Tag: August

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in August 2024 (listed six months in advance so you have time to write about them)

Historical anniversaries are great for ‘On This Day in History’ features, articles, biographies and other anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with newspaper and magazine readers and radio stations, and editors, producers and presenters love them. They’re easy to research too. You can also turn them into movies, documentaries, novels, use them to plan events and exhibitions, and much more. (Find out more at the end of this article.)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2024, which lists more than 3,000 anniversaries (an average of eight newsworthy anniversaries for every day of the year).

1 Aug 1774 – 250 years ago
Oxygen was discovered by British chemist Joseph Priestley.
He discovered it independently, and was the first scientist to publish his findings. However, German–Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele is generally credited with discovering oxygen first (in 1771), though he didn’t publish his work until 1777.

2 Aug 1964 60 years ago
Vietnam War – the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox, which suffered light damage. On 4^th August they also allegedly attacked the USS Turner Joy (though the North Vietnamese denied this).
As a result of these incidents, the USA significantly escalated its involvement in the war, starting with Operation Pierce Arrow on 5^th August: the first major U.S. air strike on North Vietnam.

3 Aug 1934 – 90 years ago
Following the death of Paul von Hindenburg (on 2^nd August), German Chancellor Adolf Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany, combining the roles of Chancellor and President into one: ‘Führer’. This was approved by a referendum on 19^th August.

4 Aug 1954 – 70 years ago
The Independent Television Authority (ITA) began operating in the UK.
It supervised the creation of commercial television and the awarding of franchises. It was succeeded by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in 1972, the Independent Television Commission (ITC) in 1991, and Ofcom in 2003.

5 Aug 1924 – 100 years ago
The comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray was first published in the New York Daily News. It ran until 2010.

6 Aug 1874 – 150 years ago
Birth of Charles Fort, American writer and researcher of anomalous phenomena.
The British magazine Fortean Times was named in his honour and continues to investigate these phenomena.

7 Aug 1944 – 80 years ago
One of the earliest computers, the Harvard Mark I, was dedicated at Harvard University in the USA.
The electro-mechanical computer was built by IBM, where it was known as the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC).

8 Aug 1974 – 50 years ago
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective from noon the following day, 9^th August.
He was facing impeachment over the Watergate Scandal.

9 Aug 1944 – 80 years ago
The United States Forest Service released the first posters featuring its mascot Smokey Bear.
He was created to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires.

10 Aug 1984 – 40 years ago
Los Angeles Olympics: women’s 3,000 metres final controversy.
American favourite Mary Decker and South African-born British athlete Zola Budd collided and Decker crashed out of the race. The question of who was to blame has never been resolved.

11 Aug 1934 – 90 years ago
Alcatraz federal prison opened on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, and the first civilian prisoners arrived.

12 Aug 1964 – 60 years ago
Death of Ian Fleming, British novelist who created the character James Bond.

13 Aug 1899 – 125 years ago
Birth of Alfred Hitchcock, British-born American film director, producer and screenwriter.
Known as the Master of Suspense. His films include The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Spellbound, Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, and many more.

14 Aug 1994 – 30 years ago
Venezuelan-born terrorist ‘Carlos the Jackal’ was captured in Sudan and extradited to France.
He was responsible for bombings, kidnappings and hijackings across Europe.

15 Aug 1274 – 750 years ago
Death of Robert de Sorbon, French theologian. Chaplain of King Louis IX.
Founder of the College of Sorbonne at the University of Paris.

16 Aug 1974 – 50 years ago
The American punk rock band the Ramones played at CBGBs in New York City for the first time.
They played there 74 times between August and December 1974, and continued to perform virtually non-stop for the next 22 years.

17 Aug 1999 – 25 years ago
The Izmit earthquake, western Turkey.
The powerful earthquake flattened large parts of the town. More than 17,000 people were killed and 44,000 injured.

18 Aug 1774 – 250 years ago
Birth of Meriwether Lewis, American explorer.
Best known for leading the Lewis and Clark Expedition with William Clark.

19 Aug 1274 – 750 years ago
The coronation of Edward I, King of England (1272–1307).

20 Aug 1964 – 60 years ago
Intelsat, the international provider of satellite communications services, was founded (as the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization).

