Discover what happened on June 11 in history, along with notable events that shaped transportation, civil rights, entertainment, technology, and Michigan history.
What Happened on June 11 in History?
Important events on this day include the devastating fire that destroyed much of early Detroit, the first public demonstration of FM radio broadcasting, the opening of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park, and the debut of American Idol.
JUNE 11 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1776 – In America, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Britain. Appointed to the committee were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
1805 – A fire consumed large portions of Detroit in the Michigan Territory.
1889 – The Washington Business High School opened in Washington, DC. It was the first school devoted to business in the U.S.
1895 – Charles E. Duryea received the first U.S. patent granted to an American inventor for a gasoline-driven automobile.
1919 – Sir Barton became the first horse to capture the Triple Crown when he won the Belmont Stakes in New York, NY.
1927 – Charles A. Lindberg was presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross.
1930 – William Beebe dove to a record-setting depth of 1,426 feet off the coast of Bermuda. He used a diving chamber called a bathysphere.
1935 – Inventor Edwin Armstrong gave the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the U.S. at Alpine, NJ.
1936 – The Presbyterian Church of America was formed in Philadelphia, PA.
1947 – The U.S. government announced an end to sugar rationing.
1950 – Ben Hogan returned to tournament play after a near fatal car accident. He won the U.S. Open.
1955 – Eighty-three spectators were killed and at least 100 were injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes Benz collided at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the deadliest accident ever in motorsports.
1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin allegedly became the only prisoners to ever escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island.
1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Florida for trying to integrate restaurants.
1963 – Alabama Gov. George Wallace allowed two black students to enroll at the University of Alabama.
1972 – Hank Aaron tied the National League record for 14 grand-slam home runs in a career.
1973 – After a ruling by the Justice Department of the State of Pennsylvania, women were licensed to box or wrestle.
1981 – The first major league baseball player’s strike began. It would last for two months.
1982 – Steven Spielberg’s movie “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” opened in theaters nationwide.
1986 – The movie “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off”, starring Matthew Broderick, premiered in theaters.
1990 – The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that would prohibit the desecration or burning of the American Flag.
1993 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people who commit “hate crimes” could be sentenced to extra punishment. The court also ruled in favor of religious groups saying that they indeed had a constitutional right to sacrifice animals during worship services.
1993 – Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jurassic Park” opened in theaters.
1998 – Amazon.com expanded its product line from books only to compact discs as well.
1998 – Compaq Computer paid $9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition.
1998 – Mitsubishi of America agreed to pay $34 million to end the largest sexual harassment case filed by the U.S. government. The federal lawsuit claimed that hundreds of women at a plant in Normal, IL, had endured groping and crude jokes from male workers.
2001 – The reality TV show “Fear Factor” debuted on NBC.
2001 – Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was executed in Indiana.
2002 – The FOX television series “American Idol” debuted. The show featured judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.
2004 – The movie “Napoleon Dynamite” was released in theaters.
2004 – A remake of the 1975 movie “The Stepford Wives”, starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick, premiered in theaters.
2009 – The World Health Organization declared H1N1 swine flu to be a global pandemic.
2012 – TV’s “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts told viewers she had a rare blood disease and that her sister, WWLTV anchor SallyAnn Roberts, would be her bone marrow donor.
2015 – The Japanese Garden opens at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI.
2018 – 3 World Trade Center officially opened.
2019 – It was revealed that an estimated 500,000 song titles, including the recording masters of Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, were lost in a 2008 warehouse fire on the backlot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JUNE 11:
Parris Glendening – 84 years old (1942) – Politician, 59th Governor of Maryland
Adrienne Barbeau – 81 years old (1945) – Actress
Frank Beard – 77 years old (1949) – Drummer and songwriter
Donnie Van Zant – 74 years old (1952) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Joe Montana – 70 years old (1956) – Football player and sportscaster
Mehmet Oz – 66 years old (1960) – Surgeon, author, and television host
Britta Phillips – 63 years old (1963) – Singer-songwriter, musician, and actress
Penny Ford – 62 years old (1964) – Singer
Peter Dinklage – 57 years old (1969) – Actor and producer
Joshua Jackson – 48 years old (1978) – Canadian-American actor
Diana Taurasi – 44 years old (1982) – Basketball player
Chuck Hayes – 43 years old (1983) – Basketball player
Shia LaBeouf – 40 years old (1986) – Actor
Maya Moore – 37 years old (1989) – Basketball player
Kyle Troup – 35 years old (1991) – Bowler
Kodak Black – 29 years old (1997) – Rapper
Charlie Tahan – 28 years old (1998) – Actor
Katrina Scott – 22 years old (2004) – Tennis player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JUNE 11:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
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