This Day In History : August 11

1999 United Kingdom

In 1999, the last total eclipse of the millenium occurred

The last total solar eclipse of the 20th century, and also the last total eclipse of the millennium, occurred on August 11, 1999. This event was visible along a path that stretched across Europe, the Middle East, and India. It was particularly notable because it was the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe since 1961. People in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, and Iran were able to witness this rare astronomical event.

Also on This Day in History August 11

Discover what happened on August 11 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, August 11
  • 1944 Frederick W. Smith

    American businessman who founded Fed Ex

  • 1950 Steve Wozniak

    American computer scientist who co-founded Apple, Inc.

  • 1858 Christiaan Eijkman

    Dutch physician and bacteriologist (Nobel Prize in Medicine 1929)

  • 1836 Cato Maximilian Guldberg

    Norwegian mathematician and chemist (law of mass action)

  • 1950 Gennidy Nikonov

    Russian weapons inventor

Deaths on This Day, August 11
  • 1977 Sir Frederic Williams

    British electrical and electronics engineer who invented the Williams tube

  • 1908 Khudiram Bose

    Indian freedom fighter

  • 1919 Andrew Carnegie

    Scottish-American industrialist, steel tycoon, philanthropist and one of the richest Americans ever

  • 1972 Max Theiler

    South African-American virologist who developed vaccine for Yellow Fever (Nobel Prize 1951)

  • 1995 Alonzo Church

    American mathematician whose work provided foundation for computer science

1960

Chad declares its independence

Chad, located in north-central Africa, gained independence from France on August 11, 1960. This followed a period of colonial rule by France, during which Chad was part of French Equatorial Africa. The independence movement in Chad was part of a broader wave of decolonization across Africa in the mid-20th century.
1991

Space shuttle STS 43 (Atlantis 9) lands

Space shuttle STS-43, also known as Atlantis 9, launched on August 2, 1991. Its primary mission was to deploy the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E). After 9 days in space conducting experiments, Atlantis landed safely at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 11, 1991.
2008

Airbnb founded

Airbnb was founded on August 11, 2008, in San Francisco, California, by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk. The idea behind Airbnb was to provide a platform where individuals could rent out their extra space to travelers looking for accommodations.
2006

The Philippines worst oil spill happens after the oil tanker M/T Solar 1 sinks off the coast of Guimaras and Negros Islands

The worst oil spill in the Philippines occurred on August 11, 2006, when the oil tanker M/T Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimaras Island in the Visayas region. The tanker was carrying 2.1 million liters of oil, which spilled into the surrounding waters, affecting marine life, coastal communities, and livelihoods.
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