On This Day in History — August 1

Highlights of August 1

• 2009 — A shooting at a branch of the Israeli LGBT organization the Aguda in Tel Aviv resulted in two deaths. Read more
• 2007 — Bridge 9340, carrying Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, United States, suffered a catastrophic failure and collapsed (aftermath pictured), killing 13 people and injuring 145 others. Read more
• 1991 — U.S. president George H. W. Bush delivered a speech in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev warning against independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
• 1984 — Commercial peat cutters discovered a preserved bog body, now known as Lindow Man, at Lindow Moss in Cheshire, England. Read more
• 1981 — "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles became the first music video broadcast on the American cable television network MTV. Read more
• 1971 — The Concert for Bangladesh, a pair of benefit concerts organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar for refugees of the Bangladesh genocide, took place at Madison Square Garden in New York. Read more
• 1946 — Several days of anti-Jewish rioting began in Bratislava, instigated by former Slovak partisans opposed to the restitution of Jewish property after the Holocaust in Slovakia. Read more
• 1911 — Harriet Quimby became the first woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator certificate. Read more
• 1892 — Jef Denyn hosted the world's first carillon concert at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium. Read more
• 1876 — Colorado was admitted as the 38th U.S. state. Read more
• 1842 — Three days of rioting erupted after a parade in Philadelphia, celebrating the end of slavery in the West Indies, was attacked by a mob. Read more
• 1814 — Britain celebrated the Grand Jubilee to mark 100 years since the accession of George I and 16 years since the start of the Battle of the Nile. Read more
• 1801 — First Barbary War: USS Enterprise, an American schooner, captured the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli in a single-ship action off the coast of Libya. Read more
• 1798 — French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile, between a British fleet commanded by Horatio Nelson and a French fleet under François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, began at Aboukir Bay off the Egyptian coast. Read more
• 1774 — British scientist Joseph Priestley (pictured) liberated oxygen gas, corroborating the discovery of the element by the German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Read more
• 1714 — George Louis, Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain, marking the beginning of the Georgian era. Read more
• 902 — Arab–Byzantine wars: Led by Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid forces captured the Byzantine stronghold of Taormina, concluding the Muslim conquest of Sicily. Read more
• 527 — Upon the death of Justin I, his nephew and adopted son Justinian I became the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Read more
• 30 BC — War of Actium: Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Alexandria, establishing Roman Egypt. Read more

