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August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 142 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

• 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation.
• 480 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Artemisium - The Persians achieve a naval victory over the Greeks in an engagement fought near Artemisium, a promontory on the north coast of Euboea. The Greek fleet holds its own against the Persians in three days of fighting but withdraws southward when news comes of the defeat at Thermopylae.
• 355 - Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II.
• 1786 - Captain Francis Light established the British colony of Penang in Malaysia
• 1804 - Francis II assumed title of first Emperor of Austria
• 1828 - William Corder is hanged at Bury St. Edmunds, England, for the murder of Maria Marten at the Red Barn a year ago.
• 1858 - First ascent of the Eiger.
• 1898 - Spanish-American War: American troops enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
• 1918 - World War I - Battle of Amiens ends
• 1919 - Constitution of Weimar Republic adopted
• 1920 - The Latvia-Bolshevist Russia peace treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is signed.
• 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 - Federal prison opened at Alcatraz Island.
• 1952 - Hussein proclaimed king of Jordan
• 1960 - Chad declares independence.
• 1965 - Race riots (the Watts riots) begin in Watts area of Los Angeles, California.
• 1968 - The last steam passenger train service runs in Britain. A selection of British Rail steam locomotives make the 120-mile journey from Liverpool to Carlisle and returns to Liverpool before having their fires dropped for the last time - this working was known as the Fifteen Guinea Special.
• 1972 - Vietnam War: The last United States ground combat unit depart South Vietnam.
• 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.
• 1987 - Alan Greenspan becomes Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve.
• 1999 - A total solar eclipse visible from Europe and Asia.

• 1999 - The exceptional Salt Lake City Tornado tears through the downtown district of the city, killing one.
• 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.
• 2003 - A heat wave in Paris resulted in temperatures rising to 112°F (44° C), leaving about 144 people dead.

