What happened on August 11th?

August 11th has seen many fascinating events throughout history. Here are some highlights:

• 3114 BC: The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Mayans, begins¹.
• 480 BC: The Battle of Artemisium during the Greco-Persian Wars, where the Persian navy achieved a victory over the Greeks¹.
• 1492: Rodrigo de Borja becomes Pope Alexander VI¹.
• 1772: A massive eruption of Mount Papandayan in Java, Indonesia, blows off 4,000 feet of the mountain and kills around 3,000 people².
• 1786: Captain Francis Light establishes the British colony of Penang in Malaysia².
• 1804: Francis II assumes the title of the first Emperor of Austria².
• 1858: The first ascent of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland².
• 1866: The world’s first roller rink opens in Newport, Rhode Island².
• 1877: American astronomer Asaph Hall discovers Deimos, one of Mars’s moons².
• 1885: $100,000 is raised in the US for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty².
• 1909: The SOS distress signal is used for the first time by an American ship, the Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina².

These events span a wide range of historical periods and regions, showcasing the diversity of significant occurrences on this date. Is there a particular event or era you’re most interested in? Tell us in the comments below.