August 11  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Art and culture

August 11 - John Lennon holds a press conference in Chicago, Illinois to apologize for his remarks the previous March. "I suppose if I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I would have gotten away with it. I'm sorry I opened my mouth. I'm not anti-God, anti-Christ, or anti-religion. I was not knocking it. I was not saying we are greater or better."

• 1919 - Constitution of Weimar Republic adopted
• 1920 - The Latvia-Bolshevist Russia peace treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is signed.
• 1929 - Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
• 1934 - Federal prison opened at Alcatraz Island
• 1951 - René Pleven becomes Prime Minister of France
• 1952 - Hussein proclaimed king of Jordan
• 1960 - Chad declares independence
• 1965 - Race riots (the Watts riots) begin in Watts area of Los Angeles, California
• 1966 - John Lennon holds a press conference in Chicago apologizing for stating that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus".
• 1968 - The last steam passenger train service ran in Britain. A British Rail steam locomotive made the 314-mile journey from Liverpool to Carlisle and returned to Liverpool before being dispatched to the Wrecking yard.
• 1970 - A trademark application by the Van Brode Milling Company for the word Spork was published by the USPTO.
• 1972 - Vietnam War: The last United States ground combat unit depart South Vietnam
• 1984 - United States President Ronald Reagan, during a voice check for a radio broadcast remarks "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes".
• 1987 - Alan Greenspan becomes Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve.
• 1988 - The Charlotte Coliseum, once the largest arena in the NBA, was dedicated.
• 1992 - The Mall of America, the biggest shopping mall in the country, opened in Bloomington, Minnesota.
• 1995 - Russell Hill subway accident kills three people in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 1999 - A total solar eclipse visible from Europe and Asia.

• 1999 - The exceptional Salt Lake City Tornado tears through the downtown district of the city, killing one.
• 2003 - NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
• 2003 - Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.
• 2003 - A big heat wave in Paris had temperatures up to 112°F (44° C), with about 144 people dead.
• 2005 - Murderer Mitchell Johnson is released from prison on his 21st birthday.
• 2006 - The last software patent expired on the GIF format.
• 2006 - The largest string of firecrackers ever assembled is ignited in Buchanan, Wisconsin. It contains an estimated 10,500,000 firecrackers.

Births

• 1667 - Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, last of the Medicis (d. 1743)
• 1673 - Richard Mead, English physician (d. 1754)
• 1718 - Sir Frederick Haldimand, Swiss-born British colonial governor (d. 1791)
• 1722 - Richard Brocklesby, English physician (d. 1797)
• 1794 - James Barton Longacre, American engraver (d. 1869)
• 1807 - David Rice Atchison, American politician (d. 1886)
• 1833 - Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and soldier (d. 1899)
• 1833 - Kido Takayoshi, Japanese politician (d. 1877)
• 1836 - Warren Brown, American politician (d. 1919)
• 1837 - Marie François Sadi Carnot, French statesman (d. 1894)
• 1858 - Christiaan Eijkman, Dutch physician, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1930)
• 1863 - Gaston Doumergue, President of the French Third Republic (d. 1937)
• 1870 - Tom Richardson, English cricketer (d. 1912)
• 1870 - Walter Bowman, Canadian soccer player (d. ?)
• 1872 - Shidehara Kijuro, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1951)
• 1892 - Eiji Yoshikawa, Japanese novelist (d. 1962)
• 1892 - Hugh MacDiarmid, Scottish poet (d. 1978)
• 1897 - Louise Bogan, American poet (d. 1970)
• 1897 - Enid Blyton, English author (d. 1968)
• 1900 - Philip Phillips, American archaeologist (d. 1994)
• 1902 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (d. 1986)
• 1902 - Lloyd Nolan, American actor (d. 1985)
• 1905 - Erwin Chargaff, Austrian biochemist (d. 2002)
• 1907 - Ted a'Beckett, Australian cricketer (d. 1989)
• 1912 - Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs, German astronomer (d. 1954)
• 1912 - Thanom Kittikachorn, Prime Minister of Thailand (d. 2004)
• 1913 - Angus Wilson, British novelist (d. 1991)
• 1914 - José Silva, American parapsychologist (d. 1999)
• 1916 - Johnny Claes, Belgian racing driver (d. 1956)
• 1919 - Ginette Neveu, French violinist (d. 1949)
• 1920 - Chuck Rayner, American ice hockey player (d. 2002)
• 1921 - Alex Haley, American historian (d. 1992)
• 1925 - Mike Douglas, American entertainer (d. 2006)
• 1925 - Floyd Curry, National Hockey League player (d. 2006)
• 1926 - Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-born chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate
• 1928 - Arlene Dahl, American actress
• 1932 - Fernando Arrabal, Spanish writer
• 1932 - Israel Asper, Canadian tax lawyer (d. 2003)
• 1933 - Jerry Falwell, American preacher (d. 2007)
• 1936 - Andre Dubus, American short-story writer (d. 1999)
• 1938 - Branko Stanovnik, Slovenian chemist
• 1939 - Ronnie Dawson, American rockabilly performer (d. 2003)
• 1943 - Abigail Folger, American coffee heiress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
• 1943 - Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani general, 12th President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• 1944 - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
• 1944 - Fred Smith, American entrepreneur
• 1946 - Marilyn vos Savant, American newspaper columnist
• 1946 - John Conlee, American country music singer
• 1948 - Jan Palach, Czechoslovakian student protester
• 1949 - Eric Carmen, American musician
• 1950 - Gennidy Nikonov, Russian weapons inventor
• 1950 - Steve Wozniak, American computer pioneer
• 1953 - Hulk Hogan, American wrestler
• 1954 - Joe Jackson, English singer
• 1954 - Juan Maria Solare, Argentine composer
• 1955 - Sylvia Hermon, British politician
• 1956 - Pierre-Louis Lions, French mathematician
• 1957 - Richie Ramone, American musician (The Ramones)
• 1957 - Ian Stuart Donaldson, British singer (Skrewdriver)
• 1959 - Gustavo Cerati, Argentinian musician (Soda Stereo)
• 1964 - Jim Lee, Korean-born comic book artist
• 1965 - Marc Bergevin, professional ice hockey player
• 1966 - Nigel Martyn, English footballer
• 1966 - Embeth Davidtz, American actress
• 1967 - Joe Rogan, American television host
• 1967 - Enrique Bunbury, Spanish singer
• 1968 - Lorenzo Bernardi, Italian volleyball player
• 1968 - Charlie Sexton, American musician
• 1968 - Alan Kelly, England-born Irish footballer
• 1968 - Veda Hille, Canadian singer
• 1968 - Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
• 1969 - Jonah Matranga, American singer
• 1969 - Ashley Jensen, Scottish actress
• 1970 - Andy Bell, English musician (Oasis)
• 1971 - Tommy Mooney, English football player
• 1972 - Jonathon Prandi, American model
• 1973 - Nigel Harman, British actor
• 1974 - Audrey Mestre, French diver
• 1974 - Will Friedle, American actor
• 1974 - Hadiqa Kiyani, Pakistani pop star
• 1975 - Davey von Bohlen, American musician (The Promise Ring, Maritime)
• 1976 - Ben Gibbard, American musician (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service)
• 1976 - Ľubomir Visnovsky, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1976 - Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
• 1976 - Erick Lindgren, American poker player
• 1978 - Jermain Taylor, American boxer
• 1978 - Amber Brkich, American reality television personality
• 1980 - Lee Suggs, American football player
• 1981 - Sandi Thom, Scottish born singer
• 1981 - Fiona Sit, Hong Kong singer and actress
• 1984 - Melky Cabrera, Dominican baseball player
• 1984 - Katie Rees, American Miss Nevada USA
• 1984 - Lucas di Grassi, Brazilian racing driver
• 1993 - Alyson Stoner, American actress