21 Aug to 7 Oct 1944 – 80 years ago
The Dumbarton Oaks Conference was held in Washington D.C., USA.
It led to the establishment of the United Nations in 1945.

22 Aug 1999 – 25 years ago
British farmer Tony Martin was arrested after he shot and killed a burglar at his farmhouse in Norfolk.
He was convicted of murder, later reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He served three years in prison.

23 Aug 1944 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Freckleton Air Disaster, Lancashire, England.
A U.S. Army Air Force bomber crashed into a village school killing 61 people, including 38 children.

24 Aug 1949 – 75 years ago
The North Atlantic Treaty came into effect, establishing NATO.

25 Aug 1944 – 80 years ago
World War II: the liberation of Paris.
The French capital, Paris, was liberated after French and U.S. troops forced the German occupiers to surrender. The Germans had occupied the city for four years. General Charles de Gaulle (later President of France) entered the city in triumph.

26 Aug 1959 – 65 years ago
The British Motor Corporation (BMC) launched the Mini.
It became one of the best-selling British cars in history.

27 Aug 1984 – 40 years ago
U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced the Teacher in Space Project.
Over 11,000 teachers applied, and Christa McAuliffe was selected. She died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in January 1986.

28 Aug 1774 – 250 years ago
Birth of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born Catholic saint.

29 Aug 1949 – 75 years ago
The Soviet Union successfully exploded its first atomic bomb (known as First Lightning or Joe 1) at a remote test site in Kazakhstan.
This caused panic in the U.S. government, as it proved the Soviets were years ahead of where the U.S. thought they were. U.S. President Harry S. Truman broke the news to the American public on 22nd September.

30 Aug 1974 – 50 years ago
The Zagreb train disaster, Yugoslavia (now in Croatia).
An express train travelling from Belgrade (now in Serbia) to Dortmund, West Germany derailed and rolled over as it entered Zagreb station. 153 people were killed and 60 injured. (Cause: excessive speed, and the brakes were applied too late because the crew were fatigued. The driver was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and his assistant to 8 years.

31 Aug 1994 – 30 years ago
The IRA agreed to a complete ceasefire after 25 years.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2024. The 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The anniversaries are available as PDF ebooks, Excel spreadsheets, and printed paperback books.

How to use the anniversaries:

If you’d like to know more about how to turn the anniversaries listed here and in The Date-A-Base Books into articles for magazines and newspapers, take a look at our free 68-page guide, Ditch Your Day Job: the easiest way to make a living (or earn some extra cash) as a writer.

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Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in August 2023
(listed six months in advance so you have time to write about them)

Historical anniversaries are great for ‘On This Day in History’ features, articles, biographies and other anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with newspaper and magazine readers and radio stations, and editors, producers and presenters love them. They’re easy to research too. You can also turn them into films, documentaries, novels, use them to plan events and exhibitions, and much more. (Find out more at the end of this article.)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2023, which lists more than 3,000 anniversaries.

1 Aug 1993 – 30 years ago
1 Apr to Oct The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 peaked on this date. It was one of the most damaging floods in U.S. history. Heavy rainfall began in April and continued into October, with some places under water for nearly 200 days. 1^st August is referred to as the flood’s anniversary.

2 Aug 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of Warren G. Harding, 29^th President of the United States (1921–23). Died in office. Succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge.

3 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
Whittaker Chambers, a former member of the U.S. Communist Party, testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee that Alger Hiss had secretly been a communist while working for the State Department. Hiss denied the charge. On 25^th August the hearings were televised and Chambers and Hiss dramatically confronted each other on ‘Confrontation Day’. (In January 1950, Hiss was convicted of perjury and imprisoned for 3.5 years. He maintained his innocence until his death in 1996, and sued Chambers for defamation.) The case is still debated to this day. Many believe Hiss was a Soviet spy, but it is difficult to prove or disprove.

4 Aug 1958 – 65 years ago
Billboard magazine published its first Hot 100 singles chart. It is the music industry’s standard record chart in the USA. The first #1 record on the chart was Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson.

