August
Aug 1 - First article proposing women's rights in America - written by Thomas Paine for the Pennsylvania Magazine, 1775.
- Anne Frank's last diary entry, 1944 Aug 2 - Raksha Bandhan - a Hindu holiday commemorating the love between a brother and a sister. Raksha means protection in Hindi, and symbolizes the longing a sister has to be protected by her brother. During the celebration, a sister ties a string around her brother's (or brother-figure’s) wrist, and asks him to protect her. The brother usually gives the sister a gift and agrees to protect her for life. - The Persian Gulf War began in 1990. Aug 3 - Columbus Set Sail on his 1st Voyage In 1492. - The National Dance Hall of Fame - which includes the National Museum of Dance, was established in Saratoga, New York, in 1984. Aug 4 - Louis Armstrong was born - a famous Black/African American jazz artist was born in 1901. - Coast Guard Day - established in 1790 Aug 5 - Neil Armstrong was born - the first man to walk on the moon, was born in 1930. - The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed - by Cyrus W. Field in 1858 Aug 6 - Independence Day (Jamaica) - Commemorates the raising of the Jamaican flag signifying the birth of the nation - Hiroshima Day (Canada, USA) - This solemn day commemorates the day the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. People unite on this day to declare their commitment to never let another nuclear bomb be used. Aug 7 - Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis was born - a women’s rights reformer and abolitionist, was born in 1813. - President George Washington created the “Purple Heart” - a medal given to military men or women who are injured at war, 1782. Aug 8th - Rap music becomes mainstreamed - with the release of N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton. For the first time rap music was seen as more than party music, 1988. - U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his resignation from the presidency - effective the next day, 1974. Aug 9 - President Ford is inaugurated – inaugurated after Nixon resigns, 1974. - Lauro Cavazos the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet - President Ronald Reagan nominated Lauro Cavazos to be secretary of education and the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet, 1988. Aug 10 - Janmashtami - a Hindu holiday recognizing Krishna’s birthday. Krishna is the highest god in the Hindu faith. - Reagan signs the civil liberties act of 1988 - The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 is a United States federal law that granted reparations to Japanese-Americans who had been interned by the United States government during World War II. Aug 11 - Race riots (the Watts Riots) begin in Watts’s area of Los Angeles, CA, 1965. Racial tension reaches a breaking point after two white policemen scuffle with a black motorist suspected of drunken driving. The five days of violence left 34 dead, 1,032 injured, nearly 4,000 arrested, and $40 million worth of property destroyed known as one of the worst urban riots in the United States. - Hip hop is born, 1973 Aug 12 - International youth day - East Germany begins the construction of the Berlin wall, 1961 Aug 13 - Bon Festival (feast of lanterns) (13-15) - The Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors has evolved into a family reunion holiday, during which people return to ancestral family places to visit and clean their ancestors' graves. Celebrated for over 500 years, the event lasts for three days. (In some regions of Japan, the Bon Festival is celebrated in mid-July.) - Women enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first woman to enlist, 1918 Aug 14 - Laylat al-Qadr (Islamic) - The anniversary of the night in which the Qur'an was first communicated in its entirety to Muhammad. Popularly, it has been refered to as Night of Power. Muslims believe the incident occurred during the month of Ramadan but they differ as to the exact date. - Japan surrendered to the United States, ending World War II, 1945 Aug 15 - Liberation Day (Korea, South Korea) North Korea claimed independence from Japan in 1945, and South Korea in 1948 created an independent government. - The American-built Panama Canal was finished and opened, 1914 •Henry Ford started his automobile company, 1899 Aug 16 - International Tell a Joke Day - 1896 George Carmack reportedly spots nuggets of gold in a creek bed in Yukon that sparked the last great gold rush in the American West, Aug 17 - Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist who is revered by Rastafarians. Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their ancestors during and after slavery in North America. - National Thrift shop Day - Save money and be economical by purchasing second-hand, repaired or simply cheaper products. Aug 18 - The 19th amendment to the US constitution was ratified in 1920. The 19th amendment extended women the right to vote - James Meredith becomes the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi, 1963 Aug 19 - Eid al Fitr, the Muslim celebration commemorating the ending of Ramadan. It is a festival of thanksgiving to Allah for enjoying the month of Ramadan. It involves wearing one's finest clothing, saying prayers, and nurturing understanding of other religions. • - Day of Hope, which is about honoring and remembering the lives of babies and children that could not stay with us. By doing this we are speaking out about the death of babies whether it is through pregnancy, infant or even child loss. Aug 20 - National radio day celebrating the invention of the radio - Danish navigator Vitus Jonas Bering discovers Alaska, 1791 Aug 21 - 1959 Hawaii Admitted to Union - American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals in one Olympic Games, 2008 Aug 22 - International Red Cross founded. It called for nonpartisan care to the sick and wounded in times of war and provided for the neutrality of medical personnel, 1864 - Redcoats land on Long Island hopes of taking over New York City, 1776. Aug 23 - Chinese Valentine’s Day – Also known as Qi Xi. People go to the temple of Match Maker and pray for love - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition United Nations observance Aug 24 - Tanabata or the Vega Star (Japan) - Celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th moon. According to festival legend, the weaver princess star, Vega, fell in love with the herdboy star, Altair. They were allowed to meet once a year when the Vega and Altair constellations drew near and the lovers met over a bridge made by a flock of birds. - British troops set fire to the White House, 1814. Aug 25 - The United States National Park Service is created, 1916. - President Harry Truman orders the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike, 1950 Aug 26 - Women's Equality Day - Introduced by Rep. Bella Abzug (former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, lawyer, writer, news commentator, and feminist) and established in 1971, this day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which in 1920 gave women in the United States full voting rights. - 1st kindergarten public school opens in St. Louis, 1873 Aug 27 - Death of William E. B. Dubois, the U.S. founder of NAACP, 1968 - 1st successful oil well drilled, near Titusville, Penn by Edwin Drake, 1859 Aug 28 - Martin Luther King Jr. makes his "I have a dream” speech at Lincoln Memorial, 1963 - 1st Japanese gay pride parade, 1994 Aug 29 - Death of Brigham Young, Mormon leader, 1877 - Birthday of Temple Grandin, an American doctor of animal science and professor whom is also autistic, was born, 1947 Aug 30 - Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American astronaut to go to space with the space shuttle Challenger on it’s 3rd mission, 1983 - Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African-American justice of the U.S. Senate, 1967 Aug 31 - The first radio news program is broadcast in Detroit, Michigan, 1920 - FDR signs the Neutrality Act in hopes of preventing the United States from entering another war, 1935 |