Today is Thursday, August 11, the 223th day of 2011. There are 142 days left in the year.
1772 ― Explosive eruption blows off Papandayan, Java, kills 3,000
1866 ― World's first roller rink opens (Newport, R.I.)
1909 ― SOS first used by an American ship, Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras, N.C.
1929 ― Babe Ruth becomes first to hit 500 homers
1945 ― Allies refuse Japan's surrender offer to retain Emperor Hirohito
1954 ― Formal peace takes place, ending more than seven years of fighting in Indochina between French and Communist Vietminh
1956 ― Elvis Presley releases ``Don't Be Cruel"
1966 ― Last Beatle concert tour of the U.S. begins
1975 ― U.S. vetoes proposed admission of North and South Vietnam to U.N.
1984 ― During a radio voice test Pres Reagan joked he ``signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes"