TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2026

August 11, 2026 - The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, a pivotal timekeeping system utilized by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya, is believed to have commenced on this date in 3114 B.C. In 1945, Japan's offer to surrender was met with a refusal from the Allies, contingent upon Emperor Hirohito maintaining his position.

A formal peace treaty concluded a seven-year conflict in Indochina between France and the Communist Viet Minh. In 1963, four political detainees of the African National Congress (ANC) managed to escape from Pretoria Central Prison in South Africa. Al-Qaeda was established in 1988 through a meeting involving Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Dr. Fadl in Peshawar, Pakistan.

On this day in 1998, Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Authority, made a historic state visit to South Africa, arriving at the invitation of President Nelson Mandela. In 2003, NATO assumed command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside of Europe since the organization's inception 54 years prior.