Today in History

Births On This Day, August 4th 🎂

1961 Barack Obama
American politician, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate

1955 Alberto Gonzales
American politician, 80th United States Attorney General

1912 Raoul Wallenberg
Swedish diplomat

1901 Louis Armstrong
American trumpeter, singer

1900 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Possible thunderstorm

Deaths On This Day, August 4th 🪦

2007 Raul Hilberg
Austrian/American political scientist, historian

1922 Enver Pasha
Ottoman military officer

1875 Hans Christian Andersen
Danish author, poet

1792 John Burgoyne
English general

1598 William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
English statesman
 

1790
U. S. Revenue Cutter Service is established to serve as armed customs service. The name was changed in 1915 to U.S. Coast Guard
1944
Anne Frank is arrested in Amsterdam by German police after getting a tip from an informer who was never identified
1958
Billboard's Top 100 debuts with Ricky Nelson's single'Poor Little Fool' as # 1
1964
3 civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman&James E. Chaney's bodies were discovered in earthen Mississippi dam. Their story was the basis of movie' Mississippi Burning' 88
2020
huge explosions at port of Beruit, Lebanon killed more than 200 injuring 2,000 people. The cause was improper stored ammonium nitrate
 
Aug 4th Birthdays:
1901
Louis Armstrong- jazz trumpeter/singer' Hello Dolly, What a Wonderful World
1912
Rauol Wallenberg- Swedish diplomat in WWII,saved over 10,000 Jews
1961
Barack O'Bama- 1st African American U.S. President{#44} 2009-2017
1968
Daniel Dae Kim- actor best known TV roles' "Jin Kwon' in ABC show' Lost', 'Chin Ho Kelly' in reboot of CBS show' Hawaii 5-O
Deaths:
1875
Hans Christian Andersen- Danish author of 150 fairy tales' The Snow Queen, Ugly Duckling 70
1981
Melvyn Douglas- actor, 'I Never Sang for My Father,Hud, Being There, Ghost Story. he won 2 best supp Oscars for his roles in Hud, Being There 80
2007
Lee Hazelwood- singer/songwriter' Summer Wine, These Boots Are Made for Walking 78
 

On This Day In History, August 5th

2009 General Abdel Aziz sworn in as President of Mauritania
General Abdel Aziz, who came to power in a coup in 2008, was sworn in as the President of Mauritania after elections in 2009.

1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is Signed
Also known as the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the document was signed by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States in Moscow. The treaty, which came as a response to the heightening tensions due to the frequent testing of nuclear weapons by these 3 countries during the Cold War, banned the testing of nuclear weapons anywhere on land, over water, or in space. Underground testing was still allowed under the treaty until it was also banned in 1996 after the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty came into force.

1962 Nelson Mandela is Arrested
The South African anti-apartheid activist and adherent of nonviolence were arrested by the government at Rivonia, a suburb of Johannesburg. After a year-long trial, Mandela was imprisoned at the infamous Robben Island prison where we spent the next 18 years. He was released from prison in 1990 after spending 28 years as a political prisoner. In the early 1990s, after intense international and domestic pressure, in part from the efforts of Mandela, the South African government started taking steps to end apartheid – a government policy of racial segregation and discrimination. As a result, Mandela was elected the country’s first black president in 1994.

1960 Burkina Faso gains its Independence
The landlocked West African country, known as Upper Vota until 1984, became a French protectorate in the late 19th century. In 1958, the Republic of Upper Volta was created as a self-governing French colony. After independence, Maurice Yaméogo became the first president of the country, whose name was changed to Burkina Faso in 1984.

1940 Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic is established
The Soviet Union added Latvia to the union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.
 
