On This Day in History — July 11

Highlights of July 11

• 2011 — An explosion at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base killed 13 people, including the head of the Cyprus Navy. Read more
• 2010 — The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carried out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others. Read more
• 2010 — Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first FIFA World Cup title (pictured lifting the trophy). Read more
• 1991 — Shortly after taking off from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 caught fire and crashed, killing all 261 people on board. Read more
• 1982 — Italy defeated West Germany 3–1 to win their third FIFA World Cup title. Read more
• 1960 — To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee featuring themes of racial injustice and the loss of innocence in the Deep South of America, was published. Read more
• 1928 — Archaeologist Ivan Borkovský discovered a medieval skeleton at Prague Castle; competing factions claimed the skeleton as Germanic or Slavic in origin. Read more
• 1914 — The US Navy launched the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first Standard-type battleship. Read more
• 1864 — American Civil War: Confederate forces under Jubal Early began an unsuccessful attempt to capture Washington, D.C.. Read more
• 1864 — A riot broke out in Leicester, England, at the failed launching of a gas balloon (pictured). Read more
• 1848 — Waterloo Bridge Station, which later became Britain's busiest railway station by passenger usage, was opened by the London and South Western Railway. Read more
• 1846 — British soldier Frederick John White died after a flogging, leading to a campaign to end the practice in the British Army. Read more
• 1833 — Yagan, a Noongar warrior, was killed for leading attacks on British colonists in Western Australia. Read more
• 1801 — French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons co-discovered the first of his 37 comets, more than any other person in history. Read more
• 1792 — The Belfast Harp Festival, an early event in the Gaelic revival, began at the Assembly Rooms. Read more
• 1789 — French Revolution: Jacques Necker was dismissed as Director-General of Finances of France, sparking public demonstrations in Paris that led to the storming of the Bastille. Read more
• 1405 — Marking the start of the Ming treasure voyages, a Chinese expeditionary fleet led by Zheng He set sail for foreign regions of the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. Read more
• 1302 — Franco-Flemish War: Flemish infantry defeated a large French army near Kortrijk at the Battle of the Golden Spurs. Read more
• 813 — Byzantine emperor Michael I Rangabe (depicted), under threat by conspiracies, abdicated in favor of his general Leo the Armenian, and became a monk. Read more

Events

• 2021 — Virgin Galactic launches its founder, Richard Branson, into space, the first company ever to do so. Read more
• 2015 — Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. Read more
• 2011 — Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Read more
• 2010 — The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carries out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others. Read more
• 2010 — In Johannesburg, Spain defeat the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first FIFA World Cup title. Read more
• 2007 — The Siege of Lal Masjid in Islamabad, Pakistan, ends after the Pakistan Army storms the mosque which had been occupied by Islamist militants. Read more
• 2006 — Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. Read more
• 1995 — Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins, lasting until 22 July. Read more
• 1991 — Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. Read more
• 1990 — Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. Read more
• 1983 — A TAME airline Boeing 737-200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board. Read more
• 1982 — Italy defeats West Germany 3–1 to win the FIFA World Cup. Read more
• 1979 — America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. Read more
• 1978 — Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain, killing 216 tourists. Read more
• 1977 — Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Read more
• 1973 — Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. Read more
• 1972 — The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. Read more
• 1971 — The nationalization of all large copper mines in Chile is completed. Read more
• 1962 — First transatlantic satellite television transmission. Read more
• 1962 — Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. Read more
• 1960 — France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. Read more
• 1960 — Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read more
• 1960 — To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. Read more
• 1957 — Prince Karim Husseini Aga Khan IV inherits the office of Imamat as the 49th Imam of Shia Imami Ismai'li worldwide, after the death of Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III. Read more
• 1950 — Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. Read more
• 1947 — The Exodus 1947 heads to Palestine from France. Read more
• 1943 — Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army within the Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Volhynia) peak. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. Read more
• 1941 — The Northern Rhodesian Labour Party holds its first congress in Nkana. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Vichy France regime is formally established. Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of the French State. Read more
• 1936 — The Triborough Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic. Read more
• 1934 — Engelbert Zaschka of Germany flies his large human-powered aircraft, the Zaschka Human-Power Aircraft, about 20 meters at Berlin Tempelhof Airport without assisted take-off. Read more
• 1924 — Eric Liddell wins the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. Read more
• 1922 — The Hollywood Bowl opens. Read more
• 1921 — A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. Read more
• 1921 — The Red Army captures Mongolia from the White Army and establishes the Mongolian People's Republic. Read more
• 1921 — Former president of the United States William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices. Read more
• 1920 — In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. Read more
• 1919 — The eight-hour day and free Sunday become law for workers in the Netherlands. Read more
• 1914 — Babe Ruth makes his debut in Major League Baseball. Read more
• 1914 — The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. Read more
• 1906 — Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Read more
• 1899 — Fiat founded by Giovanni Agnelli in Turin, Italy. Read more
• 1897 — Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. Read more
• 1893 — The first cultured pearl is obtained by Kōkichi Mikimoto. Read more
• 1893 — A revolution led by the liberal general and politician José Santos Zelaya takes over state power in Nicaragua. Read more
• 1889 — Tijuana, Mexico, is founded. Read more
• 1882 — The British Mediterranean Fleet begins the Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt as part of the Anglo-Egyptian War. Read more
• 1864 — American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. Read more
• 1848 — Waterloo railway station in London opens. Read more
• 1836 — The Fly-fisher's Entomology is published by Alfred Ronalds. The book transformed the sport and went to many editions. Read more
• 1833 — Noongar Australian aboriginal warrior Yagan, wanted for the murder of white colonists in Western Australia, is killed. Read more
• 1804 — A duel occurs in which the Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Read more
• 1801 — French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. Read more
• 1798 — The United States Marine Corps is re-established; they had been disbanded after the American Revolutionary War. Read more
• 1796 — The United States takes possession of Detroit from Great Britain under terms of the Jay Treaty. Read more
• 1789 — Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. Read more
• 1735 — Mathematical calculations suggest that it is on this day that dwarf planet Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979. Read more
• 1708 — A coalition army of Dutch, English and German troops under the duke of Marlborough defeats a French army under the duke of Burgundy and the Marshal Vendome in the battle of Oudenarde. Read more
• 1616 — Samuel de Champlain returns to Quebec. Read more