5 Aug 1953 to December – 70 years ago
Operation Big Switch. All remaining prisoners taken during the Korean War were repatriated.
(Operation Little Switch in April–May 1953 was the repatriation of sick and wounded prisoners.)

6 Aug 1973 – 50 years ago
Death of Fulgencio Batista, President/dictator of Cuba (1933–44, 1952–59)

7 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
Dutch athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen became the first woman to win four Olympic gold medals (at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London). On 2^nd August, when she won the 100 metres, she became the first Dutch athlete to win an Olympic title in athletics.

8 Aug 1963 – 60 years ago
The Great Train Robbery, Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, England. £2.6 million was stolen in one of the UK’s most infamous robberies. The bulk of the money was never recovered.

9 Aug 1898 – 125 years ago
German inventor Rudolf Diesel was granted a U.S. patent for the Diesel internal combustion engine.
(U.S. Patent No. 608,845.)

10 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the hidden-camera/practical joke television show Candid Camera was broadcast in the USA.
It ran for over 1,000 episodes and ended in 2004. (It began as the radio show Candid Microphone.)

11 Aug 1973 – 50 years ago
Hip-hop (the music genre) was invented by Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc at a back-to-school party in The Bronx, New York City, USA.

12 Aug 1848 – 175 years ago
Death of George Stephenson, (‘the Father of Railways’), British civil and mechanical engineer who developed rail transport and built innovative steam locomotives including the famous Rocket.

13 Aug 1923 – 100 years ago
Gustav Stresemann became Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany.

14 Aug 1848 – 175 years ago
Oregon Territory was established in the USA. (It was admitted as a U.S. state in 1859.)

15 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established.

16 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
Death of Babe Ruth, American baseball player.

17 Aug 1953 – 70 years ago
Narcotics Anonymous was founded in California, USA.

18 Aug 1873 – 150 years ago
The first successful ascent of Mount Whitney, California – the highest summit in the contiguous United States.

19 Aug 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of Vilfredo Pareto, Italian economist, sociologist and civil engineer. He made several notable contributions to the field of economics. Best known for the Pareto principle: 80 percent of consequences come from 20 percent of causes.

20 Aug 1923 – 100 years ago
The USA’s first rigid airship, USS Shenandoah, was launched at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey.
It made its first flight on 4^th September.
It crashed during a storm in September 1925, when fourteen people were killed.

21 Aug 1953 – 70 years ago
The UK première of the romantic comedy film Roman Holiday. It featured Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role.
U.S. première: 27^th August. Released: 2^nd September.

22 Aug 1933 – 90 years ago
The world’s first televised boxing match: Archie Sexton vs. Laurie Raiteri in London, England.

23 Aug 1973 – 50 years ago
Stockholm syndrome: a bank robber attempted to rob the Kreditbanken in Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden. When police entered the bank, he opened fire and took four people hostage. He held them at the bank, with the help of a friend who arrived later, until 28^th August, when police used tear gas to force the criminals to surrender.
The hostages developed a psychological bond with their captors and expressed sympathy for them, leading to the term ‘Stockholm syndrome’.

24 Aug 1873 – 150 years ago
The first recorded ascent of the Mount of the Holy Cross in Colorado, USA.
During this ascent, the elusive cross-shaped snowfield that gives the mountain its name was photographed for the first time.

25 Aug 1943 – 80 years ago
World War II: British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten became Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia.

26 Aug 1723 – 300 years ago
Death of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, (‘the father of microbiology’), Dutch microscopist and microbiologist.

27 Aug 1948 – 75 years ago
Death of Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the United States (1930–41), U.S. Secretary of State (1921–25).

28 Aug 1963 – 60 years ago
March on Washington/I Have a Dream.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The civil rights rally was attended by approximately 200,000 supporters.

29 Aug 1898 – 125 years ago
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded in Akron, Ohio, USA.

30 Aug 1963 – 60 years ago
The hotline between the President of the USA and the leader of the Soviet Union went into operation, allowing them to communicate easily during a crisis. The first hotline was a teletype machine, later replaced by fax, then by secure email.
It was first used in 1967 during the Egypt–Israel War.

