August 31 is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 122 days remaining until the end of the year.
[edit] Events
- 1056 Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill, dying suddenly a few days later, without children to succeed the throne, ending the Macedonian dynasty.
- 1142 With the aid of Hiawatha and Deganawidah, The Great Peacemaker, the Iroquois tribes establish the Confederation of the Haudenosaunee.
- 1422 Henry VI, becomes King of England at the age of 9 months.
- 1803 Lewis and Clark start their expedition to the west by leaving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 11 o clock in the morning.
- 1864 During the American Civil War, Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launch an assault on Atlanta, Georgia.
- 1876 Ottoman sultan Murat V is deposed and succeeded by his brother Abd-ul-Hamid II.
- 1886 Earthquake kills 100 in Charleston, South Carolina.
- 1888 Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She is the first of Jack the Ripper's known victims.
- 1897 Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope, the first movie projector.
- 1907 Count Alexander Izvolsky and Sir Arthur Nicolson sign the St. Petersburg Convention, which results in the Triple Entente alliance.
- 1914 Ecuador becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1915 Brazil becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War: A decisive Polish victory in the Battle of Komarσw.
- 1920 First radio news program broadcast by station 8MK in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1939 Nazi Germany mounts a staged attack on Gleiwitz radio station, giving them an excuse to attack Poland the following day, starting World War II in Europe.
- 1943 The USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for a black person, is commissioned.
- 1945 The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies.
- 1948 Actor Robert Mitchum is arrested in a Hollywood drug raid. He would later be found guilty of criminal conspiracy to possess marijuana and is sentenced to 60 days in prison.
- 1957 The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1962 Trinidad and Tobago become independent.
- 1965 The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Aircraft makes its first flight.
- 1978 William and Emily Harris, founders of the Symbionese Liberation Army, plead guilty to the 1974 kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst.
- 1980 Zimbabwe establishes diplomatic relations with Algeria.
- 1986 Aeromιxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground.
- 1986 The Soviet passenger liner Admiral Nakhimov sinks in the Black Sea after colliding with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev, killing 423.
- 1991 Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1992 Pascal Lissouba is inaugurated as the President of the Republic of the Congo .
- 1993 HMS Mercury closes after 52 years in commission.
- 1994 The Provisional Irish Republican Army declares a ceasefire.
- 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul died as a result of a car crash in Paris.
- 1998 North Korea reportedly launches Kwangmyongsong, its first satellite.
- 1999 The first of a series of Russian Apartment Bombings in Moscow, killing one person and wounding 40 others.
- 1999 A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires, killing 65, including 2 on the ground.
- 2005 A stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad kills 1,199 people.
- 2006 Stolen on August 22, 2004, Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream is recovered from a raid by Norwegian police.
[edit] Births
- 12 Gaius Caligula, Roman Emperor (d. 41)
- 161 Commodus, Roman Emperor (d. 192)
- 1569 Jahangir, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1627)
- 1602 Amalia von Solms, countess of Solms-Braunfels (d. 1675)
- 1663 Guillaume Amontons, French physicist and instrument maker (d. 1705)
- 1721 George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol, British statesman (d. 1775)
- 1741 Husein Gradačević, Bosniak general (d. 1834)
- 1741 Jean Paul Egide Martini, French composer (d. 1816)
- 1811 Theophile Gautier, French poet and novelist (d. 1872)
- 1821 Hermann von Helmholtz, German physician (d. 1894)
- 1822 Galusha A. Grow, American politician (d. 1907)
- 1834 Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer (d. 1886)
- 1843 Georg von Hertling, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1919)
- 1870 Maria Montessori, Italian educator (d. 1952)
- 1871 James E. Ferguson, Governor of Texas (d. 1944)
- 1878 Frank Jarvis, American athlete (d. 1933)
- 1879 Alma Mahler, Austrian socialite, wife of composer Gustav Mahler (d. 1964)
- 1880 Wilhelmina I of the Netherlands (d. 1962)
- 1885 DuBose Heyward, American playwright (d. 1940)
- 1893 Lily Laskine, French harpist (d. 1988)
- 1894 Albert Facey, Australian writer (d. 1982)
- 1896 Fιlix-Antoine Savard, Canadian priest and novelist (d. 1982)
- 1897 Fredric March, American actor (d. 1975)