Births

• 1467 - Mary of York, English princess (d. 1482)
• 1667 - Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, last of the Medicis (d. 1743)
• 1673 - Richard Mead, English physician (d. 1754)
• 1718 - Sir Frederick Haldimand, Swiss-born British colonial governor (d. 1791)
• 1722 - Richard Brocklesby, English physician (d. 1797)
• 1778 - Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, German (Prussian) gymnastics educator and nationalist (d. 1852)
• 1794 - James Barton Longacre, American engraver (d. 1869)
• 1807 - David Rice Atchison, American politician (d. 1886)
• 1833 - Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and soldier (d. 1899)
• 1833 - Kido Takayoshi, Japanese politician (d. 1877)
• 1836 - Warren Brown, American politician (d. 1919)
• 1837 - Marie François Sadi Carnot, French statesman (d. 1894)
• 1858 - Christiaan Eijkman, Dutch physician, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1930)
• 1863 - Gaston Doumergue, President of the French Third Republic (d. 1937)
• 1870 - Tom Richardson, English cricketer (d. 1912)
• 1870 - Walter Bowman, Canadian soccer player (d. ?)
• 1872 - Shidehara Kijuro, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1951)
• 1877 - Adolph M. Christianson, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (d.1954)
• 1892 - Eiji Yoshikawa, Japanese novelist (d. 1962)
• 1892 - Hugh MacDiarmid, Scottish poet (d. 1978)
• 1897 - Louise Bogan, American poet (d. 1970)
• 1897 - Enid Blyton, English author (d. 1968)
• 1900 - Philip Phillips, American archaeologist (d. 1994)
• 1902 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (d. 1986)
• 1902 - Lloyd Nolan, American actor (d. 1985)
• 1905 - Erwin Chargaff, Austrian biochemist (d. 2002)
• 1907 - Ted a'Beckett, Australian cricketer (d. 1989)
• 1912 - Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs, German astronomer (d. 1954)
• 1912 - Thanom Kittikachorn, Prime Minister of Thailand (d. 2004)
• 1913 - Angus Wilson, British novelist (d. 1991)
• 1913 - Paul Dupuis, French Canadian actor (d. 1976)
• 1913 - Bob Scheffing, American professional baseball player and manager (d. 1985)
• 1914 - José Silva, American parapsychologist (d. 1999)
• 1916 - Johnny Claes, Belgian racing driver (d. 1956)
• 1919 - Ginette Neveu, French violinist (d. 1949)
• 1920 - Chuck Rayner, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2002)
• 1921 - Alex Haley, American historian (d. 1992)
• 1923 - Stan Chambers, American television reporter
• 1925 - Mike Douglas, American entertainer (d. 2006)
• 1925 - Floyd Curry, National Hockey League player (d. 2006)
• 1926 - Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-born chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate
• 1926 - Claus von Bülow, Danish-born British socialite
• 1928 - Arlene Dahl, American actress
• 1932 - Fernando Arrabal, Spanish writer
• 1932 - Israel Asper, Canadian tax lawyer (d. 2003)
• 1932 - John Gorrie, English director
• 1933 - Jerry Falwell, American preacher (d. 2007)
• 1936 - Andre Dubus, American short-story writer (d. 1999)
• 1938 - Branko Stanovnik, Slovenian chemist
• 1939 - Ronnie Dawson, American rockabilly performer (d. 2003)
• 1942 - Mike Hugg, British musician (Manfred Mann)
• 1943 - Abigail Folger, American heiress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
• 1943 - Stefania Toczyska, Polish mezzo-soprano
• 1943 - Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani politician
• 1944 - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
• 1944 - Fred Smith, American entrepreneur
• 1946 - Marilyn vos Savant, American newspaper columnist
• 1946 - John Conlee, American country music singer
• 1947 - Georgios Karatzaferis, Greek politician
• 1948 - Jan Palach, Czechoslovakian student protester
• 1949 - Eric Carmen, American musician
• 1950 - Erik Brann, American musician (d. 2003)
• 1950 - Gennidy Nikonov, Russian weapons inventor
• 1950 - Steve Wozniak, American computer pioneer
• 1951 - Vincent Bilodeau, Quebec actor and comedian
• 1952 - Bob Mothersbaugh, AKA Bob 1, American Musician (DEVO)
• 1953 - Hulk Hogan, American professional wrestler
• 1954 - Joe Jackson, English singer
• 1954 - Juan Maria Solare, Argentine composer
• 1955 - Sylvia Hermon, British politician
• 1955 - Marc Bureau, French Canadian politician
• 1956 - Pierre-Louis Lions, French mathematician
• 1957 - Richie Ramone, American musician (The Ramones)
• 1957 - Ian Stuart Donaldson, British singer (Skrewdriver)
• 1959 - Gustavo Cerati, Argentinian musician (Soda Stereo)
• 1959 - Yoshiaki Murakami, Japanese investor
• 1963 - Hiromi Makihara, Japanese baseball player
• 1964 - Jim Lee, Korean-born comic book artist
• 1964 - Miguel A. Núñez Jr., American actor
• 1965 - Marc Bergevin, Canadian professional ice hockey player
• 1965 - Shinji Mikami, video game designer
• 1965 - Viola Davis, American actress
• 1966 - Nigel Martyn, English footballer
• 1966 - Embeth Davidtz, American actress
• 1967 - Enrique Bunbury, Spanish singer
• 1967 - Collin Chou, Taiwanese actor
• 1967 - Joe Rogan, American television host
• 1968 - Lorenzo Bernardi, Italian volleyball player
• 1968 - Charlie Sexton, American musician
• 1968 - Alan Kelly, England-born Irish footballer
• 1968 - Veda Hille, Canadian singer
• 1968 - Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
• 1969 - Jonah Matranga, American singer
• 1969 - Ashley Jensen, Scottish actress
• 1970 - Andy Bell, English musician (Ride, Hurricane #1, Oasis)
• 1971 - Tommy Mooney, English football player
• 1971 - Alejandra Barros, Mexican actress
• 1972 - Jonathon Prandi, American model
• 1973 - Nigel Harman, British actor
• 1974 - Audrey Mestre, French diver
• 1974 - Will Friedle, American actor
• 1974 - Hadiqa Kiyani, Pakistani pop star
• 1974 - Marie-France Dubreuil, French Canadian figure skater
• 1975 - Davey von Bohlen, American musician, (The Promise Ring, Maritime)
• 1975 - Ronald Clarke, American musician and founder of aliennetwork Records
• 1976 - Ben Gibbard, American musician (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service)
• 1976 - Ľubomir Visnovsky, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1976 - Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
• 1976 - Erick Lindgren, American poker player
• 1978 - Jermain Taylor, American boxer
• 1978 - Amber Brkich, American reality television personality
• 1980 - Lee Suggs, American football player
• 1981 - Sandi Thom, Scottish born singer
• 1981 - Fiona Sit, Hong Kong singer and actress
• 1982 - Alan Halsall, British actor
• 1984 - Melky Cabrera, Dominican baseball player
• 1984 - Katie Rees, American Miss Nevada USA
• 1984 - Lucas Di Grassi, Brazilian racing driver
• 1985 - Grace Adams-Short, British reality television contestant
• 1988 - Patrick Mills, Australian basketball player
• 1992 - Allison Lozano, Mexican actress
• 1993 - Alyson Stoner, American actress

