August 10 - This Day in History

August 10: General Interest
1846: Smithsonian Institution created

After a decade of debate about how best to spend a bequest left to America from an obscure English scientist, President James K. Polk signs the Smithsonian Institution Act into law. In 1829, James Smithson died in Italy, leaving behind a will with a peculiar footnote... read more


American Revolution
1776 : London learns of American independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/london-learns-of-american-independence


Automotive
1978 : Fatal Ford Pinto crash in Indiana
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fatal-ford-pinto-crash-in-indiana


Civil War
1861 : Rebels defeat Union force at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-wilsons-creek-missouri


Cold War
1949 : Truman signs National Security Bill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-signs-national-security-bill


Crime
1981 : Child found decapitated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/child-found-decapitated


Disaster
1993 : Three-ship collision causes oil spill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/three-ship-collision-causes-oil-spill


General Interest
1793 : Louvre Museum opens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/louvre-museum-opens

1821 : New state west of the Mississippi
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-state-west-of-the-mississippi

1977 : Son of Sam arrested
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/son-of-sam-arrested

2003 : Temperatures in UK top 100 F for first time during European heat wave
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/temperatures-in-uk-top-100-f-for-first-time-during-european-heat-wave


Hollywood
1984 : Red Dawn, first PG-13 movie, is released
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/red-dawn-first-pg-13-movie-is-released


Literary
1912 : Virginia and Leonard Woolf marry
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/virginia-and-leonard-woolf-marry


Music
1937 : First-ever electric guitar patent awarded to the Electro String Corporation
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-ever-electric-guitar-patent-awarded-to-the-electro-string-corporation


Old West
1877 : Amanda McFarland begins Alaskan mission
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/amanda-mcfarland-begins-alaskan-mission


Presidential
1874 : Herbert Hoover is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/herbert-hoover-is-born


Sports
1981 : Pete Rose sets National League hits record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pete-rose-sets-national-league-hits-record


Vietnam War
1955 : Diem refuses to negotiate with Communists
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/diem-refuses-to-negotiate-with-communists

1966 : Marines fight bitter battle in Quang Tin Province
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marines-fight-bitter-battle-in-quang-tin-province

1972 : North Vietnamese forces attempt to cut off Saigon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-vietnamese-forces-attempt-to-cut-off-saigon


World War I
1914 : German ships Goeben and Breslau reach Constantinople
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-ships-goeben-and-breslau-reach-constantinople


World War II
1945 : Japan accepts Potsdam terms, agrees to unconditional surrender
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-accepts-potsdam-terms-agrees-to-unconditional-surrender