alcatraz Island.
- 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.
- 1945 - Poles in Kraków engage in a pogrom against Jews in the city, killing one and wounding five.
- 1952 - Hussein bin Talal is proclaimed King of Jordan.
- 1959 - Sheremetyevo International Airport, the second-largest airport in Russia, opens.
- 1960 - Chad declares independence from France.
- 1961 - The former Portuguese territories in India of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are merged to create the Union Territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
- 1962 - Vostok 3 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev becomes the first person to float in microgravity.
- 1965 - Race riots begin in the Watts area of Los Angeles, California.
- 1969 - The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a three-week quarantine following their liftoff from the Moon.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: The last United States ground combat unit leaves South Vietnam.
- 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.
- 1975 - East Timor: Governor Mário Lemos Pires of Portuguese Timor abandons the capital Dili, following a coup by the Timorese Democratic Union and the outbreak of civil war between UDT and Fretilin.
- 1979 - Two Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134s collide over the Ukrainian city of Dniprodzerzhynsk and crash, killing all 178 aboard both airliners.
- 1982 - A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830, en route from Tokyo, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii, killing one passenger and injuring 15 others.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1991 - Nickelodeon's first line of "Nicktoons" premiere on the channel.
- 1992 - The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota opens. At the time the largest shopping mall in the United States.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2003 - NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
- 2003 - Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.
- 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.
- 2012 - At least 306 people are killed and 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran.
- 2017 - At least 41 people are killed and another 179 injured after two passenger trains collide in Alexandria, Egypt.
- 2023 - Luna 25 launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Births
Pre-1600
- 1086 - Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
- 1384 - Yolande of Aragon
- 1472 - Nikolaus von Schönberg, Catholic cardinal
- 1510 - Margaret Paleologa, Sovereign Marchioness of Montferrat
1601–1900
- 1673 - Richard Mead, English physician and astrologer
- 1718 - Frederick Haldimand, Swiss-English general and politician, 22nd Governor of Quebec
- 1722 - Richard Brocklesby, English physician
- 1748 - Joseph Schuster, German composer
- 1778 - Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, Prussian gymnast, educator, and politician
- 1794 - James B. Longacre, American engraver
- 1807 - David Rice Atchison, American general, lawyer, and politician
- 1808 - William W. Chapman, American lawyer and politician
- 1816 - Frederick Innes, Scottish-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Tasmania
- 1833 - Robert G. Ingersoll, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
- 1833 - Kido Takayoshi, Japanese samurai and politician
- 1836 - Warren Brown, American historian and politician
- 1837 - Marie François Sadi Carnot, French engineer and politician, 4th President of the French Republic
- 1855 - John Hodges, Australian cricketer
- 1858 - Christiaan Eijkman, Dutch physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1860 - Ottó Bláthy, Hungarian engineer and chess player
- 1870 - Tom Richardson, English cricketer
- 1874 - Princess Louise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg
- 1877 - Adolph M. Christianson, American lawyer and judge
- 1878 - Oliver W. F. Lodge, English poet and author
- 1881 - Aleksander Aberg, Estonian wrestler
- 1884 - Hermann Wlach, Austrian-Swiss actor
- 1885 - Stephen Butterworth, English physicist and engineer
- 1891 - Stancho Belkovski, Bulgarian architect and educator
- 1891 - Edgar Zilsel, Austrian historian and philosopher of science, linked to the Vienna Circle
- 1892 - Hugh MacDiarmid, Scottish poet and linguist
- 1892 - Eiji Yoshikawa, Japanese author
- 1897 - Enid Blyton, English author, poet, and educator
- 1897 - Louise Bogan, American poet and critic
