August 26 - This Day in History

August 26: General Interest
1939: First televised Major League baseball game

On this day in 1939, the first televised Major League baseball game is broadcast on station W2XBS, the station that was to become WNBC-TV. Announcer Red Barber called the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Washington urges Hessians to desert
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-urges-hessians-to-desert


Automotive
1959 : Mini makes its debut
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mini-makes-its-debut


Civil War
1862 : Second Bull Run campaign begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/second-bull-run-campaign-begins


Cold War
1957 : Russia tests an intercontinental ballistic missile
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russia-tests-an-intercontinental-ballistic-missile


Crime
1986 : "Preppy Murder" stuns New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/preppy-murder-stuns-new-york


Disaster
1948 : NYC and Philly sizzle in heat wave
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nyc-and-philly-sizzle-in-heat-wave


General Interest
1346 : Battle of Crecy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-crecy

1920 : 19th Amendment adopted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/19th-amendment-adopted

1968 : Democratic convention besieged by protesters
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/democratic-convention-besieged-by-protesters

1974 : Charles Lindbergh dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charles-lindbergh-dies


Hollywood
1980 : Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/home-alone-star-macaulay-culkin-born


Literary
1838 : Ralph Waldo Emerson meets Thomas Carlyle
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ralph-waldo-emerson-meets-thomas-carlyle


Music
1978 : Grease movie soundtrack earns its second #1 hit
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/grease-movie-soundtrack-earns-its-second-1-hit


Old West
1804 : Lewis and Clark promote Patrick Gass to sergeant
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lewis-and-clark-promote-patrick-gass-to-sergeant


Presidential
1794 : George Washington writes to Henry Lee
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-washington-writes-to-henry-lee


Sports
1939 : Lights, cameras, baseball
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lights-cameras-baseball


Vietnam War
1964 : Johnson receives Democratic nomination for president
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnson-receives-democratic-nomination-for-president

1967 : Major George E. Day shot down over North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/major-george-e-day-shot-down-over-north-vietnam

1968 : Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/democratic-national-convention-opens-in-chicago


World War I
1914 : Battle of Tannenberg begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-tannenberg-begins


World War II
1944 : DeGaulle enters a free Paris
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/degaulle-enters-a-free-paris

August 25 - This Day in History

August 25: General Interest
1835: The Great Moon Hoax

On this day in 1835, the first in a series of six articles announcing the supposed discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper. Known collectively as "The Great Moon Hoax," the articles were supposedly reprinted from the Edinburgh Journal of Science... read more


American Revolution
1776 : David Hume dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/david-hume-dies


Automotive
1991 : Michael Schumacher makes Formula One debut
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-schumacher-makes-formula-one-debut


Civil War
1864 : Rebels attack at the Second Battle of Ream's Station
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-reams-station-virginia


Cold War
1985 : Samantha Smith dies in plane crash
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/samantha-smith-dies-in-plane-crash


Crime
1984 : In Cold Blood author dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/in-cold-blood-author-dies


Disaster
1979 : Hurricane David is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-david-is-born


General Interest
325 : Council of Nicaea concludes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/council-of-nicaea-concludes

1875 : Englishman swims the Channel
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/englishman-swims-the-channel

1944 : Paris liberated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paris-liberated

2009 : Ted Kennedy, "liberal lion of the Senate," dies at 77
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ted-kennedy-liberal-lion-of-the-senate-dies-at-77


Hollywood
1939 : The Wizard of Oz debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wizard-of-oz-debuts


Literary
1949 : Novelist Martin Amis is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/novelist-martin-amis-is-born


Music
1962 : Little Eva earns a #1 hit with "Loco-Motion"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/little-eva-earns-a-1-hit-with-quotloco-motionquot


Old West
1896 : Outlaw Bill Doolin is killed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/outlaw-bill-doolin-is-killed


Presidential
1950 : Truman orders army to seize control of railroads
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-orders-army-to-seize-control-of-railroads


Sports
1985 : Gooden becomes youngest 20-game winner in history
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gooden-becomes-youngest-20-game-winner-in-history


Vietnam War
1967 : McNamara concedes that bombing is less than effective
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mcnamara-concedes-that-bombing-is-less-than-effective

1971 : 173rd Airborne Brigade departs Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/173rd-airborne-brigade-departs-vietnam


World War I
1914 : Germans burn Belgian town of Louvain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-burn-belgian-town-of-louvain


World War II
1944 : Liberation of Paris
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/liberation-of-paris