Births On This Day, August 5th 🎂

1979 David Healy
Irish footballer

1968 Marine Le Pen
French politician

1930 Neil Armstrong
American pilot, engineer, astronaut, the first person to walk on the moon

1906 John Huston
American director

1850 Guy de Maupassant
French writer

Deaths On This Day, August 5th 🪦

1991 Paul Brown
American football coach, executive

1984 Richard Burton
Welsh actor

1964 Art Ross
Canadian ice hockey player

1962 Marilyn Monroe
American model, actress, singer

1895 Friedrich Engels
German philosopher
 
1861
Pres Lincoln signs 1st U.S. personal income tax into law 3% of incomes over $800
1891
the world's 1st traveler's cheques were issued by American Express
1924
comic strip'Little Orphan Annie' by Harold Gray 1st published in NY Daily News
1953
movie' From Here to Eternity' directed by Fred Zinnerman based on the 1951 novel by James Jones is released. The story of Army life in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor,with all star cast, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Cliff, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra,Ernest Borgine,Jack Warden The movie won 8 Oscars inc picture, director, best supp actor{Sinatra} best supp actress{Reed},screenplay
1981
Pres Ronald Reagan fires 11,500 air traffic controllers who refused to return to work after going on strike
2017
United Nations Security Council votes to impose sanctions against N.Korea for its continued missile program
 
Aug 5th Birthdays:
1862
Joseph Merrick' the elephant man', he had severe deformities before the age of 5. In 1986, experts said he had a rare genetic disorder called' Proteus Syndrome' tissue overgrowth
1906
John Huston- film writer/director- Treasure of Sierra Madre, The Africian Queen, Chinatown, The Misfits, Maltese Falcon, Prizzi's Honor'. He won 2 Oscars for writing screenplay/directing Treasure of Sierra Madre
1930
Neil Armstrong- NASA astronaut- 1st man to walk on the moon
1937
Herb Brooks- ice hockey coach of 'Miracle on Ice' college hockey team which won gold medal at Lake PLacid Winter Olympics in 1980
1945
Loni Anderson- actress, best known TV role' Jennifer' secretary on CBS sitcom 'WKRP In Cincinatti'76-'82
1956
Maureen McCormick -actress, best known TV role' Marcia' on sitcom' The Brady Bunch'
Deaths:
1955
Carmen Miranda- Brazillian born samba singer/actress 46{heart attack}
1962
Marilyn Monroe- actress 'Some Like It Hot, The Misfits 36
1984
Richard Burton- Welsh actor' Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virigina Woolf,The Robe 58
2000
Alec Guiness- British actor' Bridge on The River Kwai,Dr Zhivago,Tinker, Tinker, Soldier Spy, A Passage to India, beloved role of 'Obi Wan Kenobi' in original 'Star War movie'77 won Best actor Oscar for' Kwai, 86
2018
Charlotte Rae- actress, best known TV role' Edna Garrett in NBC sitcom, "Facts of Life 92
 
On This Day In History, August 6th

2008 Coup in Mauritania
In the 6th coup in the North African country since 1978, President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was overthrown and General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, a career military officer, was installed in his place.

1965 Voting Rights Act Becomes Law in the United States
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act, which prohibited any discrimination in voting. The act enforces the 14th and 15th amendments to the US Constitution.

1962 Jamaican Independence
The Caribbean island country was first colonized by the Spanish in the early 16th century. In 1655, the British invaded Spanish Jamaica and made it a colony after the Spanish surrendered. Jamaica soon became one of the most profitable colonies of the British Empire, especially after sugarcane was brought to the island by the English. The Jamaica Independence Act of July 1962, which was a result of anti-colonial sentiments that were spreading throughout the globe, gave Jamaica full independence by leaving the Federation of the West Indies.

1945 US Bombs Hiroshima
In the first of the only two times nuclear weapons have been used in warfare, the United States dropped a nuclear bomb, nicknamed Little Boy on the industrial city of Hiroshima in Japan. Over 150,000 people were estimated killed by the resulting explosion. Japan had joined the Second World War in December 1941 on the side of the Axis powers. After the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings 3 days later on August 9, Japan surrendered to the Allies and ended the Pacific War.

