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.