On This Day in History — August 28

Highlights of August 28

• 2021 — The second phase of the Thomson-East Coast MRT line was opened for service. Read more
• 1993 — The NASA spacecraft Galileo flew by the asteroid 243 Ida and took photographs that later revealed the first known asteroid moon (both pictured). Read more
• 1993 — The NASA spacecraft Galileo flew by the asteroid 243 Ida and took photographs that later revealed the first known asteroid moon. Read more
• 1987 — Construction began on the Ryugyong Hotel (pictured) in Pyongyang, the tallest building in North Korea. Read more
• 1973 — Swedish police used gas bombs to end a seven-day hostage situation in Stockholm; the hostages had bonded with their captors during the incident, leading to the term Stockholm syndrome. Read more
• 1963 — American civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the speech "I Have a Dream" during the March on Washington, calling for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Read more
• 1955 — African-American teenager Emmett Till was lynched near Money, Mississippi, for allegedly flirting with a white woman, energizing the nascent American civil rights movement. Read more
• 1950 — American tennis player Althea Gibson became the first African-American woman to compete at the U.S. National Championships. Read more
• 1916 — A confrontation at Blargies prison camp in France led to a charge of mutiny for New Zealand private John Braithwaite, for which he was later executed. Read more
• 1909 — The 1909 Monterrey hurricane dissipated; one of the deadliest Atlantic tropical cyclones on record, it killed an estimated 4,000 people throughout Mexico. Read more
• 1830 — Tom Thumb (replica pictured), the first American-built steam locomotive, took part in an impromptu race against a horse-drawn car in Maryland. Read more
• 1789 — With the first use of his 1.2-metre (3.9 ft) telescope, then the largest in the world, William Herschel discovered a new moon of Saturn, later named Enceladus (pictured). Read more
• 1640 — Bishops' Wars: Scottish Covenanter forces led by Alexander Leslie defeated the English army near Newburn, England. Read more
• 1619 — Ferdinand II, King of Bohemia and Hungary, was unanimously elected Holy Roman Emperor. Read more
• 1542 — Ottoman–Portuguese conflicts: During the Battle of Wofla, the Portuguese commander Cristóvão da Gama was captured by the Adal Sultanate and executed the next day. Read more
• 475 — Orestes took control of Ravenna, the capital of the Western Roman Empire, forcing Emperor Julius Nepos to flee. Read more

