So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.
December 11th - holidays
- Christian Feast Day:
- Indiana Day (United States)
- One of the four Agonalia, this day in honor of Sol Indiges; also the Septimontium festival (Roman Empire)
- Pampanga Day (Pampanga Province, the Philippines)
- Remembrance Day of Llywelyn II (Wales)
- Republic Day, the day when Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community in 1958. (Burkina Faso)
- Tango Day, the birthday of Julio de Caro and Carlos Gardel (Buenos Aires)
December 11th - events
- 2009 - Tiger Woods announced an indefinite leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage.
- 2008 - Bernard Madoff is arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
- 2007 - Two car bombs explode at the Constitutional Court building in Algiers and the United Nations office. An estimated 45 people are killed in the bombings.
- 2006 - The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust is opened in Tehran, Iran by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Nations such as Israel and the United States express concern.
- 2005 - The Buncefield Oil Depot catches fire in Hemel Hempstead, England.
- 2005 - Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese (and many who were not) in Cronulla Sydney. These are followed up by retaliatory ethnic attacks on Cronulla.
- 2001 - The People's Republic of China joins the World Trade Organization.
- 1998 - Thai Airways Flight 261 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101. The pilot flying the Thai Airways Airbus A310-300 is thought to have suffered spatial disorientation.
- 1997 - The Kyoto Protocol opens for signature.
- 1994 - First Chechen War: Russian President Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya.
- 1993 - Forty-eight people are killed when a block of the Highland Towers collapses near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- 1981 - El Mozote massacre: Armed forces in El Salvador kill an estimated 900 civilians in an anti-guerrilla campaign during the Salvadoran Civil War.
- 1980 - The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, is enacted by the U.S. Congress.
- 1972 - Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and last Apollo mission to land on the Moon.
- 1971 - The Libertarian Party of the United States is formed.
- 1968 - The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
- 1964 - Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. An unknown terrorist fires a mortar shell at the building during the speech.
- 1962 - Arthur Lucas, convicted of murder, is the last person to be executed in Canada.
- 1960 - French forces crack down in a violent clash with protesters in French Algeria during a visit by French president Charles de Gaulle.
- 1958 - French Upper Volta gains self-government from France, becomes the Republic of Upper Volta, and joins the French Community.
- 1946 - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established.
- 1941 - World War II: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, following the Americans' declaration of war on Japan in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States, in turn, declares war on Germany and Italy.
- 1937 - Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italy leaves the League of Nations.
- 1936 - Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII's abdication as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India becomes effective.
- 1931 - The British Parliament enacts the Statute of Westminster 1931, establishing legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Irish Free State, Dominion of Newfoundland, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa.
- 1927 - Guangzhou Uprising: Communist militia and worker Red Guards launch an uprising in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, taking over most of the city and announcing the formation of a Guangzhou Soviet.
- 1925 - Roman Catholic papal encyclical Quas Primas introduces the Feast of Christ the King.
- 1917 - British General Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot and declares martial law.
- 1917 - Lithuania declares its independence from Russia.
- 1907 - The New Zealand Parliament Buildings are almost completely destroyed by fire.
- 1905 - A workers' uprising occurs in Kiev and establishes the Shuliavka Republic.
- 1816 - Indiana becomes the 19th U.S. state.
- 1792 - French Revolution: King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.
- 1789 - The University of North Carolina is chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly.
- 1602 - A surprise attack by forces under the command of the Duke of Savoy and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva.
- 1282 - Llywelyn the Last, the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, south Wales.
- 969 - Byzatine Emperor Nikephoros II is assassinated by his wife Theofano and her lover, the later Emperor John I Tzimiskes.
- 435 - The date of the earliest deciphered inscription at Copán.
- 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office.
