On This Day

What Happened in August 1856

Historical Events

  • Aug 6 The Great Bell is cast for the Great Clock of Westminster, London (Big Ben)
  • Aug 10 Hurricane washes away 2-300 revelers at Last Island, Louisiana
  • Aug 12 Anthony Faas, of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, is granted a second patent for improvements to the accordion (Patent No. 15511A)
  • Aug 20 Wilberforce University forms in Ohio
  • Aug 21 America's first consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, arrives in Shimoda. (Traditional Japanese date: July 21, 1856)

Famous Birthdays

  • Aug 1 George Coulthard, Australian rules footballer (Victoria; Carlton FC) and cricket all-rounder (1 Test; Victoria CA), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1883)
  • Aug 3 Alfred Deakin, 2nd Prime Minister of Australia, born in Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia (d. 1919)
  • Aug 10 Paul Geisler, composer

Edward L. Doheny

Aug 10 Edward L. Doheny, American oil tycoon, born in Fond du lac, Wisconsin

Edward L. Doheny
Oil Tycoon Edward L. Doheny
  • Aug 10 William Willett, British inventor of Daylight Saving Time, born in Farnham, Surrey, England
  • Aug 12 "Diamond Jim" Brady, American financier (d. 1917)
  • Aug 15 J. Keir Hardie, Scottish politician and 1st Labour representative in British Parliament, born in Lanarkshire, Scotland (d. 1915)
  • Aug 17 Violet Paget [Vernon Lee], British author (Satan the master)
  • Aug 18 Charles H. Gabriel, American Gospel composer, born in Wilton, Iowa (d. 1932)
  • Aug 18 Jan Karol Gall, Polish conductor an composer of mostly vocal pieces (Mizerna, cicha), born in Warsaw (d. 1912)
  • Aug 20 Jakub Bart-Ćišinski, Sorbian writer, born in Panschwitz-Kuckau, Germany (d. 1909)
  • Aug 24 Felix Mottl, Austrian conductor and composer (Agnes Bernauer), born in Unter-St.-Veit, Austria (d. 1911)
  • Aug 27 Iwan Franko, Ukrainian writer and political activist, born in Nahuievychi, Galicia (d. 1916)
  • Aug 30 Carle David Tolmé Runge, German mathematician and physicist, born in Bremen, Germany (d. 1927)
  • Aug 31 Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, Armenian composer, born in Gyumri, Armenia (d. 1951)

Famous Deaths

  • Aug 4 Johann Gottlieb Schneider, German composer, dies at 59
  • Aug 5 Robert Lucas Pearsall, English composer, dies at 61
  • Aug 14 William Buckland, dean (Westminster)/geologist, dies
  • Aug 14 Constant Prévost, French geologist, dies at 69
  • Aug 19 Charles Frédéric Gerhardt, French chemist, dies at 39
  • Aug 20 Philipp Jakob Riotte, German composer, dies at 80
  • Aug 21 Peter Josef von Lindpaintner, German composer, dies at 64
  • Aug 29 Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck, British Christian writer, dies at 77
  • Aug 30 Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, English writer (b. 1811)
  • Aug 30 John Ross, British naval officer and explorer, dies at 79


What Happened in 1856

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