August 11

480BC – Ephialtes betrays his countrymen and guides Persian forces led by Hydarnes over a mountain track to the rear of the Greeks defending Thermopylae from invasion.

106 – The southwestern part of Dacia -modern Romania -becomes a Roman province.

1315 – After the end of the Medieval Warm Period in the previous century, and following bad spring weather, crop failures cause a general famine across Europe lasting for 7 years.

1813 – In what is now modern day Columbia, Juan del Corral declares the independence of Antioquia province from Spain.

1898 – During the Puerto Rico campaign of the Spanish–American War, U.S. troops occupy the city of Mayagüez.

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 – The first civilian prisoners arrive at the Federal prison on Alcatraz Island.

1942 – Actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil receive a patent for a frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio “Secret Communications System” to be used for secure communications.

1945 – U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes replies to Japan’s offer of a conditional surrender with a refusal to compromise on the demand that the surrender be unconditional. The Soviets also invade South Sakhalin island.

1965 – Race riots begin in the Watts area of Los Angeles, California.

1969 – The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a 3 week quarantine following their return from the moon.

1972 – The last personnel of the United States Army’s 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment leaves South Vietnam

1982 – A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830, a Boeing 747, en route from Tokyo, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii, killing 1 passenger and injuring 16 others.

1984 – While preparing to make his weekly Saturday address on National Public Radio, President Ronald Reagan jokes: “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.”

1992 – The last personnel of the United States Army’s 19th Maintenance Battalion leaves Germany, enroute to their new station at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in support of the 214th Field Artillery Brigade.

2003 – NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe at the time.

2014 – Actor Robin Williams commits suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California