1926 First Woman to Swim Across the English Channel
Gertrude Ederle, an American Olympic swimmer swam across the English channel a body of water between England and France, in 14 hours and 34 minutes. Only 5 other people, all men, had swum across the channel before Ederle.
 
Births On This Day, August 6th 🎂

1983 Robin van Persie
Dutch footballer

1928 Andy Warhol
American artist

1911 Lucille Ball
American actress

1881 Alexander Fleming
Scottish scientist, Nobel Prize laureate

1809 Alfred, Lord Tennyson
English poet

Deaths On This Day, August 6th 🪦

1978 Pope Paul VI

1973 Fulgencio Batista
Cuban army officer, politician, 9th President of Cuba

1969 Theodor W. Adorno
German sociologist, philosopher

1931 Bix Beiderbecke
American pianist, composer

1637 Ben Jonson
English writer
 
1819
The 1st U.S. private military college,Norwich Univ in Northfield, VT was founded
1932
The world's oldest film festival,'Venice Film Festival' opens
1960
Chubby Checker's version of Hank Ballard's song' "The Twist' starts a worldwide dance craze
1979
12 yr old, Marcus Hopper becomes the youngest person to swim the English Channel
2018
Facebook, Youtube, Apple&Spotify remove conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones from their platforms
 
Aug 6th Birthdays:
1809
Alfred Tennyson- British poet' The Charge of the Light Brigade'
1881
Alexander Fleming- Scottish biolgist who invented pencillin
1917
Robert Mitchum- actor' Winds of War, North&South,Out of the Past
1970
M.Night Shyamalan- film director' The Sixth Sense,Signs, Unbreakable
Deaths:
1986
William Schroeder-longest survivior of artifical heart after 620 days with Jarvik 7 man made pump 54
1991
Harry Reasoner- U.S. newscaster with ABC&CBS News, '60 Minutes newsmagazine' 68
2004
Rick James- funk musician'Super Freak' 56
2009
John Hughes-film director' Breakfast Club, Ferris Buller's Day Off,Sixteen Candles' 59{heart attack}
 
On This Day In History, August 7th

2008 War Between Russia and Georgia Breaks Out
The conflict began over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway regions of Georgia. When the two provinces broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s and most of the international community did not recognize their independence. Russia on the other hand backed them and placed peacekeeping forces in the two regions. In 2008, tensions escalated between the two countries after Russia moved a large number of troops into the area. The war ended with a Russian victory and with Georgia losing parts of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Russia.

1998 Coordinated bomb attacks in American embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kill over 200 people
Responsibility for the twin attacks in the capital cities was taken by an Al-Qaeda affiliate Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

1974 Daredevil Walks a High Wire Between Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who was 24 years old at the time, walked 8 times across a high wire between the two towers in 45 minutes. The high wire was 1,350 feet from the ground.

1960 Ivory Coast Independence
The West African country known as Côte d'Ivoire gained its independence from France after being a member of the French Community for 2 years. Ivory Coast became a French Colony in 1893 under the leadership of explorer Louis Gustave Binger. Felix Houphouet-Boigny became the first president of the independent country and remained in office until his death in 1993.

1782 George Washington Institutes the Purple Heart
Then known as the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart is a military decoration. In 1932, on the 200th birth anniversary of Washington, it was decided that the award would be given to those wounded or killed while serving in the United States Armed Forces as a result of enemy action on or after April 5, 1917. August 7 is annually observed as Purple Heart Day in the United States.
 