31 Aug 1998 – 25 years ago
North Korea allegedly launched its first satellite, Kwangmyongsong, and declared it had been successfully placed in orbit.
Officials outside North Korea have never detected this satellite in orbit, and the launch is considered to have failed.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 and 2027 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The anniversaries are available as PDF ebooks, Excel spreadsheets, and printed paperback books.

The 2028 edition will be available from April 2023. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

How to use the anniversaries:

If you’d like to know more about how to turn the anniversaries listed here and in The Date-A-Base Books into articles for magazines and newspapers, take a look at our free 68-page guide, Ditch Your Day Job: the easiest way to make a living (or earn some extra cash) as a writer.

It has some terrific bonuses too, including a complete month of anniversaries from The Date-A-Base Book 2023, 301 article-writing ideas and tips, plus a 25 percent discount when you buy two or more editions of The Date-A-Base Book.

Share this:

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in August 2022 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2022. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available from the end of March 2022 and the 2027 edition will be available from June 2022.

1 Aug 1972 – 50 years ago
The Washington Post newspaper published the first article that exposed U.S. President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal. The article by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein revealed that $25,000 of Nixon’s re-election campaign fund had been paid into the bank account of one of the men recently arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters.

2 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born American audiologist and inventor. Credited with developing the first practical telephone.

3 Aug 1872 – 150 years ago
Birth of Haakon VII, King of Norway (1905–57)

4 – 8 Aug 1997 – 25 years ago
The capital of Montserrat was destroyed by a further series of eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano. The town became uninhabitable and the 4,000 residents were evacuated. Most of them resettled in the UK.

5 Aug 1962 – 60 years ago
Death of Marilyn Monroe, American film actress, model and singer (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven-Year Itch, Bus Stop, and more). (Overdose of sleeping pills – probable suicide, aged 36.)

6 – 21 Aug 1932 – 90 years ago
The first Venice Film Festival was held in Italy.

7 Aug 1947 – 75 years ago
Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s raft Kon-Tiki reached Polynesia after a 101-day journey across the Pacific from South America. This demonstrated that people from pre-Columbian South America could have made the journey and settled there.

8 Aug 1942 – 80 years ago
The world première of Walt Disney’s animated film Bambi, in London. (U.S. première: 13^th August, released: 21^st August. UK: 1^st January 1943.)

9 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Philip Larkin, British poet. (Died 1985.)

10 Aug 1897 – 125 years ago
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in the UK.
(The section of the club that offered roadside assistance and motor insurance was incorporated as a separate company in 1978 and sold in 1999 – it is now known as RAC Ltd.)

11 Aug 1897 – 125 years ago
Birth of Enid Blyton, British children’s writer who created Noddy, the Famous Five, and the Secret Seven. She is among the world’s bestselling writers. More than 600 million copies of her books have been sold. She sometimes wrote 50 books a year.

12 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Arthur Griffith, President of the Irish Republic (1922 – died in office). Founder of Sinn Fein. Succeeded by W. T. Cosgrave.

13 Aug 1997 – 25 years ago
The first episode of the animated comedy television series South Park was broadcast on Comedy Central in the USA.

14 Aug 1947 – 75 years ago
Pakistan gained its independence from the UK.
Pakistan and India both officially became independent at midnight on 15^th August, but Pakistan held its independence ceremony 30 minutes early and now celebrates 14^th August as its independence day.

15 Aug 1952 – 70 years ago
Lynmouth flood, Devon, UK. A flash flood swept through the village. 34 people were killed, and buildings and bridges were devastated.

16 Aug 1962 – 60 years ago
The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein fired drummer Pete Best and replaced him with Ringo Starr

17 Aug 1962 – 60 years ago
Peter Fechter, aged 18, became the first person to be shot dead by border guards as he attempted to climb over the Berlin Wall into West Berlin.

18 Aug 1947 – 75 years ago
The American technology company Hewlett-Packard was incorporated.

19 Aug 1772 – 250 years ago
Swedish Revolution: King Gustav III staged a coup d’état, assumed power and introduced absolute monarchy.

