1. On August 11, 1758, the French military leader François Coulon de Villiers defeated British forces under the command of General James Abercrombie in the Battle of Carillon, part of the French and Indian War. The victory secured French control over the strategic Lake Champlain area and prevented a significant British campaign into Canada.
2. August 11, 1814, marks the day that a British Navy squadron under the command of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane began an attack on Fort Bowyer, located near Mobile, Alabama. The fort's defenders, predominantly American soldiers and sailors, were eventually forced to surrender after a battle that lasted several days.
3. Louisiana experienced one of its deadliest natural disasters on August 11, 1969, when Hurricane Camille made landfall near the state's border with Mississippi. The storm caused widespread flooding and significant destruction, resulting in at least 140 deaths in Louisiana alone.
4. In 1983, August 11 became a significant date in the history of Louisiana politics when Governor Edwin Edwards was indicted on federal corruption charges. Edwards, a colorful figure known for his flamboyant personal life and political scandals, would eventually be convicted and serve time in prison.
5. On August 11, 2014, a group of residents in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana successfully petitioned the parish council to ban the use of red light cameras in the area. The decision reflected a nationwide debate over the controversial traffic enforcement technology, which some critics argue is ineffective and violates drivers' civil liberties.