In History, Today on June 11

The city of Magdeburg in the Holy Roman Empire was sacked by the forces of Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, during a conflict with the Archbishop of Magdeburg.

King Henry VIII of England married Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, at a private ceremony in Greenwich.

British explorer Captain James Cook ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, leading to the first recorded European contact with the reef.

The Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, which included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.

The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City.

The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia.

Paris hosted the first automobile race from Paris to Bordeaux and back, marking a significant event in the history of motor racing.

Inventor Edwin Armstrong gave the first public demonstration of FM radio broadcasting at Alpine, New Jersey.

The Soviet Union executes eight army leaders as part of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge, reflecting the intense political repression of the era.

Alabama Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama to block the enrollment of African American students, an event known as the 'Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.'

Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington became the first women in the United States Army to be promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

John Wayne, American actor and film icon, dies at age 72.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg, is released in the United States.

Margaret Thatcher became the first British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term, following the general election victory of the Conservative Party.

Compaq Computer pays $9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition to date.

Timothy McVeigh, the American domestic terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing, is executed by lethal injection.

Antonio Meucci is recognized as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.

The funeral of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes place at the Washington National Cathedral.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologizes to the First Nations for the Canadian Indian residential school system.

The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza outbreak a global pandemic, marking the first global flu pandemic in 41 years.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins in South Africa, marking the first time the tournament is held on the African continent.

The Singapore Summit takes place, where U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meet for the first time.