Events

• 2022 — Phoenix shooting: A man opens fire on pedestrians outside of a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, resulting in the deaths of three people, including the perpetrator. Read more
• 2017 — China–India border standoff: China and India both pull their troops out of Doklam, putting an end to a two-month-long stalemate over China's construction of a road in disputed territory. Read more
• 2016 — The first experimental mission of ISRO's Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System is successfully conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. Read more
• 2009 — NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-128. Read more
• 2003 — In "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI", Brian Wells dies after becoming involved in a complex plot involving a bank robbery, a scavenger hunt, and a homemade explosive device. Read more
• 1999 — The Russian space mission Soyuz TM-29 reaches completion, ending nearly 10 years of continuous occupation on the space station Mir as it approaches the end of its life. Read more
• 1998 — Pakistan's National Assembly passes a constitutional amendment to make the "Qur'an and Sunnah" the "supreme law" but the bill is defeated in the Senate. Read more
• 1998 — Second Congo War: Loyalist troops backed by Angolan and Zimbabwean forces repulse the RCD and Rwandan offensive on Kinshasa. Read more
• 1996 — Chicago Seven defendant David Dellinger, antiwar activist Bradford Lyttle, Civil Rights Movement historian Randy Kryn, and eight others are arrested by the Federal Protective Service while protesting in a demonstration at the Kluczynski Federal Building in downtown Chicago during that year's Democratic National Convention. Read more
• 1993 — NASA's Galileo probe performs a flyby of the asteroid 243 Ida. Astronomers later discover a moon, the first known asteroid moon, in pictures from the flyby and name it Dactyl. Read more
• 1993 — Singaporean presidential election: Former Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong is elected President of Singapore. Although it is the first presidential election to be determined by popular vote, the allowed candidates consist only of Ong and a reluctant whom the government had asked to run to confer upon the election the semblance of an opposition. Read more
• 1993 — The autonomous Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia in Bosnia and Herzegovina is transformed into the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia. Read more
• 1993 — A Tajikistan Airlines Yakovlev Yak-40 crashes during takeoff from Khorog Airport in Tajikistan, killing 82. Read more
• 1990 — Gulf War: Iraq declares Kuwait to be its newest province. Read more
• 1990 — An F5 tornado strikes the Illinois cities of Plainfield and Joliet, killing 29 people. Read more
• 1988 — Ramstein air show disaster: Three aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori demonstration team collide and the wreckage falls into the crowd. Seventy are killed and 346 seriously injured. Read more
• 1973 — Norrmalmstorg robbery: Stockholm police secure the surrenders of hostage-takers Jan-Erik Olsson and Clark Olofsson, defusing the Norrmalmstorg hostage crisis. The behaviours of the hostages later give rise to the term Stockholm syndrome. Read more
• 1968 — Police and protesters clash during 1968 Democratic National Convention protests as protesters chant "The whole world is watching". Read more
• 1964 — The Philadelphia race riot begins. Read more
• 1963 — March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his I Have a Dream speech. Read more
• 1957 — U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond begins a filibuster to prevent the United States Senate from voting on the Civil Rights Act of 1957; he stopped speaking 24 hours and 18 minutes later. This would remain the longest speech ever conducted by a single Senator until Cory Booker spoke for 25 hours and five minutes, beginning on March 31, 2025. Read more
• 1955 — Black teenager Emmett Till is lynched in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman, galvanizing the nascent civil rights movement. Read more
• 1946 — The Workers' Party of North Korea, predecessor of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, is founded at a congress held in Pyongyang, North Korea. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: Marseille and Toulon are liberated. Read more
• 1943 — Denmark in World War II: German authorities demand that Danish authorities crack down on acts of resistance. The next day, martial law is imposed on Denmark. Read more
• 1937 — Toyota Motors becomes an independent company. Read more
• 1936 — Nazi Germany begins its mass arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses, who are interned in concentration camps. Read more
• 1924 — The Georgian opposition stages the August Uprising against the Soviet Union. Read more
• 1921 — Russian Civil War: The Red Army dissolves the Makhnovshchina after driving the Revolutionary Insurgent Army out of Ukraine. Read more
• 1917 — Ten suffragists, members of the Silent Sentinels, are arrested while picketing the White House in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. Read more
• 1916 — World War I: Germany declares war on Romania. Read more
• 1916 — World War I: Italy declares war on Germany. Read more
• 1914 — World War I: The Royal Navy defeats the German fleet in the Battle of Heligoland Bight. Read more
• 1913 — Queen Wilhelmina opens the Peace Palace in The Hague. Read more
• 1909 — A group of mid-level Greek Army officers launches the Goudi coup, seeking wide-ranging reforms. Read more
• 1901 — Silliman University is founded in the Philippines. It is the first American private school in the country. Read more
• 1898 — Caleb Bradham's beverage "Brad's Drink" is renamed "Pepsi-Cola". Read more
• 1890 — The strongest storm in Finnish history kills at least three people. Read more
• 1879 — Anglo-Zulu War: Cetshwayo, last king of the Zulus, is captured by the British. Read more
• 1867 — The United States takes possession of the (at this point unoccupied) Midway Atoll. Read more
• 1862 — American Civil War: The Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of Second Manassas, begins in Virginia. The battle ends on August 30 with another Union defeat. Read more
• 1861 — American Civil War: Union forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries which lasts for two days. Read more
• 1859 — The Carrington event is the strongest geomagnetic storm on record to strike the Earth. Electrical telegraph service is widely disrupted. Read more
• 1850 — Richard Wagner's Lohengrin premieres at the Staatskapelle Weimar. Read more
• 1849 — Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire: After a month-long siege, Venice, which had declared itself independent as the Republic of San Marco, surrenders to Austria. Read more
• 1845 — The first issue of Scientific American magazine is published. Read more
• 1833 — The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 receives royal assent, making the purchase or ownership of slaves illegal in the British Empire with exceptions. Read more
• 1830 — The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's new Tom Thumb steam locomotive races a horse-drawn car, presaging steam's role in U.S. railroads. Read more
• 1810 — Napoleonic Wars: The French Navy accepts the surrender of a British Royal Navy fleet at the Battle of Grand Port. Read more
• 1789 — William Herschel discovers a new moon of Saturn: Enceladus. Read more
• 1709 — Meidingnu Pamheiba is crowned King of Manipur. Read more
• 1648 — Second English Civil War: The Siege of Colchester ends when Royalist Forces surrender to the Parliamentary Forces after eleven weeks. Read more
• 1640 — Second Bishop's War: King Charles I's English army loses to a Scottish Covenanter force at the Battle of Newburn. Read more
• 1619 — Election of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. Read more
• 1609 — Henry Hudson discovers Delaware Bay. Read more
• 1565 — Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sights land near St. Augustine, Florida and founds the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the continental United States. Read more
• 1542 — Turkish–Portuguese War: Battle of Wofla: The Portuguese are scattered, their leader Christovão da Gama is captured and later executed. Read more
• 1524 — The Kaqchikel Maya rebel against their former Spanish allies during the Spanish conquest of Guatemala. Read more
• 1521 — Ottoman wars in Europe: The Ottoman Turks occupy Belgrade. Read more
• 1290 — The second treaty of Birgham is ratified in which Margaret, Maid of Norway and granddaughter of king Alexander III of Scotland is to marry the English prince Edward of Caernarfon. Read more