December 11th - births
- 1991 - 1941 – J. Frank Wilson, American singer (J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers) (d. )
- 1989 - Murugan Thiruchelvam, English chess player
- 1988 - Tim Southee, New Zealand cricketer
- 1987 - Clifton Geathers, American football player
- 1987 - Natalia Gordienko, Moldovan singer and dancer
- 1985 - Aiko Kayo, Japanese idol singer
- 1984 - Leighton Baines, English footballer
- 1983 - Yoh Miyamori, Japanese musician (Orange Range)
- 1982 - Pablo Pérez Companc, Argentine racing driver
- 1981 - Nikki Benz, Ukraine-born Canadian pornographic actress
- 1981 - Hamish Blake, Australian comedian
- 1981 - Paul Medhurst, Australian rules footballer
- 1981 - Javier Saviola, Argentine footballer
- 1981 - Zacky Vengeance, American musician (Avenged Sevenfold)
- 1980 - Arya, Indian actor
- 1979 - Rider Strong, American actor
- 1977 - Mark Streit, Swiss ice hockey player
- 1976 - Shareef Abdur-Rahim, American basketball player
- 1975 - Tomoka Kurotani, Japanese actress
- 1975 - Gerben de Knegt, Dutch cyclist
- 1974 - Rey Mysterio, Mexican professional wrestler
- 1974 - Lisa Ortiz, TV animation and video game voice actress.
- 1974 - Ben Shephard, English TV personality
- 1973 - Mos Def, American rapper and actor
- 1972 - Daniel Alfredsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1972 - Sami Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabian footballer
- 1971 - Willie McGinest, American football player
- 1969 - Stig Inge Bjřrnebye, Norwegian footballer
- 1969 - Sean Grande, American sportscaster
- 1969 - Alessandro Melli, Italian footballer
- 1969 - Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess grandmaster, current World Chess Champion
- 1968 - Fabrizio Ravanelli, Italian footballer
- 1967 - Mo'Nique, American actress/comedienne
- 1967 - DJ Yella, American DJ and music producer (N.W.A)
- 1966 - Gary Dourdan, American actor
- 1966 - Leon Lai, Hong Kong Cantonese singer/actor
- 1964 - Michel Courtemanche, French Canadian comedian
- 1964 - Justin Currie, Scottish singer and songwriter
- 1964 - John Mark Karr, American who claimed involvement in JonBenét Ramsey case
- 1964 - David Schools, American musician (Widespread Panic)
- 1964 - Cosy Sheridan, American singer
- 1964 - Carolyn Waldo, Canadian synchronized swimmer
- 1963 - Jon Brion, American musician/record producer
- 1962 - Ben Browder, American actor
- 1962 - Paul Haslinger, Austrian-born composer
- 1962 - Nele Karajli?, Bosnian singer
- 1961 - Marco Pierre White, English chef and restaurateur
- 1960 - Rachel Portman, English film composer
- 1958 - Nikki Sixx, American musician (Mötley Crüe)
- 1958 - Isabella Hofmann, American actress
- 1956 - Lani Brockman, American actress, director and playwright
- 1956 - Andrew Lansley, British politician
- 1955 - Stu Jackson, American basketball head coach
- 1954 - Jermaine Jackson, American singer (Jackson 5)
- 1954 - Guđlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson, Icelandic engineer
- 1954 - Santiago Creel, Mexican politician
- 1953 - Bess Armstrong, American actress
- 1950 - Nino Frassica, Italian actor
- 1950 - Christina Onassis, American heiress (d. 1988)
- 1948 - Stamatis Spanoudakis, Greek composer
- 1946 - Susan Kyle (aka Diana Palmer, Susan S. Kyle, Diana Blayne, Katy Currie), American writer
- 1944 - Jon Garrison, American tenor
- 1944 - Teri Garr, American film actress
- 1944 - Lynda Day George, American actress
- 1944 - Brenda Lee, American singer
- 1943 - John Kerry, American politician
- 1942 - Donna Mills, American actress
- 1941 - Max Baucus, American politician, senior senator of Montana
- 1941 - J. P. Parisé, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1940 - David Gates, American musician (Bread)
- 1939 - Tom Hayden, American politician and activist
- 1939 - Thomas McGuane, American writer
- 1938 - Enrico Macias, Algerian-born French singer
- 1938 - McCoy Tyner, American jazz pianist
- 1938 - Reg Livermore, Australian entertainer
- 1937 - Jim Harrison, American writer
- 1936 - Taku Yamasaki, Japanese politician
