June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 203 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about June 11th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about June 11th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- World Doll Day.
- World Gin Day.
- International Young Eagles Day.
- National Corn on the Cob Day
- Yarn Bombing Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – June 11
2009: The World Health Organization declared H1N1 to be a global pandemic in 2009.
2010: Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup for the first time
The 19th association football world cup was opened in Johannesburg, South Africa. The winner of this historic edition was Spain.
1998: The United Nations officially declared a famine in Sudan in 1998.
1987: Margaret Thatcher won her third general election as the Prime Minister of the UK in 1987.
1959: Christopher Cockerell first presents the hovercraft
The amphibious air-cushion vehicle first crossed the English Channel just weeks after Cockerell first demonstrated his prototype, the SR.N1. The scheduled “flights” between Dover (U.K.) and Calais (France) were discontinued in 2000.
1955: More than 80 people die in the Le Mans car race disaster
In one of history’s worst car racing accidents, Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes crashed into a crowd of spectators and burst into flames.
1938: China launches the 1938 Yellow River flood
In what Steven Dutch, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin, called “the world’s largest act of environmental warfare in history”, the Chinese government created the flood to halt invading Japanese forces.
1817: The first predecessor of the bicycle is demonstrated
Using his revolutionary Laufmaschine, also known as Draisine, a two-wheeler without pedals, German inventor Karl Drais completed a 14 km test run in less than an hour, presenting a viable alternative to transportation by horse.
1945: Russian and American soldiers, 1945

1944: Finnish soldiers retreated during the Soviet Vyborg Offensive. Karelian Isthmus, 11.06.1944.

1942: Germans motorcade in Split, 1942. The text on the wall reads “DEATH TO FASCISM-FREEDOM TO THE PEOPLE”.

1940: The Kreuzer Panzerkampfwagen Mk IV 744 (e), or British Cruiser Tank Mk.IVA that was captured by the Germans and put into battle immediately in France. June 1940. This tank was used as it was captured, without even a new paint job. June, 1940.

Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, June 11
1956: Joe Montana. American football player
1933: Gene Wilder, American actor
1910: Jacques Cousteau, French biologist, author, inventor, co-developed the aqua-lung
1864: Richard Strauss, German composer, conductor
1572: Ben Jonson, English writer
Shia LaBeouf was born.
Hugh Laurie was born.
Peter Dinklage was born.
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, June 11
1979: John Wayne, American actor, director, producer
1974: Julius Evola, Italian philosopher
1936: Robert E. Howard, American author
1934: Lev Vygotsky, Russian psychologist
1859: Klemens von Metternich, German/Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire
John Wayne died.
Lev Vygotsky died.
George I of Great Britain died.