- 1898 - Peter Mohr Dam, Faroese educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
- 1900 - Charley Paddock, American sprinter
- 1900 - Philip Phillips, American archaeologist and scholar
1901–present
- 1902 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist
- 1902 - Lloyd Nolan, American actor
- 1902 - Christian de Castries, French general
- 1905 - Erwin Chargaff, Austrian-American biochemist and academic
- 1905 - Ernst Jaakson, Estonian diplomat
- 1907 - Ted a'Beckett, Australian cricketer and lawyer
- 1908 - Don Freeman, American author and illustrator
- 1908 - Torgny T:son Segerstedt, Swedish sociologist and philosopher
- 1909 - Yūji Koseki, Japanese composer
- 1909 - Uku Masing, Estonian philosopher and theologian
- 1911 - Thanom Kittikachorn, Thai field marshal and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Thailand
- 1912 - Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs, German astronomer and academic
- 1912 - Raphael Blau, American screenwriter and producer
- 1913 - Paul Dupuis, Canadian actor
- 1913 - Bob Scheffing, American baseball player and manager
- 1913 - Angus Wilson, English author and academic
- 1915 - Morris Weiss, American author and illustrator
- 1916 - Johnny Claes, English-Belgian race car driver and trumpet player
- 1919 - Luis Olmo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and manager
- 1920 - Mike Douglas, American singer and talk show host
- 1920 - Chuck Rayner, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1921 - Alex Haley, American historian and author
- 1922 - John "Mule" Miles, American baseball player
- 1923 - Stan Chambers, American journalist and actor
- 1925 - Floyd Curry, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
- 1925 - Arlene Dahl, American actress, businesswoman and writer
- 1926 - Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-English chemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1927 - Raymond Leppard, English harpsichord player and conductor
- 1927 - Stuart Rosenberg, American director and producer
- 1929 - Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, Indian singer
- 1932 - Fernando Arrabal, Spanish actor, director, and playwright
- 1932 - Izzy Asper, Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician, founded Canwest
- 1932 - Geoffrey Cass, English businessman
- 1932 - Peter Eisenman, American architect, designed the City of Culture of Galicia
- 1932 - John Gorrie, English director and screenwriter
- 1933 - Jerry Falwell, American minister and television host
- 1933 - Jerzy Grotowski, Polish director and producer
- 1933 - Tamás Vásáry, Hungarian pianist and conductor
- 1934 - Bob Hepple, South African lawyer and academic
- 1936 - Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist
- 1936 - Bill Monbouquette, American baseball player and coach
- 1936 - Jonathan Spence, English-American historian and academic
- 1937 - Anna Massey, English actress
- 1937 - Patrick Joseph McGovern, American businessman, founded International Data Group
- 1939 - James Mancham, first President of Seychelles
- 1939 - Ronnie Dawson, American singer and guitarist
- 1940 - Glenys Page, New Zealand cricketer
- 1941 - John Ellison, American-Canadian musician and songwriter
- 1942 - Mike Hugg, English drummer and keyboard player
- 1942 - Otis Taylor, American football player
- 1943 - Jim Kale, Canadian bass player
- 1943 - Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani general and politician, 10th President of Pakistan
- 1943 - Denis Payton, English saxophonist
- 1944 - Martin Linton, Swedish-English journalist and politician
- 1944 - Frederick W. Smith, American businessman, founded FedEx
- 1944 - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
- 1946 - John Conlee, American singer-songwriter
- 1946 - Marilyn vos Savant, American journalist and author
- 1947 - Theo de Jong, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
- 1947 - Georgios Karatzaferis, Greek journalist and politician
- 1947 - Wilma van den Berg, Dutch sprinter
- 1948 - Don Boyd, Scottish director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1949 - Eric Carmen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1949 - Tim Hutchinson, American lawyer and politician
- 1949 - Ian Charleson, Scottish-English actor and singer
- 1950 - Erik Brann, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1950 - Gennadiy Nikonov, Russian engineer, designed the AN-94 rifle
- 1950 - Steve Wozniak, American computer scientist and programmer, co-founded Apple Inc.
