Summary of the Day ✨ 11 July (11/07)
On this historic day, Richard Branson made space tourism history as Virgin Galactic launched him into orbit, while Spain celebrated its first World Cup victory with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, tragedy struck as Al-Shabaab suicide bombings killed 74 in Uganda, notorious drug lord El Chapo Guzmán escaped a maximum security prison for the second time, and a devastating explosion of 98 containers of explosives claimed 13 lives in Cyprus.
Historical Events 📜
- 2021: Virgin Galactic launches its founder, Richard Branson, into space, the first company ever to do so.
- 2015: Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape.
- 2011: Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus.
- 2010: The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carries out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others.
- 2010: In Johannesburg, Spain defeat the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first FIFA World Cup title.
- 2006: Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India.
- 1995: Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins, lasting until 22 July.
- 1991: Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board.
- 1990: Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins.
- 1983: A TAME airline Boeing 737-200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board.
- 1982: Italy defeats West Germany 3–1 to win the FIFA World Cup.
- 1979: America’s first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.
- 1978: Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists.
- 1977: Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- 1973: Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories.
Famous Births 👶
- 2002: Amad, Ivorian footballer
- 1997: Ryan Rolison, American baseball player
- 1996: Alessia Cara, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1995: Joey Bosa, American football player
- 1995: Tyler Medeiros, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1994: Bartłomiej Kalinkowski, Polish footballer
- 1994: Anthony Milford, Australian rugby league player
- 1994: Nina Nesbitt, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1994: Lucas Ocampos, Argentinian footballer
- 1993: Rebecca Bross, American gymnast
- 1993: Heini Salonen, Finnish tennis player
- 1992: Mohamed Elneny, Egyptian footballer
- 1990: Mona Barthel, German tennis player
- 1990: Connor Paolo, American actor
- 1990: Adam Jezierski, Polish-Spanish actor and singer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Martin Cruz Smith, American author and screenwriter (born 1942)
- 2024: Shelley Duvall, American actress (born 1949)
- 2024: Monte Kiffin, American football coach (born 1940)
- 2024: Stanley Tshabalala, South African soccer player and coach (born 1949)
- 2023: Milan Kundera, Czech-French writer (born 1929)
- 2021: Charlie Robinson, American actor (born 1945)
- 2021: Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911)
- 2020: Marc Angelucci, American attorney and men’s rights activist, Vice-president of the National Coalition for Men (born 1968)
- 2020: Frank Bolling, American baseball second baseman (born 1931)
- 2017: Jim Wong-Chu, Canadian poet (born 1949)
- 2015: Giacomo Biffi, Italian cardinal (born 1928)
- 2015: Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959)
- 2015: André Leysen, Belgian businessman (born 1927)
- 2014: Charlie Haden, American bassist and composer (born 1937)
- 2014: Carin Mannheimer, Swedish author and screenwriter (born 1934)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian Feast Day:
Benedict of Nursia - Christian Feast Day:
Olga of Kiev - Christian Feast Day:
Pope Pius I - Christian Feast Day:
Thomas Sprott - Christian Feast Day:
July 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - China National Maritime Day (China)
- Day of the Bandoneón (Argentina)
- Day of the Flemish Community (Flemish Community of Belgium)
- Eleventh Night (Northern Ireland)
- National Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Genocide of the Citizens of the Polish Republic committed by Ukrainian Nationalists (Poland, established by the 22 July 2016 resolution of Sejm in reference to the July 11, 1943 Volhynian Bloody Sunday)
- Gospel Day (Kiribati)
- National Day of Commemoration, held on the nearest Sunday to this date (Ireland)
- The first day of Naadam (July 11–15) (Mongolia)
- World Population Day (International)
- International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, established by the U.N. in May 2024.