August 11 is the 223rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 142 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about August 11th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about August 11th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- Play in the Sand Day
- National Son and Daughter Day
- National Ingersoll Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – August 11
1999: Last Total Solar Eclipse of the Millennium
The eclipse was visible from Europe, most of Asia and Africa and in parts of North America. Because of its path through heavily populated parts of the world, the solar eclipse is thought to be one of the most viewed eclipses in recorded history.
1992: Mall of America Opens its Doors to Shoppers
Located in in Bloomington, Minnesota, the mall is the largest shopping Mall in the United States. Spanning 4,870,000 sq ft, it has an indoor theme park and attracts about 40 million visitors each year.
1962: The Soviet Space Agency Launches Vostok 3
The spacecraft was piloted by Andriyan Nikolayev, the first cosmonaut to have orbited the Earth 64 times in 4 days.
1960: Chad gains its independence from the French
The Central African country came under French rule in 1900 after the Battle of Kousséri. Francois Tombalbay became independent Chad’s first president.
1948: The first Olympic Games after the 1938 Berlin Olympics open in London
The next two games after Berlin, scheduled to be held in Tokyo and Helsinki were cancelled due to the Second World War. The first Olympics to be broadcast on television, the London Olympics was popularly known at the time as the Austerity Games. This was because of the cutbacks the host nation had to do due to the post-war economy.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, August 11
1978: Jermain Taylor, American boxer
1953: Hulk Hogan, American wrestler, actor
1950: Steve Wozniak, American computer scientist, programmer, co-founded Apple Inc.
1943: Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani general, politician, 10th President of Pakistan
1897: Enid Blyton, English author
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, August 11
1984: Alfred A. Knopf, Sr., American publisher, founded Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
1956: Jackson Pollock, American painter
1919: Andrew Carnegie, Scottish/American businessman, founded the Carnegie Steel Company
1908: Khudiram Bose, Indian activist
1890: John Henry Newman, English cardinal
