Major Events
-
1831 – Nat Turner leads a slave rebellion in Virginia, one of the most significant uprisings in American history.
-
1858 – The first of the historic Lincoln–Douglas debates takes place in Illinois, focusing on slavery and state rights.
-
1888 – The first successful adding machine is patented by William Seward Burroughs.
-
1911 – The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre by a museum employee; it is recovered in 1913.
-
1959 – Hawaii becomes the 50th U.S. state.
-
1965 – Gemini 5 is launched into space by NASA, setting a new endurance record of nearly eight days.
-
1986 – A limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in Cameroon releases a cloud of carbon dioxide, killing over 1,700 people.
-
2017 – A total solar eclipse is visible across the continental United States, the first in over 38 years.
Famous Birthdays
-
Count Basie (1904–1984) – American jazz pianist and bandleader.
-
Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999) – American basketball legend.
-
Kenny Rogers (1938–2020) – American country music singer and actor.
-
Kim Cattrall (1956) – British-Canadian actress, known for Sex and the City.
-
Sergey Brin (1973) – Co-founder of Google.
-
Hayden Panettiere (1989) – American actress and singer.
-
Usain Bolt (1986) – Jamaican sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist.
-
Brody Jenner (1983) – American television personality.
Notable Deaths
-
Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) – Russian revolutionary leader and Marxist theorist.
-
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910–1995) – Indian-American astrophysicist and Nobel laureate.
-
Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882–1920) – British royal and Crown Princess of Sweden.
-
Edith Roosevelt (1861–1948) – First Lady of the United States, wife of Theodore Roosevelt.
-
Jerry Tarkanian (1930–2015) – American basketball coach.
Holidays
-
Morocco – Youth Day, celebrating the birthday of King Mohammed VI.
-
Latvia – Senior Citizens Day.
-
Russia (Orthodox Church) – Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos (regional observance).
-
United States – National Senior Citizens Day (recognized by proclamation since 1988).
Fun Facts
-
Hawaii officially became the 50th U.S. state on this day in 1959.
-
The infamous theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre occurred on August 21, 1911.
-
The Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017 captivated millions across the U.S., with totality paths stretching coast to coast.
-
Usain Bolt, born on this day, is considered the fastest man in history.