222 years ago today
Aaron Burr Mortally Wounds Alexander Hamilton in a Duel
On the morning of July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr and former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton met at the dueling ground at Weehawken, New Jersey, for the most fateful exchange of pistol fire in American history. The two men had clashed for years — Hamilton had opposed Burr's bid for the presidency in 1800 and blocked his run for governor of New York in 1804. Burr demanded satisfaction. Hamilton reportedly fired into the air; Burr shot Hamilton in the abdomen. Hamilton died the following afternoon. The duel ended Burr's political career, effectively removed one of the republic's greatest architects, and left Hamilton's financial and constitutional legacy to be defended by others for generations to come.
On the record: Alexander Hamilton
This day, across time
- 911 CEEventTreaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte Creates Normandy
- 1274BornRobert the Bruce
- 1302EventBattle of the Golden Spurs: Flemish Cities Defeat France
- 1405EventZheng He Sets Sail on His First Voyage
- 1767BornJohn Quincy Adams
- 1789EventNecker's Dismissal Sparks the Storming of the Bastille
- 1804FeaturedAaron Burr Mortally Wounds Alexander Hamilton in a Duel
- 1899EventFIAT Founded in Turin
- 1899BornE. B. White
- 1914EventBabe Ruth Makes His Major League Debut
- 1920BornYul Brynner
- 1934BornGiorgio Armani
- 1937DiedGeorge Gershwin
- 1960EventTo Kill a Mockingbird Published
- 1972EventFischer vs. Spassky: World Chess Championship Begins
- 1989DiedLaurence Olivier
- 1995EventSrebrenica Massacre Begins
- 2010EventSpain Wins First FIFA World Cup
Alive in 1804
OverlapSame years; not influence
Alexander HamiltonDates approximate
Immanuel Kantdied this year
Andrew Jacksonturned 37 this year
James Madisonturned 53 this year
Jane Austenturned 29 this year
John Adamsturned 69 this year
Ludwig van Beethoventurned 34 this year
Napoleon Bonaparteturned 35 this year
Thomas Jeffersonturned 61 this year
TecumsehDates approximate
Step into the moment
Simulation · scenario
The Treasure Fleet Sets Out
Nanjing, on the eve of departure for the Western Ocean
Zheng He, July 11, 1405. A simulation set on this date. The figure doesn’t know how the day ends.
Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar
On This Day in History
11 EventsTreaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte Creates Normandy
Frankish King Charles the Simple grants Viking leader Rollo a large swath of northern France in exchange for his conversion to Christianity and pledge of loyalty. The region becomes known as Normandy — land of the Northmen.
Battle of the Golden Spurs: Flemish Cities Defeat France
Flemish city militias crush a French royal army at Courtrai, Belgium, in one of the earliest victories of infantry over armored cavalry. The victors displayed 500 gilded spurs stripped from fallen French knights — giving the battle its name.
Zheng He Sets Sail on His First Voyage
Ming admiral Zheng He departs China with a fleet of over 200 ships — including 'treasure ships' four times the size of Columbus's vessels — beginning the first of seven extraordinary voyages across Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa.
Necker's Dismissal Sparks the Storming of the Bastille
King Louis XVI's sudden dismissal of popular Finance Minister Jacques Necker enrages the Parisian public, who interpret it as a sign the king is about to crack down on reform. The resulting fury explodes three days later in the Storming of the Bastille.
Burr–Hamilton Duel at Weehawken
Vice President Aaron Burr shoots Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel at Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton dies the following day, robbing the young republic of its most brilliant financial architect.
FIAT Founded in Turin
Giovanni Agnelli and a group of investors found Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino — FIAT — in Turin, Italy. The company would become one of the world's largest automakers and a symbol of Italian industrial might.
Babe Ruth Makes His Major League Debut
George Herman 'Babe' Ruth makes his Major League Baseball debut as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox at age 19. He would go on to become the greatest baseball player in history and transform the game forever.
To Kill a Mockingbird Published
Harper Lee's debut novel — a story of racial injustice in Depression-era Alabama told through the eyes of young Scout Finch — is published in New York. It wins the Pulitzer Prize the following year and sells over 45 million copies.
Fischer vs. Spassky: World Chess Championship Begins
Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky begin their legendary World Chess Championship match in Reykjavik, Iceland. The match becomes a Cold War proxy battle that transforms chess into a global spectacle.
Srebrenica Massacre Begins
Bosnian Serb forces under General Ratko Mladić begin the systematic murder of over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica — the worst genocide in Europe since the Holocaust.
Spain Wins First FIFA World Cup
Spain defeats the Netherlands 1–0 in extra time in Johannesburg, winning their first World Cup title. Andrés Iniesta's 116th-minute goal seals the victory in a match defined as much by Dutch fouls as by Spanish brilliance.
Born on This Day
John Quincy Adams
6th President of the United States
The only former president to serve in Congress after leaving the White House, Adams was also a diplomat, senator, and fierce opponent of slavery. He successfully argued the Amistad case before the Supreme Court in 1841.
Yul Brynner
Russian-American Actor
The shaved-headed star who won an Academy Award for The King and I (1956), Brynner played the role on Broadway 4,625 times over his career. Born in Vladivostok, he became one of Hollywood's most iconic presences.
Giorgio Armani
Italian Fashion Designer
One of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century, Armani redefined power dressing with his unstructured jackets and muted palette. His 1980 work on American Gigolo launched a revolution in Hollywood costume design.
E. B. White
American Author & Essayist
Author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, as well as co-author of The Elements of Style — the definitive English writing guide. White spent decades at The New Yorker crafting essays of quiet, precise beauty.
Robert the Bruce
King of Scotland (r. 1306–1329)
Scotland's national hero who led the fight for independence against English domination, Robert the Bruce secured Scottish sovereignty at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and in the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.
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George Gershwin
American Composer
The composer who fused jazz and classical music into a distinctly American sound, Gershwin died of a brain tumor at age 38 — taking with him one of the most fertile musical imaginations of the century. Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess remain enduring masterworks.
Laurence Olivier
English Actor & Director
Widely considered the greatest actor of the 20th century, Olivier defined Shakespearean performance on stage and screen for half a century, winning four Academy Awards and a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
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