1945 : The first casualty of the Cold War
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-casualty-of-the-cold-war

August 24 - This Day in History

August 24: General Interest
79: Vesuvius erupts

After centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing thousands. The cities, buried under a thick layer of volcanic material and mud, were never rebuilt and largely forgotten in the course of history. In the 18th century, Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization, startlingly preserved in sudden death... read more


American Revolution
1776 : General Lee recognizes Georgia's value
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-24-1776-general-lee-recognizes-georgias-value


Automotive
1958 : Maria Teresa de Filippis races in Portuguese Grand Prix
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/maria-teresa-de-filippis-races-in-portuguese-grand-prix


Civil War
1828 : Confederate General George Steuart is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-steuart-is-born


Cold War
1954 : Congress passes Communist Control Act
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-passes-communist-control-act


Crime
1982 : A Wall Street scheme is hatched
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-wall-street-scheme-is-hatched

2012 : Killer in Norway massacre is sentenced
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/killer-in-norway-massacre-is-sentenced


Disaster
79 : Eruption of Mount Vesuvius begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eruption-of-mount-vesuvius-begins


General Interest
1572 : Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saint-bartholomews-day-massacre

1814 : British capture and burn Washington
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-capture-and-burn-washington

1821 : Spain accepts Mexican independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/spain-accepts-mexican-independence


Hollywood
1981 : John Lennon's killer sentenced
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-lennons-killer-sentenced


Literary
1936 : A.S. Byatt, author of Possession, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/as-byatt-author-of-possession-is-born


Music
1974 : Paul Anka has a #1 hit with "(You're) Having My Baby"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paul-anka-has-a-1-hit-with-quotyoure-having-my-babyquot


Old West
1873 : Elusive Mount of the Holy Cross photographed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elusive-mount-of-the-holy-cross-photographed


Presidential
1814 : British troops set fire to the White House
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-troops-set-fire-to-the-white-house


Sports
1875 : Captain Webb swims English Channel
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/captain-webb-swims-english-channel


Vietnam War
1963 : Washington changes policy on support for President Diem
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-changes-policy-on-support-for-president-diem

1969 : U.S. unit refuses commander's order
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-unit-refuses-commanders-order

1970 : B-52s conduct heavy raids along the DMZ
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/b-52s-conduct-heavy-raids-along-the-dmz


World War I
1914 : Poet Alan Seeger volunteers in French army
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/poet-alan-seeger-volunteers-in-french-army


World War II
1942 : Brave volunteers save the day in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brave-volunteers-save-the-day-in-the-battle-of-the-east-solomon-islands

August 23 - This Day in History

August 23: General Interest
1902: Fannie Farmer opens cooking school

On this day in 1902, pioneering cookbook author Fannie Farmer, who changed the way Americans prepare food by advocating the use of standardized measurements in recipes, opens Miss Farmer's School of Cookery in Boston. In addition to teaching women about cooking, Farmer later educated medical professionals about the importance of proper nutrition for the sick... read more


American Revolution
1784 : State of Franklin declares independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/state-of-franklin-declares-independence


Automotive
1904 : Patent for tire chain issued
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patent-for-tire-chain-issued


Civil War
1861 : Rose Greenhow is arrested
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rose-greenhow-is-arrested


Cold War
1979 : Aleksandr Godunov defects to United States
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aleksandr-godunov-defects-to-united-states


Crime
2006 : Austrian teen escapes after eight years in captivity
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/austrian-teen-escapes-after-eight-years-in-captivity


Disaster
1999 : NYC reports first cases of West Nile virus
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nyc-reports-first-cases-of-west-nile-virus


General Interest
1926 : Valentino dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/valentino-dies

1927 : Sacco and Vanzetti executed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sacco-and-vanzetti-executed


Hollywood
2000 : First Survivor finale airs
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-survivor-finale-airs


Literary
1869 : Edgar Lee Masters, author of Spoon River Anthology, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edgar-lee-masters-author-of-spoon-river-anthology-is-born


Music
1970 : Lou Reed plays his last show with the Velvet Underground
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lou-reed-plays-his-last-show-with-the-velvet-underground


Old West
1877 : Texas Rangers arrest John Wesley Hardin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/texas-rangers-arrest-john-wesley-hardin


Sports
1989 : Pete Rose gets booted from baseball
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pete-rose-gets-booted-from-baseball


Vietnam War
1966 : U.S. cargo ship strikes a mine near Saigon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-cargo-ship-strikes-a-mine-near-saigon