Events

• 2023 — Former US President Donald Trump is indicted for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, his third indictment in 2023. Read more
• 2017 — A suicide attack on a mosque in Herat, Afghanistan kills 20 people. Read more
• 2008 — The Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway begins operation as the fastest commuter rail system in the world. Read more
• 2008 — Eleven mountaineers from international expeditions die on K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in the worst single accident in the history of K2 mountaineering. Read more
• 2007 — The I-35W Mississippi River bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses during the evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 145. Read more
• 2004 — A supermarket fire kills 424 people and injures 360 others in Asunción, Paraguay. Read more
• 1998 — Puntland, an autonomous state in northeastern Somalia, is officially established following a constitutional conference in Garowe. Issims and tribal chiefs agreed to create a self-declared government until Somalia recovered. Read more
• 1993 — The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 comes to a peak. Read more
• 1990 — A plane crash in the Karabakh Range kills 46 people. Read more
• 1988 — A British soldier is killed in the Inglis Barracks bombing in London, England. Read more
• 1984 — Commercial peat-cutters discover the preserved bog body of a man, called Lindow Man, at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, England. Read more
• 1981 — MTV begins broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. Read more
• 1980 — Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is elected President of Iceland and becomes the world's first democratically elected female head of state. Read more
• 1980 — A train crash kills 18 people and injures over 170 more in County Cork, Ireland. Read more
• 1976 — Trinidad and Tobago officially became a republic. Read more
• 1976 — Niki Lauda has a severe accident that almost claims his life at the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring. Read more
• 1975 — The final act of the CSCE meeting is signed in Helsinki, Finland. Read more
• 1974 — Cyprus dispute: The United Nations Security Council authorizes the UNFICYP to create the "Green Line", dividing Cyprus into two zones. Read more
• 1971 — The Concert for Bangladesh, organized by former Beatle George Harrison, is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Read more
• 1968 — The coronation of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, is held. Read more
• 1966 — Charles Whitman kills 15 people at the University of Texas at Austin before being killed by the police. Read more
• 1966 — Purges of intellectuals and imperialists becomes official China policy at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Read more
• 1965 — Frank Herbert's novel, Dune, is published for the first time. It was named as the world's best-selling science fiction novel in 2003. Read more
• 1964 — The former Belgian Congo is renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read more
• 1961 — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara orders the creation of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the nation's first centralized military espionage organization. Read more
• 1960 — Dahomey (later renamed Benin) declares independence from France. Read more
• 1960 — Islamabad is declared the federal capital of the Government of Pakistan. Read more
• 1957 — The United States and Canada form the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Read more
• 1950 — Guam is organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States as the President Harry S. Truman signs the Guam Organic Act. Read more
• 1946 — Leaders of the Russian Liberation Army, a force of Russian prisoners of war that collaborated with Nazi Germany, are executed in Moscow, Soviet Union for treason. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: The Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi German occupation breaks out in Warsaw, Poland. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: Operation Tidal Wave, also known as "Black Sunday", is a failed American attempt to destroy Romanian oil fields. Read more
• 1937 — Josip Broz Tito reads the resolution "Manifesto of constitutional congress of KPH" to the constitutive congress of KPH (Croatian Communist Party) in woods near Samobor. Read more
• 1936 — The Olympics open in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler. Read more
• 1933 — Anti-Fascist activists Bruno Tesch, Walter Möller, Karl Wolff and August Lütgens are executed by the Nazi regime in Altona. Read more
• 1927 — The Nanchang Uprising marks the first significant battle in the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party. This day is commemorated as the anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. Read more
• 1915 — Patrick Pearse gives his famous speech "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace" at O'Donovan Rossa's funeral in Dublin. Read more
• 1914 — World War I: The German Empire declares war on the Russian Empire. Read more
• 1914 — World War I: The Swiss Army mobilizes because of World War I. Read more
• 1911 — Harriet Quimby takes her pilot's test and becomes the first U.S. woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator's certificate. Read more
• 1907 — The start of the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island, the origin of the worldwide Scouting movement. Read more
• 1894 — The Empire of Japan and Qing China declare war on each other after a week of fighting over Korea, formally inaugurating the First Sino-Japanese War. Read more
• 1893 — Henry Perky patents shredded wheat. Read more
• 1876 — Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. state. Read more
• 1863 — At the suggestion of Senator J. V. Snellman and the order of Emperor Alexander II, full rights are promised to the Finnish language by a language regulation in the Grand Duchy of Finland. Read more
• 1855 — The first ascent of Monte Rosa, the second highest summit in the Alps. Read more
• 1849 — Joven Daniel wrecks at the coast of Araucanía, Chile, leading to allegations that local Mapuche tribes murdered survivors and kidnapped Elisa Bravo. Read more
• 1842 — The Lombard Street riot erupts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Read more
• 1834 — Slavery is abolished in the British Empire as the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into force, although it remains legal in the possessions of the East India Company until the passage of the Indian Slavery Act, 1843. Read more
• 1834 — Construction begins on the Wilberforce Monument in Kingston Upon Hull. Read more
• 1801 — First Barbary War: The American schooner USS Enterprise captures the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli in a single-ship action off the coast of modern-day Libya. Read more
• 1800 — The Acts of Union 1800 are passed which merge the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Read more
• 1798 — French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of the Nile (Battle of Aboukir Bay): Battle begins when a British fleet engages the French Revolutionary Navy fleet in an unusual night action. Read more
• 1774 — British scientist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Read more
• 1759 — Seven Years' War: The Battle of Minden, an allied Anglo-German army victory over the French. In Britain this was one of a number of events that constituted the Annus Mirabilis of 1759 and is celebrated as Minden Day by certain British Army regiments. Read more
• 1714 — George, Elector of Hanover, becomes King George I of Great Britain, marking the beginning of the Georgian era of British history. Read more
• 1664 — Ottoman forces are defeated in the battle of Saint Gotthard by an Austrian army led by Raimondo Montecuccoli, resulting in the Peace of Vasvár. Read more
• 1620 — Speedwell leaves Delfshaven to bring pilgrims to America by way of England. Read more
• 1571 — The Ottoman conquest of Cyprus is concluded, by the surrender of Famagusta. Read more
• 1498 — Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to visit what is now Venezuela. Read more

