What happened in 1811

11 entries recorded for 1811, listed by date. That was 215 years ago.

1811 at a glance

Years ago
215 (as of 2026)
Century
19th century
Decade
1810s
Generation born
Before the named generations
Entries here
11
Breakdown
11 historical events

February

  • February 19

    Peninsular War

    Historical event

    Peninsular War: Outnumbered French forces under Édouard Mortier routed and nearly destroyed Spanish troops at the Battle of the Gebora near Badajoz, Spain.

March

  • March 5

    Peninsular War

    Historical event

    Peninsular War: At the Battle of Barrosa, Anglo-Iberian forces trying to lift the Siege of Cádiz defeated a French attack but could not break the siege itself.

  • March 13

    Napoleonic Wars

    Historical event

    Napoleonic Wars: A British frigate squadron defeated a much larger squadron of French and Italian frigates and smaller vessels in the Battle of Lissa (depicted) in the Adriatic Sea.

May

  • May 16

    Peninsular War

    Historical event

    Peninsular War: Allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces clashed with French troops at the Battle of Albuera fought south of Badajoz, Spain.

  • May 20

    Charles Marsh Schomberg

    Historical event

    A British squadron under Charles Marsh Schomberg defeated a French force off Tamatave, Madagascar, that was attempting to reinforce the French garrison on Mauritius.

July

  • July 9

    David Thompson (explorer)

    Historical event

    British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, U.S.), claiming the area for Great Britain.

  • July 30

    Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

    Historical event

    Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (depicted), a leader of the Mexican War of Independence, was executed by Spanish forces in Chihuahua City, Mexico.

November

  • November 7

    Tecumseh's War

    Historical event

    Tecumseh's War: American forces led by William Henry Harrison defeated the forces of Shawnee leader Tecumseh's growing confederation at the Battle of Tippecanoe near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana.

  • November 28

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Historical event

    Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 premiered at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

December

  • December 16

    1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes

    Historical event

    The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes struck the Midwestern United States and made the Mississippi River appear to run backward.

  • December 26

    Richmond, Virginia

    Historical event

    Seventy-two people died when a theater in Richmond, Virginia, was destroyed by fire, becoming the worst urban disaster in American history at the time.

Questions about 1811

What happened in 1811?

This site records 11 entries for 1811, including Peninsular War on February 19. They are listed below by date.

How long ago was 1811?

215 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1811 turns 215 this year.

Which century is 1811 in?

1811 falls in the 19th century, in the 1810s.

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