1968 : Communist forces renew offensive
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communist-forces-renew-offensive


World War I
1914 : Battle of Mons
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-mons


World War II
1939 : The Hitler-Stalin Pact
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-hitler-stalin-pact

August 22 - This Day in History

August 22: General Interest
1950: Althea Gibson becomes first African-American on U.S. tennis tour

On this day in 1950, officials of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) accept Althea Gibson into their annual championship at Forest Hills, New York... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Redcoats land at Long Island
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/redcoats-land-at-long-island


Automotive
1962 : Citroen helps De Gaulle survive assassination attempt
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/citroen-helps-de-gaulle-survive-assassination-attempt


Civil War
1862 : Lincoln replies to Horace Greeley
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-replies-to-horace-greeley


Cold War
1968 : Czechs protest against Soviet invasion
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/czechs-protest-against-soviet-invasion


Crime
1933 : The Barker clan kills an officer in their fruitless robbery
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-barker-clan-kills-an-officer-in-their-fruitless-robbery


Disaster
1992 : Hurricane Andrew pounds Bahamas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-andrew-pounds-bahamas


General Interest
1485 : Battle of Bosworth Field
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-bosworth-field

1851 : U.S. wins first America's Cup
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-wins-first-americas-cup

1864 : International Red Cross founded
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/international-red-cross-founded

1922 : Michael Collins assassinated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-collins-assassinated

1992 : Incident at Ruby Ridge
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/incident-at-ruby-ridge


Hollywood
1938 : Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers grace Life cover
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fred-astaire-and-ginger-rogers-grace-life-cover


Literary
1935 : Pulitzer Prize-winning author E. Annie Proulx is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pulitzer-prize-winning-author-e-annie-proulx-is-born


Music
1969 : Zager and Evans end a six-week run at #1 with their smash-hit "In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/zager-and-evans-end-a-six-week-run-at-1-with-their-smash-hit-quotin-the-year-2525-exordium--terminusquot


Old West
1898 : Hired killer Jim Miller joins Texas Rangers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hired-killer-jim-miller-joins-texas-rangers


Presidential
1848 : Ulysses S. Grant marries
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ulysses-s-grant-marries


Sports
1989 : Nolan Ryan registers 5,000th strikeout
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nolan-ryan-registers-5000th-strikeout


Vietnam War
1962 : Kennedy reports stalemate in Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-reports-stalemate-in-vietnam

1967 : Graduated bombing policy condemned
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/graduated-bombing-policy-condemned

1968 : VC repudiates Johnson's peace overture
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vc-repudiates-johnsons-peace-overture

1972 : Demonstrators disrupt Republican National Convention in Miami Beach
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/demonstrators-disrupt-republican-national-convention-in-miami-beach


World War I
1914 : Heavy casualties suffered in the Battles of the Frontiers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heavy-casualties-suffered-in-the-battles-of-the-frontiers


World War II
1944 : Romania captured by the Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/romania-captured-by-the-soviet-union

August 21 - This Day in History

August 21: General Interest
1959: Hawaii becomes 50th state

The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state... read more


American Revolution
1754 : Bloody Ban Tarleton born in Britain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bloody-ban-tarleton-born-in-britain


Automotive
1897 : Olds Motor Works founded
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/olds-motor-works-founded


Civil War
1863 : Guerillas massacre residents of Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sack-of-lawrence-kansas


Cold War
1991 : Coup attempt against Gorbachev collapses
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coup-attempt-against-gorbachev-collapses


Crime
1863 : Outlaws attack Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/outlaws-attack-lawrence-kansas

1911 : Theft of Mona Lisa is discovered
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theft-of-mona-lisa-is-discovered


Disaster
1986 : Gas cloud kills Cameroon villagers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gas-cloud-kills-cameroon-villagers


General Interest
1831 : Slave revolt erupts in Virginia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/slave-revolt-erupts-in-virginia

1858 : Lincoln-Douglas debates begin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-douglas-debates-begin

1961 : Kenyatta freed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kenyatta-freed


Hollywood
1987 : Dirty Dancing opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dirty-dancing-opens


Literary
1920 : Christopher Robin's birthday
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/christopher-robins-birthday


Music
1935 : The Swing Era begins with Benny Goodman's triumphant Palomar Ballroom performance
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-swing-era-begins-with-benny-goodmans-triumphant-palomar-ballroom-performance


Old West
1883 : Trial of Frank James begins in Missouri
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trial-of-frank-james-begins-in-missouri


