August 11
August 11 is the 224th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 142 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Leo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On August 11 the Sun's declination is approximately +14.7°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a August 11.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian Feast Day: Athracht
- Christian Feast Day: Clare of Assisi
- Christian Feast Day: Gaugericus
- Christian Feast Day: John Henry Newman (Church of England)
- Christian Feast Day: Philomena
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2023 — Luna 25 launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. ↗(3 years ago)more
Luna 25, also known as the Luna-Glob lander, was a failed Russian lunar lander mission operated by Roscosmos. It was the first lunar mission undertaken by Russia since the Soviet-era Luna 24 in 1976, and was intended to be the first spacecraft ever to land near the lunar south pole.
- 2017 — At least 41 people are killed and another 179 injured after two passenger trains collide in Alexandria, Egypt. ↗(9 years ago)
more
The Alexandria train collision occurred on 11 August 2017 near Khorshid station in the suburbs of the eastern edge of Alexandria, Egypt.
- 2012 — At least 306 people are killed and 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran. ↗(14 years ago)
more
The 2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes – also known as the Ahar earthquakes – occurred on 11 August 2012, at 16:53 Iran Standard Time, near the cities of Ahar and Varzaqan in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, approximately 60 kilometers from Tabriz. They comprised a doublet separated by eleven minutes, with magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.2 Mww.
2006 — The oil tanker MT Solar 1 sinks off the coast of Guimaras and Negros Islands in the Philippines, causing the country's worst oil spill. ↗(20 years ago)more
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries.
2003 — NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history. ↗(23 years ago)more
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states—30 in Europe and two in North America. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.
- 2003 — Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand. ↗(23 years ago)
more
Jemaah Islamiyah was a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group based in Indonesia, which was dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia. On 25 October 2002, immediately following the JI-perpetrated 2002 Bali bombings, JI was added to the UN Security Council Resolution 1267.
- 2000 — An air rage incident occurs on board Southwest Airlines Flight 1763 when 19-year-old Jonathan Burton attempts to storm the cockpit, but he is subdued by other passengers and dies from his injuries. ↗(26 years ago)
more
Air rage is aggressive or violent behavior on the part of passengers and crew of aircraft, especially during flight. Air rage generally covers both behavior of a passenger or crew member that is likely caused by physiological or psychological stresses associated with air travel, and when a passenger or crew member becomes unruly, angry, or violent on an a...
1995 — The Russell Hill subway accident in Toronto kills 3 and injures 30, due to a combination of human error and a safety system design flaw. ↗(31 years ago)more
The 1995 Russell Hill subway accident was a train crash that occurred in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway on August 11, 1995. Three people were killed and 30 were taken to hospital with injuries when one train rear-ended another train. The subway line was shut down for five days following the incident.
1992 — The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota opens. At the time the largest shopping mall in the United States. ↗(34 years ago)more
Mall of America (MoA) is a super-regional shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River, and across the Interstate from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
1991 — Nickelodeon's first line of 'Nicktoons' (Doug, Rugrats & Ren & Stimpy) premiere on the channel. ↗(35 years ago)more
Nickelodeon is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Skydance. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children, it is primarily aimed at children and adolescents aged 2 to 17, along with a broader family audience through its...
- 1988 — A meeting between Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, and leaders of Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan culminates in the formation of Al-Qaeda. ↗(38 years ago)
more
Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, also known as Dr. Fadl or Abd Al-Qader Bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz, has been described as a "major" figure "in the global jihad movement." He is said to be "one of Ayman Al-Zawahiri's oldest associates", and his book al-'Umda fi I'dad al-'Udda, was used as a jihad manual in al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan.
- 1984 — 'We begin bombing in five minutes': United States President Ronald Reagan, while running for re-election, jokes while preparing to make his weekly Saturday address on National Public Radio. ↗(42 years ago)
more
"We begin bombing in five minutes" is the last sentence of a controversial, off-the-record joke made by the president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, in 1984 during the Cold War. While preparing for a scheduled radio address from his vacation home in California, Reagan joked with those present about outlawing and bombing Russia.
Notable births
2002 — Marvin Harrison Jr., American football player ↗(24 years ago)more
Marvin Darnell Harrison Jr., nicknamed "Maserati Marv", is an American professional football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American, one of only eleven players in Big Ten Conference history, and the Fred Biletnikoff Award winner in 2023.
2001 — Moyuka Uchijima, Japanese tennis player ↗(25 years ago)more
Moyuka Uchijima is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 47, achieved on 5 May 2025, and a doubles No. 86, reached on 21 July 2025. She has won 13 titles in singles and 11 in doubles on the ITF Circuit. She is the current Japanese No. 2 player.
1999 — Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Indonesian badminton player ↗(27 years ago)more
Gregoria Mariska Tunjung Cahyaningsih is an Indonesian badminton player in women's singles and an Olympic medalist. She started her career at the badminton club PB Mutiara Cardinal in Bandung, West Java, and was called to the national team in 2013. She was the girls' singles champion at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
1999 — Changbin, South Korean rapper ↗(27 years ago)more
Seo Chang-bin known mononymously as Changbin, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Stray Kids, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2017. He is also a member of 3Racha, an in-house production team and sub-unit of Stray Kids.
- 1997 — Sarah Clelland, Scottish footballer ↗(29 years ago)
more
Sarah Isabel Clelland is a Scottish football who plays for Spartans in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) as a full back. She has also played international handball for Scotland and Great Britain.
1995 — Brad Binder, South African motorcycle racer ↗(31 years ago)more
Brad Binder is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He is the 2016 Moto3 World Champion.
Notable deaths
2025 — Miguel Uribe Turbay, Colombian precandidate to presidency (born 1986) ↗(1 years ago)more
Miguel Uribe Turbay was a Colombian politician who served as a member of the Senate of Colombia from 2022 until his assassination in 2025. A member of the conservative Democratic Centre party, he had been seeking the party's nomination for the 2026 presidential election.
2025 — Danielle Spencer, American actress (born 1965) ↗(1 years ago)more
Danielle Louise Spencer was an American actress best known for her role as Dee Thomas on the ABC sitcom What's Happening!!, which ran from 1976 until 1979. She reprised the role on the series' sequel, What's Happening Now!! After her acting career, Spencer became a veterinarian.
2024 — Ángel Salazar, Cuban-American comedian and actor (born 1956) ↗(2 years ago)more
Ángel Salazar was a Cuban-American comedian and actor. He was known for saying "Sheck it out" before, during, and after jokes. As an actor, he was best known for his role as Chi-Chi in the 1983 film Scarface.
2024 — Noël Treanor, Irish Roman Catholic prelate (born 1950) ↗(2 years ago)more
Noël Treanor was an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union with the personal title of archbishop from 2022 until his death in 2024. He was Secretary-General of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) from 1993 to 2008 and 32nd Bishop of Down and Connor from 2008 to 2022.
2023 — Mike Ahern, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Queensland (born 1942) ↗(3 years ago)more
Michael John Ahern was an Australian National Party politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989. After a long career in the government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Ahern became his successor amid the controversy caused by the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (224) | 2^5 × 7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (142) | 2 × 71 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 11082026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +14.74° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 52 days |