Born on August 1

• 2003 — Joseph Sua'ali'i, Australian-Samoan rugby league player Read more
• 2002 — Alejandro Francés, Spanish footballer Read more
• 2001 — Scottie Barnes, American basketball player Read more
• 2001 — Park Si-eun, South Korean actress Read more
• 2001 — Ben Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 2000 — Kim Chaewon, South Korean singer Read more
• 1996 — Katie Boulter, British tennis player Read more
• 1995 — Madison Cawthorn, American politician Read more
• 1994 — Sergeal Petersen, South African rugby player Read more
• 1994 — Ayaka Wada, Japanese singer Read more
• 1993 — Álex Abrines, Spanish basketball player Read more
• 1993 — Leon Thomas III, American actor and singer Read more
• 1993 — Saleh Gomaa, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1992 — Austin Rivers, American basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Mrunal Thakur, Indian actress Read more
• 1991 — Piotr Malarczyk, Polish footballer Read more
• 1991 — Marco Puntoriere, Italian footballer Read more
• 1990 — Aledmys Díaz, Cuban baseball player Read more
• 1989 — Madison Bumgarner, American baseball player Read more
• 1989 — Tiffany Young, Korean American singer, songwriter, and actress Read more
• 1988 — Travis Boak, Australian footballer Read more
• 1988 — Nemanja Matić, Serbian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Karen Carney, English women's footballer Read more
• 1987 — Taapsee Pannu, Indian actress Read more
• 1987 — Sébastien Pocognoli, Belgian footballer Read more
• 1986 — Marissa Paternoster, American artist, singer and guitarist Read more
• 1986 — Elena Vesnina, Russian tennis player Read more
• 1985 — Stuart Holden, Scottish-American soccer player Read more
• 1984 — Bastian Schweinsteiger, German footballer Read more
• 1981 — Jamie Jones-Buchanan, English rugby player and coach Read more
• 1980 — Romain Barras, French decathlete Read more
• 1979 — Jason Momoa, American actor, director, and producer Read more
• 1978 — Björn Ferry, Swedish biathlete Read more
• 1977 — Marc Denis, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster Read more
• 1976 — Don Hertzfeldt, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor Read more
• 1976 — Nwankwo Kanu, Nigerian footballer Read more
• 1975 — Vhrsti, Czech author and illustrator Read more
• 1974 — Dennis Lawrence, Trinidadian footballer and coach Read more
• 1974 — Beckie Scott, Canadian skier Read more
• 1973 — Gregg Berhalter, American soccer player and coach Read more