Births On This Day, August 7th 🎂

1987 Sidney Crosby
Canadian ice hockey player

1975 David Hicks
Australian alleged terrorist

1975 Charlize Theron
South African model, actress

1958 Bruce Dickinson
English singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor

1876 Mata Hari
Dutch spy

Deaths On This Day, August 7th 🪦

2011 Mark Hatfield
American politician

2005 Peter Jennings
Canadian/American journalist

1957 Oliver Hardy
American comedian, actor

1941 Rabindranath Tagore
Indian author, poet, Nobel Prize laureate

1938 Constantin Stanislavski
Russian actor, director
 
1940
the largest amount paid for a stamp was $45,000 for one 1856 British Guiana
1987
30 yr old, Lynne Cox, U. S. endurance swimmer became the 1st person to swim across the frigid Bering Strait from Alaska to Soviet Union. It took her 2 hrs,15 min in 45 degree water
2018
movie' Crazy, Rich Asians' directed by Jon M.Chu, the 1st Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast was released based on the book by Kevin Kwan. It stars Constance Wu, Henry Gosling,Michelle Yeoh. The story is about an Chinese/ American prof who travels to meet her boyfriend's parents in Singapore. She is surprised to learn his parents are very wealthy, he never mentioned this to her
The movie was critical/commerical hit with critics/ fans made over $238 million
 
Aug 7th Birthdays:
1876
Mata Hari- Dutch exotic dancer/courtesan/convicted German spy
1942
Garrison Keillor- writer/ humorist/radio personality with long running show' A Prairie Home Companion'
1960
David Duchovny- actor, best known TV role' Mulder' TV show 'The XFiles' '93-'02
1965
Elizabeth Manley-retired Canadian figure skater, won silver medal at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games
1975
Charlize Theron- South African actress, "Mad Max, Cider House Rules, Monster, Young Adult, The Old Guard, won best actress Oscar for' Monster, played real life serial killer, Aileen Wiromos
Deaths:
1957
Oliver Hardy- comedic actor who co starred with British comic actor,Stan Laurel in "Laurel&Hardy; movies 57
2005
Peter Jennings- Canadian born/U.S journalist, anchor of ABC Evening News 67{lung cancer}
2018
Stan Mikita- Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center 78
 
On This Day In History, August 8th

1988 Uprising in Myanmar Begins
The pro-democracy uprising began as a student protest in Burma’s capital city, Yangon. Hundreds and thousands of protesters came out on the streets to protest against the one-party rule by General Ne Win. The protests lasted for over a month and were violently put down by the government. They ended after the State Peace and Development Council, a group of senior military officers took over the government in a coup and installed a military junta. The uprisings get their name from the date the protests began - August 8, 1988.

1974 Nixon Announces His Resignation
The 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon came as a response to the Watergate Scandal. The scandal erupted after it was revealed that the Nixon government was involved in the cover-up of a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex. The revelations prompted Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Nixon. His resignation made him the first president in American history to resign while in office.

1969 Photographer Iain Macmillan Takes an Iconic Photograph of the Beatles
One of the most recognizable images of the 20th century, the photograph was taken in the middle of Abbey Road in London and showed all the members of the popular rock band, The Beatles crossing the road on a zebra crossing. The photograph was used as a cover for their 11th album, Abbey Road.

1967 ASEAN is Founded
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an economic and political organization that was formed after the heads of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration. The purpose of the organization is to promote regional peace and stability and encourage economic development in the region. Today, ASEAN has 10 member states.

1908 Wright Brothers Publicly Show Off Their Flying Machine For the First Time
The human air flight pioneers displayed their flying machine and its capabilities at a racecourse at Le Mans, France, 5 years after they made their first successful flight in 1903. The flight piloted by Wilbur lasted only 1 minute and 45 seconds captured the imagination of their audiences and silenced their critics and doubters.
 