- 1900 Gino Lucetti, Italian anarchist (d. 1943)
- 1903 Arthur Godfrey, American television host (d. 1983)
- 1903 Vladimir Jankιlιvitch, French philosopher (d. 1985)
- 1905 Sanford Meisner, American actor and teacher (d. 1997)
- 1907 Augustus F. Hawkins, American politician (d. 2007)
- 1907 Ramon Magsaysay, 7th President of the Philippines (d. 1957)
- 1907 William Shawn, American editor (d. 1992)
- 1907 Altiero Spinelli, Italian advocate of European federalism (d. 1986)
- 1908 William Saroyan, American novelist (d. 1981)
- 1911 Edward Brongersma, Dutch politician, writer and political activist. (d. 1998)
- 1913 Sir Bernard Lovell, English radio astronomer
- 1913 Helen Levitt, American photographer (d. 2009)
- 1914 Richard Basehart, American actor (d. 1984)
- 1916 Daniel Schorr, American journalist
- 1916 Danny Litwhiler, American baseball player and coach
- 1916 John S. Wold, American politician
- 1918 Alan Jay Lerner, American lyricist (d. 1986)
- 1919 Amrita Preetam, Indian poet and author (d. 2005)
- 1921 Raymond Williams, Welsh academic (d. 1988)
- 1924 Buddy Hackett, American actor and comedian (d. 2003)
- 1928 James Coburn, American actor (d. 2002)
- 1931 Jean Bιliveau, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1931 Noble Willingham, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1934 Nikos Xanthopoulos, Greek actor
- 1935 Eldridge Cleaver, American political activist (d. 1998)
- 1935 Frank Robinson, American baseball player and manager
- 1937 Warren Berlinger, American actor
- 1937 Bobby Parker, American musician
- 1938 Martin Bell, British journalist
- 1938 Murray Gleeson, Chief Justice of Australia
- 1939 Jerry Allison, American drummer (The Crickets)
- 1940 Jack Thompson, Australian actor
- 1941 William DeWitt, Jr., American businessman
- 1943 Leonid Ivashov, Russian general
- 1944 Roger Dean, English artist
- 1944 Clive Lloyd, Guyanese West Indies cricketer
- 1944 Jos LeDuc, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1999)
- 1945 Van Morrison, Northern Irish musician
- 1945 Itzhak Perlman, Israeli violinist
- 1946 Jerome Corsi, American writer
- 1947 Mona Marshall, American voice actress
- 1947 Luca di Montezemolo, Italian businessman
- 1947 Yumiko Ōshima, Japanese manga artist
- 1947 Somchai Wongsawat, Thai 26th Prime Minister
- 1948 Harald Ertl, Austrian racing driver (d. 1982)
- 1948 Lowell Ganz, American screenwriter
- 1948 Holger Osieck, German footballer and coach
- 1948 Rudolf Schenker, German guitarist (Scorpions)
- 1949 Richard Gere, American actor
- 1949 H. David Politzer, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1952 Herbert Reul, German politician
- 1953 Miguel Αngel Guerra, Argentine racing driver
- 1953 Gyφrgy Kαroly, Hungarian author
- 1953 Pavel Vinogradov, Russian cosmonaut
- 1954 Julie Brown, American actress, singer-songwriter and screenwriter
- 1955 Edwin Moses, American athlete
- 1955 Gary Webb, American journalist (d. 2004)
- 1956 Maria Balazova, Slovak painter
- 1956 Masashi Tashiro, Japanese television performer
- 1957 Colm O'Rourke, Irish footballer and commentator
- 1957 Gina Schock, American drummer (The Go-Go's)
- 1957 Glenn Tilbrook, English singer and guitarist (Squeeze)
- 1958 Serge Blanco, French rugby union footballer
- 1959 Ralph Krueger, Canadian ice hockey coach
- 1960 Vali Ionescu, Romanian long jumper
- 1960 Chris Whitley, American musician (d. 2005)
- 1962 Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
- 1963 Reb Beach, American guitarist (Winger, Whitesnake)
- 1963 Todd Carty, Irish actor
- 1963 Sonny Silooy, Dutch footballer
- 1964 Raymond P. Hammond, American poet and editor
- 1965 Daniel Bernhardt, Swiss actor
- 1965 Cιline Bonnier, French Canadian actress
- 1965 Willie Watson, New Zealand cricketer
- 1966 Jan Einar Thorsen, Norwegian Alpine skier
- 1967 Jonathan Cake, British actor
- 1967 Anita Moen, Norwegian Cross-country skier
- 1968 Valdon Dowiyogo, Nauruan politician and Australian football player
- 1968 Hideo Nomo, Japanese baseball player
- 1969 Nathalie Bouvier, French alpine skier
- 1969 Andrew Cunanan, American spree killer (d. 1997)
- 1969 Jonathan LaPaglia, Australian actor
- 1969 Javagal Srinath, Indian cricketer
- 1970 Deborah Gibson, American singer
- 1970 Nikola Gruevski, Macedonian Prime Minister
- 1970 Queen Rania of Jordan
- 1970 Arie van Lent, Dutch-German footballer
- 1970 Amy Stein, American photographer
- 1970 Zack Ward, Canadian actor
- 1971 Pαdraig Harrington, Irish golfer
- 1972 Chris Tucker, American actor
- 1973 Scott Niedermayer, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1974 Andriy Medvedev, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1975 Craig Cumming, New Zealand cricketer
- 1975 John Grahame, American ice hockey player
- 1975 Daniel Harding, British conductor
- 1975 Gabe Kapler, American baseball player and manager
- 1975 Sara Ramirez, American actress
- 1975 Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film music composer
