On This Day in History – August 10
August 10 has been a day of revolution, invention, cultural milestones, and remembrance. From French uprisings to pioneering achievements in science and sport, this date continues to shape history across continents.
Major Events
- 1792 – The monarchy is overthrown in France as revolutionaries storm the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution.
- 1821 – Missouri is admitted as the 24th state of the United States.
- 1846 – The Smithsonian Institution is chartered by the U.S. Congress with funds from British scientist James Smithson.
- 1945 – Japan offers unconditional surrender to the Allies, effectively ending World War II (announced publicly on August 10).
- 1954 – At Massena, New York, the first major UFO conference is held in the United States.
- 1961 – Britain applies for membership in the European Economic Community (EEC) for the first time.
- 1990 – The Magellan spacecraft arrives at Venus and begins mapping the planet’s surface.
- 2003 – The highest recorded temperature in the UK at the time—38.5°C (101.3°F)—is recorded in Kent during the European heatwave.
- 2012 – NASA’s Curiosity rover begins transmitting high-resolution color images from Mars.
Famous Birthdays
- Henri Nestlé (1814–1890) – German-Swiss businessman and founder of Nestlé, one of the world’s largest food companies.
- Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) – 31st President of the United States, serving during the early years of the Great Depression.
- Wolfgang Paul (1913–1993) – German physicist and Nobel Prize winner for his work on ion traps.
- Leo Fender (1909–1991) – American inventor and founder of Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company.
- Antonio Banderas (1960– ) – Spanish actor known for roles in The Mask of Zorro and Desperado.
- Rosanna Arquette (1959– ) – American actress and director.
- Joanna García (1979– ) – American actress known for television roles in Reba and Sweet Magnolias.
- Angie Harmon (1972– ) – American actress and model best known for Law & Order and Rizzoli & Isles.
- Suzanne Collins (1962– ) – American author of The Hunger Games trilogy.
- Kylie Jenner (1997– ) – American media personality, entrepreneur, and founder of Kylie Cosmetics.
Notable Deaths
- Isaac Singer (1811–1875) – American inventor of the modern sewing machine.
- Euripides (c. 480 BC–406 BC) – Ancient Greek playwright, author of Medea and The Bacchae.
- Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521) – Portuguese explorer known for circumnavigating the globe (death occurred earlier, but memorialized in August).
- Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450–1516) – Dutch painter known for surreal and symbolic works.
- Robert H. Goddard (1882–1945) – American physicist and pioneer of modern rocketry.
- Arne Tiselius (1902–1971) – Swedish chemist and Nobel laureate for work in electrophoresis.
- Eddie Fisher (1928–2010) – American singer and entertainer.
- Paule Marshall (1929–2019) – American novelist known for Brown Girl, Brownstones.
- Mikio Naruse (1905–1969) – Influential Japanese film director.
- Henry Moseley (1887–1915) – English physicist whose work on atomic numbers transformed the periodic table.
Holidays
- Ecuador Independence Day – Commemorates Ecuador’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1809.
- International Biodiesel Day – Celebrated in honor of Rudolf Diesel’s invention of the diesel engine using peanut oil in 1893.
- National S’mores Day (United States) – A fun food holiday celebrating the iconic campfire treat.
- Constitution Day (Anguilla) – Recognizes the island’s 1976 constitutional reforms.
- Feast of Saint Lawrence (Christianity) – Honors the Christian martyr and patron saint of cooks and the poor.
Fun Facts
- The Smithsonian Institution, founded on this day in 1846, is now the world’s largest museum and research complex.
- Missouri’s admission to the Union in 1821 was part of the Missouri Compromise, a major step in the debate over slavery.
- NASA’s Magellan mission, which arrived at Venus on this date in 1990, mapped more than 98% of the planet’s surface.
- S’mores are believed to have first appeared in a Girl Scouts publication in 1927, yet are still celebrated every August 10.
- Ecuador’s independence in 1809 was the first among South American territories to challenge Spanish rule, though full independence came later.