Births On This Day, August 8th 🎂

1981 Roger Federer
Swiss tennis player

1981 Harel Skaat
Israeli singer-songwriter

1969 Faye Wong
Chinese singer-songwriter, actress

1953 Nigel Mansell
English race car driver

1937 Dustin Hoffman
American actor

Deaths On This Day, August 8th 🪦

1985 Louise Brooks
American actress, dancer

1973 Dean Corll
American serial killer

1944 Michael Wittmann
German SS officer

1909 Mary MacKillop
Australian saint co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart

1827 George Canning
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
 
1844
Brigham Young is chosen as head/leader of Salt Lake City Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints after Joseph Smith dies
1854
Smith&Wesson patent metal bullet cartridges
1963
group,'The Kingsmen' release their single,'Louie,Louie' radio stations label it obscene
1992
at the Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, USA's 'Dream Team' with NBA players, Michael Jordan,Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, , Magic Johnson,Patrick Ewing,Scottie Pippen win gold medal beating Croatia 117-85
 
Aug 8th Birthdays:
1879
'Dr Bob' Smith- U.S physican co-founder of Alcoholics Annoymous
1922
Rudi Gernrich- designer of 1st women's topless swimsuit,miniskirt
1926
Richard Anderson- actor best known TV role 'Oscar Goldman' on 2 TV shows' The 6Million Dollar Man, spinoff,'The Bionic Woman
1935
Donald P. Bellasario- TV producer TV shows' Quantum Leap,original Magnum,PI, Jag
1947
Ken Dryden- retired Canadian hockey player, played goalie with Montreal Canadiens won 6 Stanley Cups
1981
Roger Federer - Swiss tennis player, considered one of the best ever, has won 20 Grand Slam titles
Deaths:
1984
Richard Deacon best known TV roles 'Mel Cooley' in sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, 'Fred Rutherford' in sitcom 'Leave it to Beaver' 62
2005
Barbara Bel Geddes- actress, best known TV role' Miss Ellie' Ewing on TV show'Dallas' 82
2017
Glen Campbell- Grammy winning country/pop/ guitarist 'ByThe Time I Get to Phoenix, Witchita Lineman,Rhine stone Cowboy 81
 
On This Day In History, August 9th

1965 Singapore Leaves Malaysia
The Southeast Asian Island country joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 as part of the Malaysia Agreement. In 1965, due to disagreements between leaders of the other members of the federation and Singaporean leaders and race tensions, the Malaysian parliament decided to expel Singapore from the Federation. The country reluctantly became independent on August 9 under the leadership of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

1945 An Atomic Bomb is dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki
3 days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the city of Nagasaki was destroyed by a 21-kiloton atomic bomb nicknamed Fat Boy. About 40 to 80 thousand people were estimated killed during this American-led attack towards the end of the Second World War. A few days later on August 15, Japan surrendered to the Allies, effectively bringing the War to a close by September 1945.

1942 Quit India Movement Begins in India
The civil disobedience movement against the British colonists was spearheaded by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi had called for peaceful protests in a speech a day earlier at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, Mumbai. In the speech, he made a call of “do or die” and asked his followers to adopt nonviolence when interacting with the British. The movement began with the British imprisoning the Congress Party leadership, including Gandhi. The British ruled India from 1858 when the British Crown took over control of the country from the British East India Company. India gained its independence on August 15, 1947.

1930 Betty Boop Makes Her Debut
The animated cartoon character made her first appearance in the cartoon, Dizzy Dishes. Thought to be modeled after singer Helen Kane, Betty was shown as a woman with an exaggerated body and a child-like face. Created by animator Max Fleischer, she is one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world.

1854 Henry David Thoreau Publishes Walden
An American transcendentalist, Thoreau wrote the book in a span of just over two years while residing near Walden Pond, a lake in Concord Massachusetts. The book, which is also known as Walden; or, Life in the Woods is about his time living near the lake and is a reflection on living a life of simplicity and austerity.
 
