11 August 1519

Death in Leipzig of Johann Tetzel, the Dominican preacher whose sale of papal indulgences to fund the rebuilding of St Peter’s in Rome had aroused the ire of Martin Luther and caused him to publish his 95 Theses.

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11 August 1660

Birth of Henrietta Maria, Baroness Wentworth. As the mistress of James, Duke of Monmouth she pledged her jewellery, cash and credit as security to enable him to borrow £6,000 to fund his ill-fated rebellion of 1685.


11 August 1831

More than 1,500 people were left dead after a major hurricane passed over the Caribbean island of Barbados.

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11 August 1952

Crown Prince Hussein acceded to the throne of Jordan after the Jordanian parliament declared that his father, King Talal, was suffering from schizophrenia and was unfit to rule.

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