On This Day

What Happened in August 1777

Historical Events

  • Aug 4 Retired British cavalry officer Philip Astley establishes his riding school with performances in London, precursor of the circus
  • Aug 16 American militiamen defeat British forces at the Battle of Bennington near Vermont, during the American Revolutionary War
  • Aug 28 American Revolutionary War - Battle of Cooch's Bridge takes place near Newark, Delaware.

Famous Birthdays


Person of interestHans Christian Ørsted

Aug 14 Hans Christian Ørsted, Danish physicist and chemist (View of Chemical Law), born in Rudkøbing, Denmark (d. 1851)

Physicist, Chemist Hans Christian Ørsted
Physicist, Chemist
Hans Christian Ørsted
  • Aug 14 Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies (1825-30), born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples (d. 1830)
  • Aug 29 Hyacinth [Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin], Founder of Sinology (d. 1853)

Famous Deaths

  • Aug 17 Giuseppe Scarlatti, Italian composer, dies at 54
  • Aug 23 Giuseppe Sellitto, composer, dies at 77


What Happened in 1777