Historical Events on August

  • Afghanistan

    2017

    A suicide attack on a mosque in Heart, Afghanistan kills 20 people.

  • Gulf War

    1990

    Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

  • September 11 attacks

    2004

    The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed since the September 11 attacks.

  • Soviet Union

    1924

    Diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Soviet Union are established.

  • Jimmy Carter

    1977

    U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy.

  • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    1945

    World War II: Hiroshima, Japan is devastated when the atomic bomb "Little Boy" is dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay. Around 70,000 people are killed instantly, and some tens of thousands die in subsequent years from burns and radiation poisoning.

  • Gulf War

    1990

    Iraq occupies Kuwait and the state is annexed to Iraq. This would lead to the Gulf War shortly afterward.

  • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    1945

    World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. Thirty-five thousand people are killed outright, including 23,200-28,200 Japanese war workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers.

  • Shooting of Michael Brown

    2014

    Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, Missouri, was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer after reportedly assaulting the officer and attempting to steal his weapon, sparking protests and unrest in the city.

  • Apartheid in South Africa

    1964

    South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.

  • Battle of Britain

    1940

    World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain. At that point, the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.

  • Evolution

    1858

    Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory.

  • Gulf War

    1990

    Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western "guests" (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War.

  • Libyan Civil War (2011)

    2011

    Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is overthrown after the National Transitional Council forces take control of Bab al-Azizia compound during the Libyan Civil War.

  • Charles de Gaulle

    1944

    World War II: Charles de Gaulle enters Paris.

  • Kuwait

    1990

    Iraq declares Kuwait to be its newest province.

  • Native Americans in the United States

    1911

    Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerges from the wilderness of northeastern California.

  • Douglas MacArthur

    1945

    The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Atsugi Air Force Base.

Famous Birthdays on August

Famous Deaths on August

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