Deaths

• 480 BC - Leonidas, King of Sparta
• 353 - Magnentius, Roman usurper
• 449 - Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople
• 897 - Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona
• 1204 - King Guttorm of Norway (b. 1199)
• 1253 - Clare of Assisi, Italian follower of Francis of Assisi (b. 1194)
• 1456 - John Hunyadi, regent of Hungary (b. 1387)
• 1464 - Nicholas of Cusa, German philosopher and mathematician (b. 1401)
• 1519 - Johann Tetzel, German opponent of the Reformation (b. 1465)
• 1563 - Bartolomé de Escobedo, Spanish composer
• 1578 - Pedro Nunes, Portuguese mathematician (b. 1502)
• 1596 - Hamnet Shakespeare, dies at age 11.
• 1614 - Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (b. 1552)
• 1656 - Prince Octavio Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi, Austrian field marshal (b. 1599)
• 1774 - Tiphaigne de la Roche, French writer (b. 1722)
• 1813 - Henry James Pye, English poet (b. 1745)
• 1851 - Lorenz Oken, German naturalist (b. 1779)
• 1854 - Macedonio Melloni, Italian physicist (b. 1798)
• 1886 - Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet (b. 1843)
• 1890 - John Henry Cardinal Newman, English Catholic cardinal (b. 1801)
• 1892 - Enrico Betti, Italian mathematician (b. 1813)
• 1919 - Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1835)
• 1937 - Edith Wharton, American author (b. 1862)
• 1939 - Jean Bugatti, Italian automobile designer (b. 1909)
• 1953 - Tazio Nuvolari, Italian race car driver (b. 1892)
• 1956 - Jackson Pollock, American artist (b. 1912)
• 1961 - Antanas Škėma, Lithuanian writer, stage actor and director (b. 1910)
• 1972 - Max Theiler, South African virologist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1899)
• 1974 - Jan Tschichold, German typographer (b. 1902)
• 1980 - Paul Robert, French lexicographer and publisher (b. 1910)
• 1982 - Tom Drake, American actor (b. 1918)
• 1984 - Alfred A. Knopf, American publisher (b. 1892)
• 1984 - Paul Felix Schmidt, Estonian–German chess player (b. 1916)
• 1988 - Anne Ramsey, American actress (b. 1929)
• 1991 - J. D. McDuffie, NASCAR driver (b. 1939)
• 1994 - Peter Cushing, British actor (b. 1913)
• 1995 - Phil Harris, American singer, songwriter, and comedian (b. 1904)
• 1996 - Rafael Kubelík, Czech-born conductor and composer (b. 1914)
• 2000 - Jean Papineau-Couture, Canadian composer (b. 1916)
• 2001 - Percy Stallard, English racing cyclist (b. 1909)
• 2002 - Galen Rowell, photographer and climber (b. 1940)
• 2003 - Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician (b. 1923)
• 2003 - Herb Brooks, American ice hockey coach (b. 1937)
• 2005 - James Booth, English actor (b. 1927)
• 2006 - Mike Douglas, American singer and talk show host (b. 1925)

Notes

• Fernando Arrabal
• Jackson Pollock
• Jindřich Štyrský
• Richard Monckton Milnes
• Edith Wharton
• Hans Memling
• Peter Cushing