Died on August 1

• 2024 — Joyce Brabner, American writer and artist (born 1952) Read more
• 2021 — Abdalqadir as-Sufi, Scottish Islamic scholar and writer (born 1930) Read more
• 2021 — Jerry Ziesmer, American assistant director, production manager and occasional actor (born 1939) Read more
• 2020 — Wilford Brimley, American actor and singer (born 1934) Read more
• 2020 — Rickey Dixon, American professional football player (born 1966) Read more
• 2020 — Rodney H. Pardey, American poker player (born 1945) Read more
• 2016 — Queen Anne of Romania (born 1923) Read more
• 2015 — Stephan Beckenbauer, German footballer and manager (born 1968) Read more
• 2015 — Cilla Black, English singer and actress (born 1943) Read more
• 2015 — Bernard d'Espagnat, French physicist, philosopher, and author (born 1921) Read more
• 2015 — Bob Frankford, English-Canadian physician and politician (born 1939) Read more
• 2015 — Hong Yuanshuo, Chinese footballer and manager (born 1948) Read more
• 2014 — Valyantsin Byalkevich, Belarusian footballer and manager (born 1973) Read more
• 2014 — Jan Roar Leikvoll, Norwegian author (born 1974) Read more
• 2014 — Charles T. Payne, American soldier (born 1925) Read more
• 2014 — Mike Smith, English radio and television host (born 1955) Read more
• 2013 — John Amis, English journalist and critic (born 1922) Read more
• 2013 — Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (born 1932) Read more
• 2013 — Babe Martin, American baseball player (born 1920) Read more
• 2013 — Toby Saks, American cellist and educator (born 1942) Read more
• 2013 — Wilford White, American football player (born 1928) Read more
• 2012 — Aldo Maldera, Italian footballer and agent (born 1953) Read more
• 2012 — Douglas Townsend, American composer and musicologist (born 1921) Read more
• 2012 — Barry Trapnell, English cricketer and academic (born 1924) Read more
• 2010 — Lolita Lebrón, Puerto Rican-American activist (born 1919) Read more
• 2010 — Eric Tindill, New Zealand rugby player and cricketer (born 1910) Read more
• 2009 — Corazon Aquino, Filipino politician, 11th President of the Philippines (born 1933) Read more
• 2008 — Gertan Klauber, Czech-born English actor (born 1932) Read more
• 2008 — Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1916) Read more
• 2007 — Tommy Makem, Irish singer-songwriter and banjo player (born 1932) Read more
• 2006 — Bob Thaves, American illustrator (born 1924) Read more
• 2006 — Iris Marion Young, American political scientist and activist (born 1949) Read more
• 2005 — Al Aronowitz, American journalist (born 1928) Read more
• 2005 — Wim Boost, Dutch cartoonist and educator (born 1918) Read more
• 2005 — Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter and sculptor (born 1920) Read more
• 2005 — Fahd of Saudi Arabia (born 1923) Read more
• 2004 — Philip Abelson, American physicist, editor, and author (born 1913) Read more
• 2003 — Guy Thys, Belgian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1922) Read more
• 2003 — Marie Trintignant, French actress and screenwriter (born 1962) Read more
• 2001 — Korey Stringer, American football player (born 1974) Read more

Holidays & observances

Armed Forces Day (Lebanon); Armed Forces Day (China) or Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Liberation Army (People's Republic of China); Azerbaijani Language and Alphabet Day (Azerbaijan); Emancipation Day is commemorated in many parts of the former British Empire, which marks the day the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 came into effect which abolished chattel slavery in the British Empire: Emancipation Day is a public holiday in Barbados, Bermuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago; Christian feast day: Abgar V of Edessa (Syrian Church); Christian feast day: Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori; Christian feast day: Æthelwold of Winchester; Christian feast day: Bernard Võ Văn Duệ (one of Vietnamese Martyrs); Christian feast day: Blessed Gerhard Hirschfelder; Christian feast day: Eusebius of Vercelli; Christian feast day: Exuperius of Bayeux; Christian feast day: Felix of Girona; Christian feast day: Peter Apostle in Chains; Christian feast day: Blessed Mary Stella and her Ten Companions; Christian feast day: Procession of the Cross and the beginning of Dormition Fast (Eastern Orthodoxy); Christian feast day: The Holy Maccabees; Christian feast day: August 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Minden Day (United Kingdom); National Day, celebrates the independence of Benin from France in 1960.; Official Birthday and Coronation Day of the King of Tonga (Tonga); Parents' Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Statehood Day (Colorado); Swiss National Day, commemorates Switzerland becoming a single unit in 1291.; The beginning of autumn observances in the Northern hemisphere and spring observances in the Southern hemisphere (Neopagan Wheel of the Year): Lughnasadh in the Northern hemisphere, Imbolc in the Southern hemisphere; traditionally begins on the eve of August 1. (Gaels, Ireland, Scotland, Neopagans); The beginning of autumn observances in the Northern hemisphere and spring observances in the Southern hemisphere (Neopagan Wheel of the Year): Lammas (England, Scotland, Neopagans); The beginning of autumn observances in the Northern hemisphere and spring observances in the Southern hemisphere (Neopagan Wheel of the Year): Pachamama Raymi (Quechuan in Ecuador and Peru); Victory Day (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam); World Scout Scarf Day; Yorkshire Day (Yorkshire, England)

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