Deaths

• 480 BC - Leonidas, King of Sparta (b. circa 540 BC)
• 353 - Magnentius, Roman usurper (b. 303)
• 449 - Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople
• 897 - Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona
• 1204 - King Guttorm of Norway (b. 1199)
• 1253 - Clare of Assisi, Italian follower of Francis of Assisi (b. 1194)
• 1456 - John Hunyadi, regent of Hungary (b. 1387)
• 1464 - Nicholas of Cusa, German philosopher and mathematician (b. 1401)
• 1494 - Hans Memling, Flemish painter (b. circa 1430)
• 1519 - Johann Tetzel, German opponent of the Reformation (b. 1465)
• 1563 - Bartolomé de Escobedo, Spanish composer (b. circa 1500)
• 1578 - Pedro Nunes, Portuguese mathematician (b. 1502)
• 1596 - Hamnet Shakespeare, son of William Shakespeare (b. 1585)
• 1614 - Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (b. 1552)
• 1656 - Prince Octavio Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi, Austrian field marshal (b. 1599)
• 1774 - Tiphaigne de la Roche, French writer (b. 1722)
• 1813 - Henry James Pye, English poet (b. 1745)
• 1851 - Lorenz Oken, German naturalist (b. 1779)
• 1854 - Macedonio Melloni, Italian physicist (b. 1798)
• 1886 - Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet (b. 1843)
• 1890 - John Henry Cardinal Newman, English Catholic cardinal (b. 1801)
• 1892 - Enrico Betti, Italian mathematician (b. 1813)
• 1903 - Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Puerto Rican educator and nationalist (b. 1839)
• 1919 - Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1835)
• 1936 - Blas Infante, Spanish writer and politician (b. 1885)
• 1937 - Edith Wharton, American author (b. 1862)
• 1939 - Jean Bugatti, Italian automobile designer (b. 1909)
• 1953 - Tazio Nuvolari, Italian race car driver (b. 1892)
• 1854 - Santo Trafficante, Sr., Sicilian-born American mobster (b. 1886)
• 1956 - Jackson Pollock, American artist (b. 1912)
• 1961 - Antanas Škėma, Lithuanian writer actor and director (b. 1910)
• 1972 - Max Theiler, South African virologist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1899)
• 1974 - Jan Tschichold, German typographer (b. 1902)
• 1980 - Paul Robert, French lexicographer and publisher (b. 1910)
• 1982 - Tom Drake, American actor (b. 1918)
• 1984 - Alfred A. Knopf, American publisher (b. 1892)
• 1984 - Paul Felix Schmidt, Estonian–German chess player (b. 1916)
• 1988 - Anne Ramsey, American actress (b. 1929)
• 1991 - J. D. McDuffie, American NASCAR driver (b. 1939)
• 1994 - Peter Cushing, British actor (b. 1913)
• 1995 - Phil Harris, American singer and comedian (b. 1904)
• 1996 - Rafael Kubelík, Czech-born conductor and composer (b. 1914)
• 1996 - Mel Taylor, American drummer (The Ventures) (b. 1933)
• 2000 - Jean Papineau-Couture, Canadian composer (b. 1916)
• 2001 - Percy Stallard, English racing cyclist (b. 1909)
• 2002 - Galen Rowell, American photographer and mountain climber (b. 1940)
• 2003 - Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician (b. 1923)
• 2003 - Herb Brooks, American ice hockey coach (b. 1937)
• 2005 - James Booth, English actor (b. 1927)
• 2006 - Mike Douglas, American singer and talk show host (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

Roman Catholicism

• Attracta
• Saint Fiacre
• Gaugericus (Géry), bishop of Cambrai, confessor (sometimes martyr)
• Saint Taurinus, bishop of Evreux, confessor
• Saints Tiburtius and Chromatius, martyrs
• Saint Susanna, virgin, martyr in 295
• Saint Clare of Assisi, virgin
• Saint Philomena

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

• August