- 1952 - Reid Blackburn, American photographer
- 1952 - Bob Mothersbaugh, American singer, guitarist, and producer
- 1953 - Hulk Hogan, American professional wrestler
- 1953 - Wijda Mazereeuw, Dutch swimmer
- 1954 - Bryan Bassett, American guitarist
- 1954 - Vance Heafner, American golfer and coach
- 1954 - Joe Jackson, English singer-songwriter and musician
- 1954 - Tarmo Rüütli, Estonian footballer, coach, and manager
- 1954 - Yashpal Sharma, Indian cricketer and umpire
- 1955 - Marc Bureau, Canadian politician, 16th Mayor of Gatineau
- 1955 - Sylvia Hermon, Northern Irish academic and politician
- 1956 - Pierre-Louis Lions, French mathematician and academic
- 1957 - Ian Stuart Donaldson, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1957 - Masayoshi Son, Japanese technology entrepreneur and investor
- 1958 - Steven Pokere, New Zealand rugby player
- 1958 - Jah Wobble, English singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1959 - Gustavo Cerati, Argentinian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1959 - Yoshiaki Murakami, Japanese businessman
- 1959 - Taraki Sivaram, Sri Lankan journalist and author
- 1959 - Richard Scudamore, English businessman
- 1959 - László Szlávics, Jr., Hungarian sculptor
- 1961 - David Brooks, American journalist and author
- 1961 - Craig Ehlo, American basketball player and coach
- 1961 - Suniel Shetty, Indian actor and film producer
- 1962 - Brian Azzarello, American author
- 1962 - Charles Cecil, English video game designer and co-founded Revolution Software
- 1962 - John Micklethwait, English journalist and author
- 1962 - Rob Minkoff, American director and producer
- 1963 - Hiromi Makihara, Japanese baseball player
- 1964 - Jim Lee, South Korean-American author and illustrator
- 1964 - Grant Waite, New Zealand golfer
- 1965 - Marc Bergevin, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
- 1965 - Embeth Davidtz, American actress
- 1965 - Viola Davis, American actress
- 1966 - Nigel Martyn, English footballer and coach
- 1966 - Juan María Solare, Argentinian pianist and composer
- 1967 - Massimiliano Allegri, Italian footballer and manager
- 1967 - Enrique Bunbury, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 - Joe Rogan, American actor, comedian, and television host
- 1967 - Petter Wettre, Norwegian saxophonist and composer
- 1968 - Anna Gunn, American actress
- 1968 - Sophie Okonedo, British actress
- 1968 - Charlie Sexton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1970 - Andy Bell, British musician and songwriter
- 1970 - Dirk Hannemann, German footballer and manager
- 1970 - Gianluca Pessotto, Italian footballer
- 1971 - Alejandra Barros, Mexican actress and screenwriter
- 1971 - Tommy Mooney, English footballer
- 1973 - Kristin Armstrong, American cyclist
- 1974 - Marie-France Dubreuil, Canadian figure skater
- 1974 - Hadiqa Kiani, Pakistani singer, songwriter and philanthropist
- 1974 - Audrey Mestre, French biologist and diver
- 1974 - Carolyn Murphy, American model and actress
- 1975 - Chris Cummings, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1976 - Iván Córdoba, Colombian footballer and manager
- 1976 - Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
- 1976 - Will Friedle, American actor and screenwriter
- 1976 - Ben Gibbard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1976 - Ľubomír Višňovský, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1977 - Gemma Hayes, Irish singer-songwriter
- 1977 - Dênio Martins, Brazilian footballer
- 1978 - Spyros Gogolos, Greek footballer
- 1978 - Charlotte Leslie, British politician
- 1978 - Lillian Nakate, Ugandan politician
- 1978 - Isy Suttie, English comedian, musician, actress, and writer
- 1979 - Walter Ayoví, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1980 - Daniel Lloyd, English cyclist and sportscaster
- 1980 - Lee Suggs, American football player
- 1981 - Daniel Poohl, Swedish journalist
- 1982 - Andy Lee, American football player
- 1983 - Chris Hemsworth, Australian actor
- 1983 - Luke Lewis, Australian rugby league player
- 1983 - Pavel 183, Russian painter
- 1984 - Mojtaba Abedini, Iranian Olympic fencer
- 1984 - Melky Cabrera, Dominican baseball player
- 1984 - Lucas di Grassi, Brazilian race car driver
- 1985 - Jacqueline Fernandez, Bahraini–Sri Lankan actress
- 1985 - Asher Roth, American rapper
- 1986 - Mokhtar Benmoussa, Algerian footballer
- 1986 - Hélène Defrance, French sailor
- 1986 - Pablo Sandoval, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1987 - Dany N'Guessan, French footballer
- 1987 - Drew Storen, American baseball player
- 1988 - Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Filipino basketball player
- 1988 - Patty Mills, Australian basketball player
- 1988 - Mustafa Pektemek, Turkish footballer
- 1989 - Junior Heffernan, Irish cyclist and triathlete
- 1989 - Sebastian Huke, German footballer
- 1990 - Lenka Juríková, Slovak tennis player
- 1991 - Cristian Tello, Spanish footballer
- 1992 - Tomi Lahren, American conservative political commentator
- 1993 - Alyson Stoner, American actor, singer, and dancer
- 1994 - Storm Sanders, Australian tennis player
- 1994 - Anton Cooper, New Zealand cross-country cyclist
- 1994 - Joseph Barbato, French footballer
- 1994 - Song I-han, South Korean singer
- 1995 - Brad Binder, South African motorcycle racer
- 1997 - Sarah Clelland, Scottish footballer
- 1999 - Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Indonesian badminton player
- 1999 - Changbin, South Korean rapper
- 2001 - Moyuka Uchijima, Japanese tennis player
- 2002 - Marvin Harrison Jr., American football player