20 – 22 Aug 1962 – 60 years ago
The first nuclear-powered ship, the NS Savannah made her maiden voyage from Yorktown, Virginia, to Savannah, Georgia, USA. The ship was conceived by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of his Atoms for Peace programme. It operated until 1972, and is now a museum ship.

21 Aug 1897 – 125 years ago
The Oldsmobile automobile company was founded in Lansing, Michigan, USA (as Olds Motors Works). It later became a division of General Motors, but was closed down in 2004.

22 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Michael Collins, Irish nationalist politician. A leading figure in Ireland’s fight for independence. He directed a guerrilla warfare campaign against the British. (Killed in an ambush by anti-treaty forces, aged 31.)

23 Aug 1942 to 2 Feb 1943 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Battle of Stalingrad (Soviet Union). Soviet victory. The turning point of the war in Europe.
Regarded as the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare, and one that the Germans never recovered from.

24 Aug 1932 – 90 years ago
American aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the USA.

25 Aug 1822 – 200 years ago
Death of William Herschel, German-born British astronomer. He discovered the planet Uranus and infrared radiation, conducted the first deep sky surveys, and was the first president of the Royal Astronomical Society.

26 Aug to 10 Sep 1972 – 50 years ago
The 1972 Summer Olympic Games were held in Munich, West Germany.
The event was overshadowed by the kidnapping and deaths of 11 members of the Israeli team by Palestinian terrorists on 5^th September.

27 Aug 1962 – 60 years ago
NASA launched its Mariner 2 space probe to Venus. (It flew past Venus in December, becoming the first space probe to fly past another planet.)

28 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
The world’s first radio commercial was broadcast on WEAF in New York City, USA. The first commercial was for an apartment complex.

29 Aug 1952 – 70 years ago
American avant-garde composer John Cage’s best-known work 4’ 33” (four minutes and thirty-three seconds) was performed for the first time, at Woodstock, New York, USA. Performers are instructed not to play a single note throughout the entire piece.

30 Aug 1922 – 100 years ago
Turkish War of Independence – Greco–Turkish War – the Battle of Dumlupinar, Turkey. Turkey won the final battle of the war.
This day is now celebrated as Victory Day in Turkey.

31 Aug 1422 – 600 years ago
Death of Henry V, King of England (1413–22). (Heatstroke or dysentery, aged 35.) Succeeded by his son, Henry VI.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available from the end of March 2022, with the 2027 edition following in June.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theater shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in August 2022 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2022. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available from the end of March 2022 and the 2027 edition will be available from June 2022.

Aug 1, 1972 – 50 years ago
The Washington Post newspaper published the first article that exposed U.S. President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal. The article by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein revealed that $25,000 of Nixon’s re-election campaign fund had been paid into the bank account of one of the men recently arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters.

Aug 2, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born American audiologist and inventor. Credited with developing the first practical telephone.

Aug 3, 1872 – 150 years ago
Birth of Haakon VII, King of Norway (1905–57)

Aug 4 – 8, 1997 – 25 years ago
The capital of Montserrat was destroyed by a further series of eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano. The town became uninhabitable and the 4,000 residents were evacuated. Most of them resettled in the UK.

Aug 5, 1962 – 60 years ago
Death of Marilyn Monroe, American film actress, model and singer (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven-Year Itch, Bus Stop, and more). (Overdose of sleeping pills – probable suicide, aged 36.)

Aug 6 – 21, 1932 – 90 years ago
The first Venice Film Festival was held in Italy.

Aug 7, 1947 – 75 years ago
Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s raft Kon-Tiki reached Polynesia after a 101-day journey across the Pacific from South America. This demonstrated that people from pre-Columbian South America could have made the journey and settled there.

Aug 8, 1942 – 80 years ago
The world premiere of Walt Disney’s animated film Bambi, in London. (U.S. premiere: August 13^th, released: August 21^st. UK: January 1, 1943.)

Aug 9, 1922 – 100 years ago
Birth of Philip Larkin, British poet. (Died 1985.)

Aug 10, 1897 – 125 years ago
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in the UK.
(The section of the club that offered roadside assistance and motor insurance was incorporated as a separate company in 1978 and sold in 1999 – it is now known as RAC Ltd.)