Presidential
1959 : Eisenhower signs Hawaii statehood bill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eisenhower-signs-hawaii-statehood-bill


Sports
2004 : Michael Phelps wins eighth medal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-phelps-wins-eighth-medal


Vietnam War
1963 : Nhu's Special Forces attack the Buddhists
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nhus-special-forces-attack-the-buddhists

1965 : U.S. pilots given green light to go after anti-aircraft missiles in the North
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-pilots-given-green-light-to-go-after-anti-aircraft-missiles-in-the-north

1969 : Nixon meets with South Korean President
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-meets-with-south-korean-president

1971 : Antiwar protestors raid draft offices
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/antiwar-protestors-raid-draft-offices


World War I
1914 : Battles of the Frontiers fought near Ardennes and Charleroi
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battles-of-the-frontiers-fought-near-ardennes-and-charleroi


World War II
1944 : The seeds of the United Nations are planted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-seeds-of-the-united-nations-are-planted

Sea View - Vietnam

August 20 - This Day in History

August 20: General Interest
1911: First around-the-world telegram sent, 66 years before Voyager II launch

On this day in 1911, a dispatcher in the New York Times office sends the first telegram around the world via commercial service. Exactly 66 years later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sends a different kind of message--a phonograph record containing information about Earth for extraterrestrial beings--shooting into space aboard the unmanned spacecraft Voyager II... read more


American Revolution
1794 : Battle of Fallen Timbers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-fallen-timbers


Automotive
2004 : Record-setting tow-truck parade held in Washington State
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/record-setting-tow-truck-parade-held-in-washington-state


Civil War
1862 : Horace Greeley's "The Prayer of Twenty Millions" is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/horace-greeleys-the-prayer-of-twenty-millions-is-published


Cold War
1968 : Soviet Union intervenes in Czechoslovakia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-union-intervenes-in-czechoslovakia


Crime
1989 : The Menendez brothers murder their parents
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-menendez-brothers-murder-their-parents


Disaster
1995 : Trains collide and explode in India
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trains-collide-and-explode-in-india


General Interest
1940 : Trotsky assassinated in Mexico
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trotsky-assassinated-in-mexico

1968 : Soviets Invade Czechoslovakia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-invade-czechoslovakia

1975 : Viking 1 launched to Mars
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iviking-1i-launched-to-mars

1982 : U.S. Marines deployed to Lebanon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-marines-deployed-to-lebanon


Hollywood
1918 : Valley of the Dolls author Jacqueline Susann born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/valley-of-the-dolls-author-jacqueline-susann-born


Literary
1921 : Jacqueline Susann born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jacqueline-susann-born

2013 : Best-selling crime writer Elmore Leonard dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/best-selling-crime-writer-elmore-leonard-dies


Music
1977 : "Best of My Love," by the Emotions, hits the top of the U.S. pop charts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quotbest-of-my-lovequot-by-the-emotions-hits-the-top-of-the-us-pop-charts


Old West
1804 : Corps of Discovery suffers its only death
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/corps-of-discovery-suffers-its-only-death


Presidential
1833 : Benjamin Harrison is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/benjamin-harrison-is-born


Sports
1920 : Professional football is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/professional-football-is-born


Vietnam War
1954 : United States decides to support Diem
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-decides-to-support-diem

1971 : Minh and Ky withdraw from presidential race
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/minh-and-ky-withdraw-from-presidential-race

1974 : Military aid to Saigon slashed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/military-aid-to-saigon-slashed


World War I
1932 : German artist unveils monument honoring soldiers killed in World War I
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-artist-unveils-monument-honoring-soldiers-killed-in-world-war-i


World War II
1944 : Brits launch Operation Wallace and aid French Resistance
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brits-launch-operation-wallace-and-aid-french-resistance

August 18 - This Day in History

August 18: General Interest
1991: Soviet hard-liners launch coup against Gorbachev

On this day in 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest during a coup by high-ranking members of his own government, military and police forces... read more


American Revolution
1780 : British win at Fishing Creek, lose at Musgrove's Mill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-win-at-fishing-creek-lose-at-musgroves-mill


Automotive
1940 : Walter P. Chrysler dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/walter-p-chrysler-dies


Civil War
1864 : Union attacks railroad at Globe Tavern
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-weldon-railroad-virginia


Cold War
1991 : Coup attempt against Gorbachev begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coup-attempt-against-gorbachev-begins


Crime
1988 : A Seattle judge involved in a sex scandal commits suicide
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-seattle-judge-involved-in-a-sex-scandal-commits-suicide


