July 11
1789 – Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille.
1801 – French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons made his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovered another 36 comets, more than any other person in history.
1804 – A duel occurs in which the Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. (
a time when they solved political frustrations the old fashioned way)
1889 – Tijuana, Mexico, is founded.
1893 – The first cultured pearl is obtained by Kokichi Mikimoto.
1895 – The Lumière brothers demonstrate film technology to scientists.
1960 – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published.
1987 – According to the United Nations, the world population crosses the 5,000,000,000 (5 billion) mark. (and 24 years later, we're nearing 7 billion - out of which 2 billion are politicians)
1274 – Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland born on this day (d. 1329)
(source:wikipedia)