Born on July 11

• 2002 — Amad Diallo, Ivorian footballer Read more
• 1999 — Braydon Trindall, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1997 — Ryan Rolison, American baseball player Read more
• 1996 — Alessia Cara, Canadian singer-songwriter Read more
• 1995 — Joey Bosa, American football player Read more
• 1995 — Tyler Medeiros, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Read more
• 1994 — Bartłomiej Kalinkowski, Polish footballer Read more
• 1994 — Anthony Milford, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1994 — Nina Nesbitt, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1994 — Lucas Ocampos, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1993 — Rebecca Bross, American gymnast Read more
• 1993 — Heini Salonen, Finnish tennis player Read more
• 1993 — Ryan Strome, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1993 — Vincent Trocheck, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1992 — Mohamed Elneny, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1990 — Mona Barthel, German tennis player Read more
• 1990 — Connor Paolo, American actor Read more
• 1990 — Adam Jezierski, Polish-Spanish actor and singer Read more
• 1990 — Caroline Wozniacki, Danish tennis player Read more
• 1989 — Tobias Sana, Swedish footballer Read more
• 1989 — Travis Waddell, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1989 — Shimanoumi Koyo, Japanese sumo wrestler Read more
• 1988 — Étienne Capoue, French footballer Read more
• 1988 — Natalie La Rose, Dutch singer, songwriter and dancer Read more
• 1987 — Shigeaki Kato, Japanese singer Read more
• 1986 — Raúl García, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1986 — Yoann Gourcuff, French footballer Read more
• 1985 — Robert Adamson, American actor, director, and producer Read more
• 1985 — Orestis Karnezis, Greek footballer Read more
• 1984 — Yorman Bazardo, Venezuelan baseball player Read more
• 1984 — Tanith Belbin, Canadian-American ice dancer Read more
• 1984 — Jacoby Jones, American football player (died 2024) Read more
• 1984 — Joe Pavelski, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1984 — Morné Steyn, South African rugby player Read more
• 1983 — Engin Baytar, German-Turkish footballer Read more
• 1983 — Peter Cincotti, American singer-songwriter and pianist Read more
• 1983 — Marie Serneholt, Swedish singer and dancer Read more
• 1981 — Andre Johnson, American football player Read more
• 1981 — Susana Barreiros, Venezuelan judge Read more
• 1980 — Tyson Kidd, Canadian wrestler Read more

Died on July 11

• 2026 — Jayden Adams, South African soccer player (born 2001) Read more
• 2026 — Antonio Rattín, Argentine footballer and politician (born 1937) Read more
• 2026 — Ken Bates, English buisnessman and former owner of Chelsea F.C. and Leeds United F.C. (born 1931) Read more
• 2026 — Lindsey Graham, American politician (born 1955) Read more
• 2025 — Martin Cruz Smith, American author and screenwriter (born 1942) Read more
• 2024 — Shelley Duvall, American actress (born 1949) Read more
• 2024 — Monte Kiffin, American football coach (born 1940) Read more
• 2024 — Stanley Tshabalala, South African soccer player and coach (born 1949) Read more
• 2023 — Milan Kundera, Czech-French writer (born 1929) Read more
• 2021 — Charlie Robinson, American actor (born 1945) Read more
• 2021 — Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911) Read more
• 2020 — Marc Angelucci, American attorney and men's rights activist, Vice-president of the National Coalition for Men (born 1968) Read more
• 2020 — Frank Bolling, American baseball second baseman (born 1931) Read more
• 2017 — Jim Wong-Chu, Canadian poet (born 1949) Read more
• 2015 — Giacomo Biffi, Italian cardinal (born 1928) Read more
• 2015 — Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959) Read more
• 2015 — André Leysen, Belgian businessman (born 1927) Read more
• 2014 — Charlie Haden, American bassist and composer (born 1937) Read more
• 2014 — Carin Mannheimer, Swedish author and screenwriter (born 1934) Read more
• 2014 — Bill McGill, American basketball player (born 1939) Read more
• 2014 — Tommy Ramone, Hungarian-American drummer and producer (born 1949) Read more
• 2014 — John Seigenthaler, American journalist and academic (born 1927) Read more
• 2014 — Randall Stout, American architect, designed the Taubman Museum of Art (born 1958) Read more
• 2013 — Emik Avakian, Iranian-American inventor (born 1923) Read more
• 2013 — Egbert Brieskorn, German mathematician and academic (born 1936) Read more
• 2013 — Eugene P. Wilkinson, American admiral (born 1918) Read more
• 2009 — Reg Fleming, Canadian-American ice hockey player (born 1936) Read more
• 2009 — Arturo Gatti, Italian-Canadian boxer (born 1972) Read more
• 2009 — Ji Xianlin, Chinese linguist and paleographer (born 1911) Read more
• 2008 — Michael E. DeBakey, American surgeon and educator (born 1908) Read more
• 2007 — Glenda Adams, Australian author and academic (born 1939) Read more
• 2007 — Lady Bird Johnson, American beautification activist; 43rd First Lady of the United States (born 1912) Read more
• 2007 — Alfonso López Michelsen, Colombian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Colombia (born 1913) Read more
• 2007 — Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded Honest Ed's (born 1914) Read more
• 2006 — Barnard Hughes, American actor (born 1915) Read more
• 2006 — Bronwyn Oliver, Australian sculptor (born 1959) Read more
• 2006 — John Spencer, English snooker player and sportscaster (born 1935) Read more
• 2005 — Gretchen Franklin, English actress and dancer (born 1911) Read more
• 2005 — Shinya Hashimoto, Japanese professional wrestler (born 1965) Read more
• 2005 — Jesús Iglesias, Argentinian racing driver (born 1922) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian Feast Day: Benedict of Nursia; Christian Feast Day: Drostan; Christian Feast Day: Kjeld; Christian Feast Day: Marciana of Toledo; Christian Feast Day: Olga of Kiev; Christian Feast Day: Pope Pius I; Christian Feast Day: Thomas Sprott; Christian Feast Day: July 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); China National Maritime Day (China); Day of the Bandoneón (Argentina); Day of the Flemish Community (Flemish Community of Belgium); Eleventh Night (Northern Ireland); National Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Genocide of the Citizens of the Polish Republic committed by Ukrainian Nationalists (Poland, established by the 22 July 2016 resolution of Sejm in reference to the July 11, 1943 Volhynian Bloody Sunday); Gospel Day (Kiribati); National Day of Commemoration, held on the nearest Sunday to this date (Ireland); The first day of Naadam (July 11–15) (Mongolia); World Population Day (International); International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, established by the U.N. in May 2024.

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