TODAY IN HISTORY – 11th Jun, 2026 – Africa World News
By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu.
There is a profound impact of history on our present and future. This is greatly justified when you consider the fact that our identities, values, and societies are shaped by the events and experiences of the past. Hence, Martin Luther King Jr’s comment on history, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
Carefully read through on Today in History as we revisit some incredible moments in the past.
On this day in 1892, the Limelight Department, one of the world’s first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia.
Still on this day in 1895, Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the “first motor race”, takes place.
Today in history reveals that on this day in 1936, inventor Edwin Armstrong demonstrates FM broadcasting to an audience of engineers at the FCC in Washington, DC.
According to Today in History, today in 1936, the London International Surrealist Exhibition opens.
Regrettably on this day in 1955, eighty-three spectators are killed and at least one hundred are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports.
Interestingly, on this day in 1962, Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island.
It was on this day in 1963 that Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection to protest the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam.
Amazingly on this day in 1968, Lloyd J. Old identifies the first cell surface antigens that could differentiate among different cell types.
Today in 1994, on the eve of the first anniversary of the annulled June 12 election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola traveled to the Epetedo area of Lagos Island. He courageously declared himself the legitimate President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria. This historic speech directly led to his arrest for treason on June 23, 1994, under the orders of military dictator General Sani Abacha. For the records, this brave defiance against General Sani Abacha’s military regime turned him into Nigeria’s ultimate symbol of democratic endurance.
According to Today in History, on this day in 1998, Compaq Computer pays US$9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition.
In 2002, of course on this day, Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.
Again, on this day in 2004, Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe.
In 2008, on this day, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada’s First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school.
Still in 2008, on the day, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is launched into orbit.
Sadly, the world observed a terrible mass jailbreak in the DR Congo (2017). According to Today in History, militants executed a highly coordinated raid on a prison facility in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The assault killed 11 individuals and resulted in the escape of over 900 prisoners.
Read carefully, when we say that history has a way of consciously repeating itself, there is no question about the veracity of such bold statements. While the 2026 FIFA World Cup is starting today at the historic Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium), featuring a major headline performance by Nigerian superstar Burna Boy alongside Colombian icon Shakira, history was made today in Johannesburg, South Africa 2010, as the very first FIFA World Cup hosted on African soil officially kicked off. The opening matches and celebrations ignited global visibility for African sports and infrastructure. Again for the records, Shakira famously headlined the global musical celebration for the 2010 World Cup kickoff in South Africa. Her iconic anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” became the most defining soundtrack in World Cup history. And today being June 11, 2026 (Today): Exactly 16 years later, Shakira returns to the pitch as a true World Cup legend. She will hit the stage at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to debut the new 2026 official anthem, “Dai Dai,” alongside Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy.
For another insightful education on past events, kindly check back tomorrow on Today in History.
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