Born on August 28

• 2004 — Kano Fujihira, Japanese entertainer Read more
• 2003 — Quvenzhané Wallis, American actress Read more
• 2001 — Kamilla Rakhimova, Russian tennis player Read more
• 2000 — Marissa Bode, American actress Read more
• 1998 — Weston McKennie, American soccer player Read more
• 1996 — Kim Se-jeong, South Korean actress and singer Read more
• 1994 — Manon Arcangioli, French tennis player Read more
• 1994 — Ons Jabeur, Tunisian tennis player Read more
• 1993 — Jakub Sokolík, Czech footballer Read more
• 1992 — Bismack Biyombo, Congolese basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Max Collins, American-Filipino actress and model Read more
• 1992 — Gabriela Drăgoi, Romanian gymnast Read more
• 1991 — Felicio Brown Forbes, German footballer Read more
• 1991 — Andreja Pejić, Bosnian model Read more
• 1990 — Bojan Krkić, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1989 — César Azpilicueta, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1989 — Valtteri Bottas, Finnish race car driver Read more
• 1989 — Jo Kwon, South Korean singer and dancer Read more
• 1988 — Rosie MacLennan, Canadian trampoline gymnast Read more
• 1987 — Caleb Moore, American snowmobile racer (died 2013) Read more
• 1986 — Jeff Green, American basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Tommy Hanson, American baseball player (died 2015) Read more
• 1986 — Simon Mannering, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
• 1985 — Kjetil Jansrud, Norwegian skier Read more
• 1984 — Will Harris, American baseball player Read more
• 1983 — Lasith Malinga, Sri Lankan cricketer Read more
• 1983 — Luke McAlister, New Zealand rugby player Read more
• 1983 — Lilli Schwarzkopf, German heptathlete Read more
• 1982 — Anderson Silva de França, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1982 — Kevin McNaughton, Scottish footballer Read more
• 1982 — Thiago Motta, Brazilian-Italian footballer Read more
• 1982 — Carlos Quentin, American baseball player Read more
• 1981 — Kezia Dugdale, Scottish politician Read more
• 1981 — Daniel Gygax, Swiss footballer Read more
• 1981 — Raphael Matos, Brazilian race car driver Read more
• 1981 — Ahmed Talbi, Moroccan footballer Read more
• 1981 — Agata Wróbel, Polish weightlifter Read more
• 1980 — Antony Hämäläinen, Finnish singer-songwriter Read more
• 1980 — Debra Lafave, American sex offender and former teacher Read more
• 1980 — Ryan Madson, American baseball player Read more

