Major Events of July 2011: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from July 2011 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of July 2011: Key Historical Moments from the Month


  • 01 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Uprising: The Arab Spring continues, a widespread pro-democracy movement sweeping across multiple Middle Eastern and North African countries, challenging authoritarian regimes and demanding political reforms.
  • 02 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Continues: The Arab Spring, a series of pro-democracy uprisings sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, continues to unfold with significant political transformations and social movements.
  • 03 Jul 2011 Syrian Uprising Escalates: In a significant moment during the 2011 Syrian uprising, the Syrian army completely surrounds the city of Hama following one of the largest demonstrations against Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian regime, signaling intensifying tensions and potential military crackdown.
  • 04 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Protests Intensify: Multiple countries in the Middle East and North Africa continue to experience significant political upheaval as pro-democracy movements challenge long-standing authoritarian regimes.
  • 05 Jul 2011 News of the World Phone Hacking Scandal: A major media scandal involving systematic phone hacking by the News of the World tabloid, with allegations of privacy violations targeting victims' families, celebrities, and public figures.
  • 06 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Continues: The Arab Spring, a series of pro-democracy uprisings sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, continues to reshape the political landscape of the region.
  • 07 Jul 2011 South Sudan Gains Independence: South Sudan officially gained independence from Sudan on July 7, 2011, becoming the world's newest country at the time. This historic moment marked the end of a long struggle and the birth of a new nation after years of civil conflict.
  • 08 Jul 2011 Final Space Shuttle Mission Launches: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched for the last time, marking the conclusion of NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle program. This mission, designated STS-135, was the 135th and final flight of the iconic spacecraft, symbolizing the end of an era in human space exploration.
  • 09 Jul 2011 South Sudan Gains Independence: South Sudan becomes the youngest country in the world. The North East African country, formally known as the Republic of South Sudan, peacefully seceded from Sudan after an independence referendum was passed, marking a significant moment in African geopolitical history.
  • 10 Jul 2011 News of the World Closes After Phone Hacking Scandal: The British weekly tabloid News of the World published its final issue and shut down after 168 years in print, following widespread public backlash over unethical phone hacking practices by its journalists and executives.
  • 11 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal: News International faced extensive allegations of privacy breaches, involving unauthorized access to private phone information of prominent individuals, including British royals and political figures.
  • 12 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Protests Continue: The Arab Spring, a series of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, continues to unfold with ongoing demonstrations and political transformations.
  • 13 Jul 2011 US Credit Rating Under Threat: Moody's Investor Services warns of a potential downgrade to the United States' credit rating amid ongoing debt ceiling negotiations and political gridlock, raising significant concerns about the country's fiscal stability.
  • 14 Jul 2011 US Debt Ceiling Crisis Intensifies: President Barack Obama pressured Congressional leaders to reach a debt reduction agreement, with Standard & Poor's placing the United States under a potential credit downgrade watch.
  • 15 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal Escalates: The News International phone hacking scandal reached a critical point, with multiple high-profile developments including resignations, legal actions, and potential criminal investigations involving media executives and journalists.
  • 16 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Uprising: A significant series of pro-democracy protests and revolutionary movements sweeping across multiple Middle Eastern and North African countries, challenging authoritarian regimes and demanding political reforms.
  • 17 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal: A major media ethics scandal involving systematic phone hacking by News International journalists, leading to significant legal and professional consequences for media executives and police officials.
  • 18 Jul 2011 Arab Spring Continues: The Arab Spring, a series of pro-democracy uprisings sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, continues to reshape the political landscape of the region with significant protests and civil conflicts.
  • 19 Jul 2011 2011 Syrian Uprising Violence: During the ongoing Syrian uprising, security forces killed at least 10 people in Homs on July 19, 2011, further escalating the violent conflict and human rights crisis in the country.
  • 20 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal Escalates: The News International phone hacking scandal reached a critical point, with significant political and media implications in the United Kingdom, involving major news organizations and high-profile political figures.
  • 21 Jul 2011 NASA Space Shuttle Program Concludes: NASA's Space Shuttle program officially ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135 at Kennedy Space Center, marking the conclusion of a 30-year era of space exploration.
  • 22 Jul 2011 Norway Terrorist Attacks of 2011: On July 22, 2011, Norway experienced a devastating terrorist attack orchestrated by Anders Behring Breivik. The attack consisted of two coordinated assaults: first, a bombing in central Oslo targeting government buildings, which killed eight people, followed by a mass shooting at a youth political camp on Utøya island, where 69 people were murdered. The attacks were motivated by right-wing extremist ideology.
  • 23 Jul 2011 Norway Attacks 2011: A devastating terrorist attack in Norway resulted in the tragic loss of 92 lives. The attacks, carried out by Anders Behring Breivik, targeted the government district in Oslo and a youth summer camp on Utøya Island, shocking the world with their brutality and scale.
  • 24 Jul 2011 Norway Mourns Massacre Victims: Norwegians paid tribute to the victims of a tragic terrorist attack involving a bomb explosion and shooting at a Norwegian Labour Party youth camp, demonstrating national solidarity in the face of tragedy.
  • 25 Jul 2011 Norway Attacks: A tragic terrorist attack in Norway, primarily targeting young political activists at a summer camp on Utøya Island, perpetrated by Anders Behring Breivik, resulting in 76 fatalities.
  • 26 Jul 2011 Norway Attack Victim Identification: Norwegian authorities began the sensitive process of officially naming victims from the devastating terrorist attack, marking a crucial step in the national mourning and healing process.
  • 27 Jul 2011 US Debt Ceiling Political Standoff: Republicans in the US House of Representatives refused to extend the debt ceiling, creating a potential financial crisis and highlighting deep political divisions in the United States.
  • 28 Jul 2011 Taliban Attack in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan: A Taliban attack in Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province resulted in 21 fatalities, including BBC reporter Ahmed Omed Khpulwak, underscoring the ongoing violence in the region during the Afghanistan War.
  • 29 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal: The phone hacking scandal involving News International reached a critical point, with multiple key figures facing scrutiny, including private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and Rupert Murdoch's son James. The scandal exposed widespread unethical practices in British media.
  • 30 Jul 2011 News International Phone Hacking Scandal: The News International phone hacking scandal continued to unfold, with Operation Tuleta launched by the Metropolitan Police to investigate claims of computer hacking committed by News International journalists. This scandal represented a major breach of journalistic ethics and privacy.
  • 31 Jul 2011 Ramadan Massacre in Syria: On July 31, 2011, the Syrian Army conducted a brutal tank attack on the city of Hama during Ramadan, resulting in at least 121 confirmed deaths. Reports indicate that over 150 people were killed across Syria on this day, marking a significant moment of violence during the Syrian Civil War.