- 1975 Takahiro Suwa, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1976 Vincent Delerm, French singer-songwriter, pianist and composer
- 1976 Roque Jϊnior, Brazilian footballer
- 1976 Radek Martνnek, Czech ice hockey player
- 1977 Jeff Hardy, American wrestler
- 1977 Ian Harte, Irish footballer
- 1977 Craig Nicholls, Australian musician (The Vines)
- 1978 Philippe Christanval, French footballer
- 1978 Phina Oruche, British actress
- 1979 Clay Hensley, American baseball player
- 1979 Mickie James, American professional wrestler
- 1979 Mark Johnston, Canadian swimmer
- 1979 Simon Neil, Scottish musician (Biffy Clyro)
- 1979 Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film music composer
- 1979 Ramσn Santiago, Dominican baseball player
- 1980 Joe Budden, American rapper
- 1981 40 Cal, American rapper
- 1981 Dwayne Peel, Welsh rugby union footballer
- 1981 Steve Saviano, American ice hockey player
- 1981 Joe Swanberg, American filmmaker
- 1982 Ian Crocker, American swimmer
- 1982 Chris Duhon, American basketball player
- 1982 Lien Huyghebaert, Belgian athlete
- 1982 Josh Kroeger, American baseball player
- 1982 Alexei Mikhnov, Ukrainian-born ice hockey player
- 1982 Patrick Nuo, Swiss singer
- 1982 Josι Reina, Spanish footballer
- 1982 Michele Rugolo, Italian racing driver
- 1982 G. Willow Wilson, American journalist and comic book writer
- 1983 Larry Fitzgerald, American football player
- 1984 Matti Breschel, Danish road bicycle racer
- 1984 Ted Ligety, American alpine skier
- 1984 Charl Schwartzel, South African golfer
- 1985 Andrew Foster, Australian rules footballer
- 1986 Feng Tianwei, Singaporean table tennis player
- 1987 Petros Kravaritis, Greek footballer
[edit] Deaths
- 651 Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, Irish bishop and missionary
- 683 Pacal II ruler of the Maya polity of Palenque
- 1234 Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (b. 1212)
- 1372 Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, English soldier (b. 1301)
- 1422 King Henry V of England (b. 1387)
- 1645 Francesco Bracciolini, Italian poet (b. 1566)
- 1654 Ole Worm, Danish physician (b. 1588)
- 1688 John Bunyan, English writer (b. 1628)
- 1730 Gottfried Finger, Czech composer
- 1741 Johann Gottlieb Heineccius, German jurist (b. 1681)
- 1772 William Borlase, English naturalist (b. 1695)
- 1795 Franηois-Andrι Danican Philidor, French chess player (b. 1726)
- 1799 Nicolas-Henri Jardin, French architect (b. 1720)
- 1814 Arthur Phillip, British admiral, first Governor of New South Wales (b. 1738)
- 1867 Charles Baudelaire, French poet (b. 1821)
- 1869 Mary Ward, Irish scientist, first automobile accident victim (b. 1827)
- 1888 Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols, widely believed to be the first victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1845)
- 1920 Wilhelm Wundt, German psychologist (b. 1832)
- 1920 Jens Oliver Lisberg, Faroese law student, designer of the Flag of the Faroe Islands(b. 1896)
- 1940 Georges Gauthier, French Canadian Roman Catholic archbishop of Montreal (b. 1871)
- 1941 Marina Tsvetaeva, Russian poet (b. 1892)
- 1948 Billy Laughlin, American actor (b. 1932)
- 1952 Henri Bourassa, French Canadian political leader (b. 1868)
- 1963 Georges Braque, French painter (b. 1882)
- 1967 Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian writer (b. 1891)
- 1969 Rocky Marciano, American boxer (b. 1923)
- 1973 John Ford, American film director (b. 1894)
- 1974 William Pershing Benedict, American pilot
- 1974 Norman Kirk, New Zealand prime minister (b. 1923)
- 1978 John Wrathall, President of Rhodesia (b. 1913)
- 1979 Sally Rand, American dancer and actress (b. 1904)
- 1979 Tiger Smith, England cricketer (b. 1886)
- 1985 Frank Macfarlane Burnet, Australian biologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1899)
- 1986 Henry Moore, English sculptor (b. 1898)
- 1986 Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (b. 1900)
- 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961)
- 1997 Dodi Al-Fayed, Egyptian film producer (b. 1955)
- 2000 Patricia Owens, Canadian actress (b. 1925)
- 2000 Lucille Fletcher, American screenwriter of film, radio, and television (b. 1912)
- 2002 Lionel Hampton, American vibraphone player (b. 1908)
- 2002 George Porter, English chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1920)
- 2004 Carl Wayne, English singer (b. 1943)
- 2005 Joseph Rotblat, Polish-British physicist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1908)
- 2005 Michael Sheard, British actor (b. 1940)
- 2006 Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian footballer (b. 1983)
- 2006 Tom Delaney, British racing driver (b. 1911)
- 2006 Derrick Wayne Frazier, American convicted murderer (b. 1977)
- 2007 Gay Brewer, American golfer (b. 1932)
- 2007 Karloff Lagarde, Mexican professional wrestler (b. 1928)
- 2008 Ike Pappas, American news correspondent (b. 1933)
- 2008 Victor Yates, New Zealand rugby player (b. 1939)
[edit] Holidays and observances