This Day In History : June 11

1971 United States

US ends ban on China trade

On June 11, 1971, President Nixon took a significant step toward normalizing relations with China by ending a 21-year-old embargo on trade with the country.

Also on This Day in History June 11

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

Births on This Day, June 11

1867 Charles Fabry

French scientist who discovered the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere
1910 Jacques-Yves Cousteau

French oceanic explorer who invented diving gear
1886 David Steinman

American engineer and bridge designer who built the Hudson and Triborough bridges
1842 Carl von Linde

German engineer and chemist who invented mechanical refrigeration
1880 Jeannette Rankin

American politician, 1st woman elected to US Congress (R-Montana), women's rights advocate and pacifist

Deaths on This Day, June 11

1941 Daniel Carter Beard

American author and illustrator, founded the Boy Scouts of America
1930 Henry Clay Folger

American CEO of Standard Oil and founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library
1936 Julius Nieuwland

Belgian-American chemist (inventor of 1st synthetic rubber neoprene)
1727 George I

King of Great Britain and Ireland (1714-27)
1970 Frank Laubach

American missionary and educator (taught reading through phonetics)

1770

James Cook discovers the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia

British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to discover the Great Barrier Reef off Australia on June 11, 1770. This discovery occurred when his ship, the HMS Endeavour, ran aground on the coral of the reef, causing damage and necessitating repairs.

1963

A Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc burnt himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection

Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk protesting the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam, burned himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection on June 11, 1963. This self-immolation was a dramatic and highly publicized act of protest against the policies of the government of President Ngo Dinh Diem, which discriminated against Buddhists in favor of the country's Catholic minority.

1793

First American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick

Robert Haeterick received the first American patent for a stove on June 11, 1793. His stove design was made of cast iron and was issued about three years after the very first U.S. patent.

1975

Greece adopts constitution

Greece adopted its current constitution on June 11, 1975, following the fall of the military junta that had ruled the country since 1967. The new constitution replaced the previous one, which had been suspended during the military regime.