Disaster
1931 : Yangtze River peaks in China
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yangtze-river-peaks-in-china


General Interest
1227 : Genghis Khan dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/genghis-khan-dies

1590 : Roanoke Colony deserted
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roanoke-colony-deserted

1920 : Woman suffrage amendment ratified
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woman-suffrage-amendment-ratified

1963 : Meredith graduates from Ole Miss
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meredith-graduates-from-ole-miss


Hollywood
1933 : Director Roman Polanski born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/director-roman-polanski-born


Literary
1958 : Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lolita-by-vladimir-nabokov-is-published


Music
1979 : Chic's "Good Times" hits #1 on the U.S. pop charts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chics-quotgood-timesquot-hits-1-on-the-us-pop-charts


Old West
1853 : Cyrus Skinner released from San Quentin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cyrus-skinner-released-from-san-quentin


Presidential
1795 : George Washington signs Jay Treaty with Britain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-washington-signs-jay-treaty-with-britain


Sports
1992 : Larry Bird hangs it up
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/larry-bird-hangs-it-up


Vietnam War
1965 : Marines launch Operation Starlite
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marines-launch-operation-starlite

1966 : Australians defeat VC at Long Tan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/australians-defeat-vc-at-long-tan

1968 : Communists launch new offensive
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communists-launch-new-offensive

1971 : Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw troops from Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/australia-and-new-zealand-decide-to-withdraw-troops-from-vietnam


World War I
1917 : Italians launch the 11th Battle of the Isonzo
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/italians-launch-the-11th-battle-of-the-isonzo


World War II
1941 : Hitler suspends euthanasia program
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-suspends-euthanasia-program

August 17 - This Day in History

August 17: General Interest
1969: Woodstock Music Festival concludes

On this day in 1969, the grooviest event in music history--the Woodstock Music Festival--draws to a close after three days of peace, love and rock 'n' roll in upstate New York... read more


American Revolution
1785 : Connecticut Patriot Jonathan Trumbull dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/connecticut-patriot-jonathan-trumbull-dies


Automotive
1915 : Charles Kettering receives patent for electric self-starter
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charles-kettering-receives-patent-for-electric-self-starter


Civil War
1862 : Dakota uprising begins in Minnesota
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dakota-sioux-uprising-begins


Cold War
1962 : East Germans kill man trying to cross Berlin Wall
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-germans-kill-man-trying-to-cross-berlin-wall


Crime
1984 : A serial rapist strikes in England
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-serial-rapist-strikes-in-england


Disaster
1999 : Earthquake exposes weak infrastructure
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-exposes-weak-infrastructure


General Interest
1943 : Patton wins race to Messina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patton-wins-race-to-messina

1978 : Balloon crosses the Atlantic
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/balloon-crosses-the-atlantic

1987 : Hitler's last living henchman dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitlers-last-living-henchman-dies

1999 : Deadly earthquake strikes Turkey
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/deadly-earthquake-strikes-turkey


Hollywood
1943 : Robert De Niro born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sex-and-the-city-movie-released


Literary
1993 : Random House gives Colin Powell largest autobiography advance to date
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/random-house-gives-colin-powell-largest-autobiography-advance-to-date


Music
1974 : "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace tops the U.S. pop charts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quotthe-night-chicago-diedquot-by-paper-lace-tops-the-us-pop-charts


Old West
1877 : Billy the Kid kills his first man
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/billy-the-kid-kills-his-first-man


Presidential
1998 : Clinton testifies before grand jury
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clinton-testifies-before-grand-jury


Sports
1933 : Lou Gehrig goes the distance
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lou-gehrig-goes-the-distance


Vietnam War
1968 : 117,000 combat missions flown over North Vietnam in three years
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/117000-combat-missions-flown-over-north-vietnam-in-three-years

1973 : U.S. troops to withdraw from Thailand
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-troops-to-withdraw-from-thailand


World War I
1914 : Russian troops invade East Prussia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russian-troops-invade-east-prussia


World War II
1942 : Carlson's Raiders land on Makin Island
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carlsons-raiders-land-on-makin-island

August 16 - This Day in History

August 16: General Interest
1896: Gold discovered in the Yukon

While salmon fishing near the Klondike River in Canada's Yukon Territory on this day in 1896, George Carmack reportedly spots nuggets of gold in a creek bed. His lucky discovery sparks the last great gold rush in the American West... read more


American Revolution
1780 : Continentals routed at Camden, South Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/continentals-routed-at-camden-south-carolina