Died on August 28

• 2026 — Harald V of Norway (born 1937) Read more
• 2024 — Obi Ndefo, American actor (born 1972) Read more
• 2024 — Steve Silberman, American writer and journalist (born 1957) Read more
• 2020 — Chadwick Boseman, American actor and playwright (born 1976) Read more
• 2017 — Mireille Darc, French actress and model (born 1938) Read more
• 2016 — Juan Gabriel, Mexican singer and songwriter (born 1950) Read more
• 2016 — Mr. Fuji, American professional wrestler and manager (born 1934) Read more
• 2015 — Al Arbour, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1932) Read more
• 2015 — Mark Krasniqi, Kosovan ethnographer, poet, and translator (born 1920) Read more
• 2015 — Nelson Shanks, American painter and educator (born 1937) Read more
• 2014 — Glenn Cornick, English bass guitarist (born 1947) Read more
• 2014 — Hal Finney, American cryptographer and programmer (born 1956) Read more
• 2014 — John Anthony Walker, American soldier and spy (born 1937) Read more
• 2013 — John Bellany, Scottish painter and academic (born 1942) Read more
• 2013 — Lorella Cedroni, Italian political scientist and philosopher (born 1961) Read more
• 2013 — Edmund B. Fitzgerald, American businessman (born 1926) Read more
• 2013 — Frank Pulli, American baseball player and umpire (born 1935) Read more
• 2013 — Barry Stobart, English footballer (born 1938) Read more
• 2013 — Rafael Díaz Ycaza, Ecuadorian journalist, author, and poet (born 1925) Read more
• 2012 — Rhodes Boyson, English educator and politician (born 1925) Read more
• 2012 — Shulamith Firestone, Canadian-American activist and author (born 1945) Read more
• 2012 — Dick McBride, American author, poet, and playwright (born 1928) Read more
• 2012 — Saul Merin, Polish-Israeli ophthalmologist and academic (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — Ramón Sota, Spanish golfer (born 1938) Read more
• 2011 — Bernie Gallacher, English footballer (born 1967) Read more
• 2010 — William P. Foster, American bandleader and educator (born 1919) Read more
• 2009 — Adam Goldstein, American drummer, DJ, and producer (born 1973) Read more
• 2009 — Richard Egan, US Ambassador, Owner of Dell EMC, Engineer (born 1936) Read more
• 2008 — Phil Hill, American race car driver (born 1927) Read more
• 2007 — Arthur Jones, American businessman, founded Nautilus, Inc. and MedX Corporation (born 1926) Read more
• 2007 — Hilly Kristal, American businessman, founded CBGB (born 1932) Read more
• 2007 — Paul MacCready, American engineer and businessman, founded AeroVironment (born 1925) Read more
• 2007 — Francisco Umbral, Spanish journalist and author (born 1935) Read more
• 2007 — Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese-American actress (born 1929) Read more
• 2006 — Heino Lipp, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (born 1922) Read more
• 2006 — Benoît Sauvageau, Canadian educator and politician (born 1963) Read more
• 2006 — Melvin Schwartz, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1932) Read more
• 2005 — Jacques Dufilho, French actor (born 1914) Read more
• 2005 — Esther Szekeres, Hungarian-Australian mathematician and academic (born 1910) Read more
• 2005 — George Szekeres, Hungarian-Australian mathematician and academic (born 1911) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Alexander of Constantinople; Christian feast day: Augustine of Hippo; Christian feast day: Edmund Arrowsmith; Christian feast day: Florentina; Christian feast day: Hermes; Christian feast day: Joaquina Vedruna de Mas; Christian feast day: Moses the Black; Christian feast day: August 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); National Grandparents Day (Mexico)

More from the Almanac

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