Aug 11, 1897 – 125 years ago
Birth of Enid Blyton, British children’s writer who created Noddy, the Famous Five, and the Secret Seven. She is among the world’s best-selling writers. More than 600 million copies of her books have been sold. She sometimes wrote 50 books a year.

Aug 12, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Arthur Griffith, President of the Irish Republic (1922 – died in office). Founder of Sinn Fein. Succeeded by W. T. Cosgrave.

Aug 13, 1997 – 25 years ago
The first episode of the animated comedy television series South Park was broadcast on Comedy Central in the USA.

Aug 14, 1947 – 75 years ago
Pakistan gained its independence from the UK.
Pakistan and India both officially became independent at midnight on August 15^th, but Pakistan held its independence ceremony 30 minutes early and now celebrates August 14^th as its independence day.

Aug 15, 1952 – 70 years ago
Lynmouth flood, Devon, UK. A flash flood swept through the village. 34 people were killed, and buildings and bridges were devastated.

Aug 16, 1962 – 60 years ago
The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein fired drummer Pete Best and replaced him with Ringo Starr

Aug 17, 1962 – 60 years ago
Peter Fechter, aged 18, became the first person to be shot dead by border guards as he attempted to climb over the Berlin Wall into West Berlin.

Aug 18, 1947 – 75 years ago
The American technology company Hewlett-Packard was incorporated.

Aug 19, 1772 – 250 years ago
Swedish Revolution: King Gustav III staged a coup d’état, assumed power and introduced absolute monarchy.

Aug 20 – 22, 1962 – 60 years ago
The first nuclear-powered ship, the NS Savannah made her maiden voyage from Yorktown, Virginia, to Savannah, Georgia, USA. The ship was conceived by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of his Atoms for Peace program. It operated until 1972, and is now a museum ship.

Aug 21, 1897 – 125 years ago
The Oldsmobile automobile company was founded in Lansing, Michigan, USA (as Olds Motors Works). It later became a division of General Motors, but was closed down in 2004.

Aug 22, 1922 – 100 years ago
Death of Michael Collins, Irish nationalist politician. A leading figure in Ireland’s fight for independence. He directed a guerrilla warfare campaign against the British. (Killed in an ambush by anti-treaty forces, aged 31.)

Aug 23, 1942 to Feb 2, 1943 – 80 years ago
World War II – the Battle of Stalingrad (Soviet Union). Soviet victory. The turning point of the war in Europe.
Regarded as the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare, and one that the Germans never recovered from.

Aug 24, 1932 – 90 years ago
American aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the USA.

Aug 25, 1822 – 200 years ago
Death of William Herschel, German-born British astronomer. He discovered the planet Uranus and infrared radiation, conducted the first deep sky surveys, and was the first president of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Aug 26 to Sep 10, 1972 – 50 years ago
The 1972 Summer Olympic Games were held in Munich, West Germany.
The event was overshadowed by the kidnapping and deaths of 11 members of the Israeli team by Palestinian terrorists on September 5^th.

Aug 27, 1962 – 60 years ago
NASA launched its Mariner 2 space probe to Venus. (It flew past Venus in December, becoming the first space probe to fly past another planet.)

Aug 28, 1922 – 100 years ago
The world’s first radio commercial was broadcast on WEAF in New York City, USA. The first commercial was for an apartment complex.

Aug 29, 1952 – 70 years ago
American avant-garde composer John Cage’s best-known work 4’ 33” (four minutes and thirty-three seconds) was performed for the first time, at Woodstock, New York, USA. Performers are instructed not to play a single note throughout the entire piece.

Aug 30, 1922 – 100 years ago
Turkish War of Independence – Greco–Turkish War – the Battle of Dumlupinar, Turkey. Turkey won the final battle of the war.
This day is now celebrated as Victory Day in Turkey.

Aug 31, 1422 – 600 years ago
Death of Henry V, King of England (1413–22). (Heatstroke or dysentery, aged 35.) Succeeded by his son, Henry VI.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2022. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2026 edition will be available from the end of March 2022, with the 2027 edition following in June.
Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this: