This page features facts previously highlighted in On this day in History for August.

1 August

Today is Yorkshire Day, a celebration of all things associated with that glorious English county.

On this day in 1498, Christopher Columbus landed on what he believed to be a new island, which he christened Isla Santa. Infact it was the American mainland.

On August 1, 1944, as Soviet armies neared the city, the citizens of Warsaw rose against the Nazi troops and fought for 63 days before they were finally defeated with some 160,000 fatalities. After the uprising the survivors were deported and the city was deliberately destroyed to prevent the Soviets from gaining any advantage. This event is very important to the Polish nation and it was immortalised in Andrzej Wajda's film Kanal.

2 August

On this day in 1990, the state of Kuwait was invaded by its neighbour Iraq, following a long period of 'sabre rattling'. This marked the start of events which led to the Gulf War.

3 August

The race to trace the source of the Nile was solved this day in 1858 when John Speke reached Lake Victoria.

4 August

The British Red Cross celebrates its 130th birthday today having been founded in 1870.

Britain declared war on Germany on this day in 1914.

5 August

On this day in 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in Hollywood and Nelson Mandela was arrested on terrorism charges

6 August

On this day in 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

7 August

Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, was founded this day in 1711 by Queen Anne when the first meeting was held here.

8 August

On this day in 1940, the aerial attack that would become known as the Battle of Britain commenced.

On this day in 1963, £2.5 million was stolen from a mail train in the Great Train Robbery, a crime that has entered the British popular conciousness.

9 August

On this day in 1945 a second Atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki

Britain's first public nudist beach opened in Brighton on this day in 1979. The campaign for the 600ft area of shoreline was lead by a 47 year old grandmother against a reluctant Town Council.

10 August

On this day in 1895, Henry Wood conducted his first Prom at the Queen's Hall.

On this day in 1914, Russia invaded the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

11 August

On this day in 1968, the Beatles launched their record label Apple. This date was chosen because it coincided with British National Apple Week.

12 August

12 August 1865 saw the first use of disinfectant during surgery. Invented by Joseph Lister, disinfectant bought to end the period of history when opening a patient up almost certainly put their life in danger.

13 August

On this day in 1624, Cardinal Richelieu was appointed Chief Minister of France. The Eminence Gris became ruthlessly effective in his management of the country, commenting 'If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him'.

14 August

On this day in 1880, the building of Cologne Cathedral, Germany was completed some 632 years after it was started in 1248. During that time, the builders remained true to the original medieval plans.

15 August

The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair began its three day run this day in 1969. Nearly half a million people gathered on a farm in Sullivan County, New York to listen to acts including Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Santana, Jefferson Airplane...

16 August

The Tate Gallery opened this day in 1897. It gained its name from its benefactor, Henry Tate whose fortune came from the sugar industry.

Elvis Presley died this day in 1977.

17 August

6,000 people were killed in the Phillipines after a series of violent tidal waves and earthquakes.

18 August

On this day in 1227, Genghis Kahn died. This Mongol warload remains the man who controlled the biggest geographical area in history.

19 August

On this 1897, electrical taxi cabs were introduced in London to replace the horse drawn hansom cab. They disappeared three years later after proving to be unreliable.

20 August

On this day in 1968, Russian soldiers invaded Czechoslovakia.

21

On this 1990, George Adamson was found murdered in Kenya. Adamson's close relationship with Elsa, a lioness was immortalised in the book Born Free.

22 August

On this in 1642, the English Revolution starts with the first Civil War and the raising of the Royal Standard outside Nottingham Castle. The Castle itself was in control of Parliamentary supporters.

On this day in 1932, the British Broadcasting Corporation began a series of experimenal visual broadcasts and the medium of television was introduced to the British public.

23 August

On this day in 1821, Mexico became a nation state in its own right rather then a dominion of Spain.

On this 1940 , the ariel bombardment of London known as 'the Blitz' began. In 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began. Lasting over six months, this was the turning point of World War II on the Eastern front .

24 August

On this day in 79 AD, the Roman towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae were encased in lava erupting from Versuvius.

On this day in 1572, Charles IX, King of France, ordered the massacre of Protestants gathered in Paris for the wedding of . The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day sent shockwaves throughout Europe.

25 August

The Planet Neptune was photographed by the US probe Voyager on this day in 1989. The images revealed that the planet had three moons. Previously only Triton was known.

26 August

55 BC Julius Caesar lands in Britain. England was the northern most possession of the Roman Empire.

27 August

Confucius, the eminent Chinese moralist and philosopher was born this day in 551 BC.

28 August

On this day in 1963, Dr Martin Luther King addressed a civil rights march in Washington DC with the words "I have a dream..."

29 August

On this day in 1882 the English Cricket team was defeated by Australia for the first but not the last time. The Sporting Times published an obituary notice announcing the death of English cricket. A second loss on Australian territory a year later, saw the burning of a bail to create the famous Ashes trophy.

30 August

On this day in 1682, William Penn sailed from England to the New World. He later founded the state of Pennsylvania. ¹

Researchers who contributed to this feature for August were; Sho, Kasia, Gedge and The (Wonky) Doctor.