On This Day in History for August 11
Events in History
- 3114 BC The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Mayans, begins
- 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 - Persian naval victory over the Greeks in an engagement fought off north coast of Euboea.
- 355 Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II.
- 1093 Foundation stone for the new Norman Durham cathedral laid by Bishop William of St. Calais in England
- 1304 Sea battle of Zierikzee, Franco-Holland forces defeat Flemish fleet
- 1492 Rodrigo de Borja becomes Pope Alexander VI
- 1522 Uprising of adel/burgerij in Austria fails
- More Events in History
Christiaan Eijkman
Eleftherios Venizelos
Enid Blyton
Alex Haley
Pervez Musharraf
Steve WozniakWeddings in History
- 1886 Education pioneer Booker T. Washington (30) weds Olivia Davidson (32) Athens, Ohio
- 1925 British physicist James Chadwick (33) weds Aileen Stewart-Brown in Liverpool, England
- 1949 Molecular biologist Francis Crick (33) weds artist Odile Speed (29)
More Weddings & Divorces in History
Andrew Carnegie
Edith Wharton
Jackson Pollock
V. S. NaipaulAugust in History
Did a Snake Kill Cleopatra?
Cleopatra, the legendary Queen of Egypt, is said to have died on this day, famously submitting to the bite of a poisonous snake. The story might even be true. . .
August 10, 30 AD
The Sinking of the Vasa
Swedish warship Vasa sinking in Stockholm harbor
August 10, 1628
Funeral of Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI's body lying in view in the Vatican after his death
August 11, 1978
Ship of Gold Sails Into Oblivion
A frigate with more than 150 souls on board, as well as nearly three tons of gold, sailed out of Melbourne on this day – never to be seen again.
August 12, 1853