- 1935 - Ron Carey, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1935 - Pranab Mukherjee, Indian politician
- 1935 - Elmer Vasko, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1998)
- 1933 - Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., Filipino politician
- 1932 - Aladár Kovácsi, Hungarian modern pentathlon olimpic champion (1952, Helsinki) (d. 2010)
- 1932 - Enrique Bermúdez, Nicaraguan Contra leader (d. 1991)
- 1932 - Anne Heywood, English actress
- 1931 - Rita Moreno, Puerto Rican actress
- 1931 - Ronald Dworkin, American philosopher
- 1931 - Pierre Pilote, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1931 - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru (d. 1990)
- 1930 - Chus Lampreave, Spanish actress
- 1930 - Jean-Louis Trintignant, French actor
- 1927 - John Buscema, American comics artist (d. 2002)
- 1926 - Big Mama Thornton, American singer (d. 1984)
- 1925 - Paul Greengard, American neuroscientist, Nobel laureate
- 1924 - Doc Blanchard, American football player (d. 2009)
- 1923 - Betsy Blair, American actress (d. 2009)
- 1922 - Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer (d. 2005)
- 1922 - Dilip Kumar, Indian actor
- 1922 - Grace Paley, American writer (d. 2007)
- 1921 - Liz Smith, British actress
- 1919 - Marie Windsor, American actress (d. 2000)
- 1918 - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer and Soviet dissident, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
- 1916 - Dámaso Pérez Prado, Cuban-born bandleader (d. 1989)
- 1913 - Jean Marais, French actor (d. 1998)
- 1912 - Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (d. 2007)
- 1911 - Val Guest, English film director (d. 2006)
- 1911 - Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer, Nobel laureate (d. 2006)
- 1911 - Qian Xuesen, Chinese scientist (d. 2009)
- 1910 - Noel Rosa, Brazilian songwriter (d. 1937)
- 1909 - Ronald McKie, Australian author (d. 1991)
- 1909 - John Wyer, English sports car racing team manager (d. 1989)
- 1908 - Elliott Carter, American composer
- 1908 - Amon Göth, commandant of Nazi concentration camp (d. 1946)
- 1908 - Manoel de Oliveira, Portuguese director
- 1905 - Gilbert Roland, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1905 - Robert Henriques, English writer (d. 1967)
- 1904 - Marge, American cartoonist (d. 1993)
- 1897 - Ronald Skirth, conscientious objector of the First World War (d. 1977)
- 1890 - Carlos Gardel, tango singer (d. 1935)
- 1890 - Mark Tobey, American painter (d. 1976)
- 1889 - Walter Knott, American farmer (d. 1981)
- 1883 - Victor McLaglen, English-born American actor (d. 1959)
- 1882 - Subramanya Bharathy, Indian poet (d. 1921)
- 1882 - Max Born, German physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1970)
- 1882 - Fiorello La Guardia, American statesman (d. 1947)
- 1880 - Frank Tarrant, Australian cricketer (d. 1951)
- 1875 - Yehuda Leib Maimon, Bassarabian-born Israeli rabbi and government minister (d. 1962)
- 1873 - Josip Plemelj, Slovenian mathematician (d. 1967)
- 1863 - Annie Jump Cannon, American astronomer (d. 1941)
- 1858 - Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian theatre director (d. 1943)
- 1856 - Georgi Plekhanov, Russian revolutionary and Marxist theoretician (d. 1918)
- 1843 - Robert Koch, German bacteriologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1910)
- 1838 - John Labatt, Irish-Canadian brewer (d. 1915)
- 1830 - Kamehameha V, Hawaiian king (d. 1872)
- 1810 - Alfred de Musset, French poet (d. 1857)
- 1803 - Hector Berlioz, French composer (d. 1869)
- 1801 - Christian Dietrich Grabbe, German writer (d. 1836)
- 1781 - Sir David Brewster, Scottish physicist (d. 1868)
- 1761 - Gian Domenico Romagnosi, Italian physicist (d. 1835)
- 1725 - George Mason, American statesman (d. 1792)
- 1712 - Francesco Algarotti, Italian philosopher (d. 1764)
- 1709 - Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, queen consort of Spain (d. 1742)
- 1680 - Emanuele d'Astorga, Italian composer (d. 1736)
- 1566 - Manuel Cardoso, Portuguese composer (d. 1650)
- 1475 - Pope Leo X (d. 1521)
- 1465 - Ashikaga Yoshihisa, Japanese shogun (d. 1489)