Automotive
1984 : Los Angeles jury clears John Z. DeLorean of drug charges
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/los-angeles-jury-clears-john-z-delorean-of-drug-charges


Civil War
1864 : Confederate General John Chambliss is killed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/confederate-general-john-chambliss-is-killed


Cold War
1955 : Paul Robeson loses appeal over his passport
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paul-robeson-loses-appeal-over-his-passport


Crime
1984 : Auto exec DeLorean cleared in drug-trafficking case
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/auto-exec-delorean-cleared-in-drug-trafficking-case


Disaster
1987 : Plane crashes into highway
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/plane-crashes-into-highway


General Interest
1812 : Detroit surrenders without a fight
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/detroit-surrenders-without-a-fight

1948 : Babe Ruth dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babe-ruth-dies

1972 : Moroccan king survives attack by own air force
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/moroccan-king-survives-attack-by-own-air-force

1977 : Elvis Presley dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elvis-presley-dies


Hollywood
1958 : Madonna born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/madonna-born


Literary
1920 : Poet Charles Bukowski is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/poet-charles-bukowski-is-born


Music
1974 : The Ramones play their first public gig at CBGB's in downtown Manhattan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-ramones-play-their-first-public-gig-at-cbgbs-in-downtown-manhattan


Old West
1896 : George Carmack discovers Klondike gold
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-carmack-discovers-klondike-gold


Presidential
1841 : Tyler is burned in effigy outside White House
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tyler-is-burned-in-effigy-outside-white-house


Sports
1920 : Batter sustains fatal injury at plate
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/batter-sustains-fatal-injury-at-plate


Vietnam War
1964 : General Khanh ousts General Minh as chief of state
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/general-khanh-ousts-general-minh-as-chief-of-state

1966 : Congress investigates antiwar demonstrators
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-investigates-antiwar-demonstrators

1967 : Tonkin Gulf Resolution challenged
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tonkin-gulf-resolution-challenged

1972 : Heavy air attacks on North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heavy-air-attacks-on-north-vietnam


World War I
1917 : Battle of Langemarck
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-langemarck


World War II
1945 : Senior U.S. POW is released
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/senior-us-pow-is-released

August 15 - This Day in History

August 15: General Interest
1969: The Woodstock festival opens in Bethel, New York

On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival opens on a patch of farmland in White Lake, a hamlet in the upstate New York town of Bethel... read more


American Revolution
1780 : "Swamp Fox" routs loyalists while Gates' men fall ill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/swamp-fox-routs-loyalists-while-gates-men-fall-ill


Automotive
1899 : Henry Ford leaves Edison to start automobile company
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-ford-leaves-edison-to-start-automobile-company


Civil War
1861 : Anderson named Department of Kentucky commander
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/anderson-is-named-commander-of-department-of-the-kentucky


Cold War
1964 : Khrushchev announces he is ready to begin arms talks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-announces-he-is-ready-to-begin-arms-talks


Crime
2006 : Wife of slain minister released from jail
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wife-of-slain-minister-released-from-jail


Disaster
1983 : Hurricane Alicia pounds Texas coast
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-alicia-pounds-texas-coast


General Interest
1057 : Malcolm slays Macbeth
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/malcolm-slays-macbeth

1914 : Panama Canal open to traffic
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/panama-canal-open-to-traffic

1947 : India and Pakistan win independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/india-and-pakistan-win-independence

1961 : Berlin Wall built
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-wall-built


Hollywood
1979 : Apocalypse Now released
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/apocalypse-now-released


Literary
1887 : Edna Ferber, author of Show Boat, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edna-ferber-author-of-show-boat-is-born


Old West
1812 : Indian captive William Wells is killed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indian-captive-william-wells-is-killed


Presidential
1930 : Hoover looks to combat drought and economic depression
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hoover-looks-to-combat-drought-and-economic-depression


Sports
1859 : Charles Comiskey born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charles-comiskey-born


Vietnam War
1968 : Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heavy-fighting-erupts-in-and-around-the-dmz

1969 : Woodstock begins in upstate New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodstock-begins-in-upstate-new-york

1970 : Regional Forces victorious
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/regional-forces-victorious

1971 : North Vietnamese capture Vietnamese marine base
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-vietnamese-capture-vietnamese-marine-base


World War I
1914 : Japan gives ultimatum to Germany
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-gives-ultimatum-to-germany


World War II
1945 : The Japanese emperor speaks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-japanese-emperor-speaks