Births On This Day, August 9th 🎂

1981 Li Jiawei
Singaporean table tennis player

1963 Whitney Houston
American singer, actress, producer, model

1947 Roy Hodgson
English football manager

1922 Philip Larkin
English poet

1896 Jean Piaget
Swiss psychologist

Deaths On This Day, August 9th 🪦

2022
Olivia Newton-John :cry:

2012 David Rakoff
Canadian/American author, actor

1996 Frank Whittle
English engineer, and inventor, developed the jet engine

1995 Jerry Garcia
American singer-songwriter, guitarist

1975 Dmitri Shostakovich
Russian composer

1962 Hermann Hesse
German writer, Nobel Prize laureate
 
1842
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed by U.S. Sec of State Daniel Webster, Alexander Bay,British diplomat, 1st Baron Asburton. The treaty resolved border issues between U.S &Canada
1910
a Chicago, Ill resident, Alva Fisher receives U.S. patent for electric washing machine
1930
animated character' Betty Boop' debuts in Max Fleisher's cartoon 'Dizzy Dishes'
1945
U.S. drops 2nd atomic bomb'Fat Man' on Nagasaki,Japan destroying part of the city
1974
Pres Richard Nixon resigns over his involvement/coverup of 'Watergate Scandal' his vice pres,Gerald Ford is sworn in to take his place, as 38th U.S. Pres
2016
Indian human rights campaigner, Irom Sharmala ends the longest hunger strike after 16 yrs.The 1st thing he tastes is honey
 
Aug 9th Birthdays:
1899
P.L Travers- British writer' Mary Poppins"
1927
Robert Shaw- actor' Jaws, The Sting, The Deep,Black Sunday
1938
Rod Laver- retired Australian tennis player who won Grand Slam titles{Australian,French,Wimbledon, U.S.OPen} in 1962,1969
1950
Chris Haney- Canadian journalist, co -creator of board game' Trival Pursuit'
Deaths:
1962
Herman Hesse- German/Swiss novelist 'Steppenwolf' 85
1969
Sharon Tate- actress 'Valley of the Dolls' murdered by Manson 'gang' 26
1995
Jerry Garcia- rock singer/songwriter with group 'Grateful Dead' 53{heart attack}
1996
James McLamore- U.S. businessman, 1st CEO of 'Burger King restaurant chain,created 'The Whopper' 70
2008
Bernie Mac- comedian/actor' The Bernie Mac Show, Ocean's Eleven 50
 
On This Day In History, August 10th

2003 The First Person to Get Married While in Space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko was on the International Space Station when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was located in Texas at the time of the wedding. The wedding took place through a NASA satellite hookup.

2001 An attack on a train during the Angolan Civil War kills about 250 people
Rebels from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) in Angola derailed a train using an anti-tank mine and opened fire on the passengers.

1990 Magellan Space Probe is Inserted in Orbit Around Venus
The first spacecraft to be launched by a space shuttle, Magellan was a robotic space probe that spent 8 months gathering data about the surface of the planet also known as Earth's twin. The probe was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on May 4, 1989, when Space Shuttle Atlantis took it to low Earth orbit and released it.

1944 Battle of Narva ends
The 8-day-long battle was fought between the German Army and the Soviet Leningrad Front for the control of the Narva Isthmus in Estonia during the Second World War. The battle ended with a decisive German victory

1675 The foundation stone for the Royal Observatory, Greenwich is laid
Commissioned by King Charles II of England, the Royal Observatory started operating in 1676 under the supervision of John Flamsteed, the first British Astronomer Royal. The observatory is famous around the world because its location marks the Prime Meridian passes through it.
 

Births On This Day, August 10th 🎂

1980 Wade Barrett
English wrestler

1973 Lisa Raymond
American tennis player

1971 Roy Keane
Irish footballer

1960 Antonio Banderas
Spanish actor

1874 Herbert Hoover
American politician, 31st President of the United States

Deaths On This Day, August 10th 🪦

2008 Isaac Hayes
American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, actor

1980 Yahya Khan
Pakistan general, politician, 3rd President of Pakistan

1945 Robert H. Goddard
American physicist, inventor

1932 Rin Tin Tin
German/American acting dog

1896 Otto Lilienthal
German pilot, engineer
 


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