What Happened on July 11?
July 11 is World Population Day — a UN observance about global growth — on the same date Alexander Hamilton was fatally wounded by Aaron Burr in 1804, Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, and Skylab fell from orbit in 1979.
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1804 — Alexander Hamilton is fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr
On July 11, 1804, former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr met at dawn in Weehawken, New Jersey — a duel that left Hamilton mortally wounded. Read the full story →
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1914 — Babe Ruth makes his major-league debut with the Boston Red Sox
On July 11, 1914, 19-year-old George Herman 'Babe' Ruth pitched for the Boston Red Sox — the start of baseball's greatest legend. Read the full story →
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1921 — Britain and Irish rebels agree to a truce in the Irish War of Independence
On July 11, 1921, a ceasefire halted fighting between British forces and Irish republicans — opening talks that led to Irish independence. Read the full story →
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1960 — Harper Lee publishes To Kill a Mockingbird
On July 11, 1960, Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird arrived in bookstores — a story of justice and racism in the American South. Read the full story →
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1977 — President Carter posthumously awards the Medal of Freedom to Martin Luther King Jr.
On July 11, 1977, President Jimmy Carter presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family — nine years after the civil rights leader's assassination. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) · Yul Brynner (1920–1985) · Richie Sambora (1959) · Lil' Kim (1974)
Days & observances
World Population Day · National Cheer Up the Lonely Day · National Blueberry Muffin Day · All American Pet Photo Day