Alcatraz: Anniversary of the opening of the federal prison

August 11 marks the anniversary of several significant historical events, most notably the 1934 opening of Alcatraz Island as a federal maximum-security prison. Located in San Francisco Bay, the facility housed over 1,500 inmates during its operation until 1963, including notorious figures such as Al Capone and James “Whitey” Bulger.

Alcatraz became legendary for its perceived impossibility of escape due to the cold, turbulent waters and strong currents of the bay. Despite this, there were 14 recorded escape attempts. One of the most famous occurred in June 1962, when Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin utilized makeshift tools and dummy heads made of soap and hair to evade detection, vanishing without a confirmed trace.

Other historical milestones occurring on this date include the 1919 signing of the Weimar Constitution in Germany, the 1952 proclamation of King Hussein in Jordan, and the 1966 press conference where John Lennon apologized for comments regarding the Beatles' fame relative to Jesus.