Historical Events
Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Aug 2 After 3½ days suffering exhaustion, lack of water and shark attacks in the Philippine Sea, the surviving crew of USS Indianapolis are spotted by Wilbur “Chuck” Gwinn, a PV-1 Ventura pilot on a routine sector search. 316 had survived.
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Potsdam Conference
Aug 2 Potsdam Conference between Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill ends
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Golf Tournament
Aug 4 American golfer Byron Nelson wins Canadian Open at Uplands & Thornhill CC for a record 11th consecutive PGA victory, on way to record season tally of 18
Byron Nelson
- Aug 4 Red Sox outfielder Tom McBride drives in MLB record tying 6 runs in an inning (4th) during 15-4 win v Washington
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Aug 6 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the US B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay"
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United Nations Charter
Aug 8 President Harry Truman signs the United Nations Charter
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Nuclear Bombing of Nagasaki
Aug 9 US drops 2nd atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Japan destroys part of Nagasaki
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Victory over Japan
Aug 14 V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II (also August 15 depending on time zone)
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Event of Interest
Aug 14 Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh movement launch a coordinated uprising against French rule across Vietnam following the Japanese surrender
Ho Chi Minh
- Aug 14 Japanese government notifies the Allies that it had accepted the Potsdam Declaration
- Aug 15 A riot ensues in San Francisco while the city is celebrating the end of WW II
- Aug 15 US wartime rationing of gasoline & fuel oil ends
- Aug 15 Chandler sells World Series radio rights for $150,000 to Gillette, Ford had been World Series sponsor since 1934, pay $100,000 annually
- Aug 15 World War II: Korean Liberation Day.
- Aug 15 Victory over Japan Day, the Japanese surrender and the end of WWII is announced in Japan (due to time zones 14th Aug in the Americas)
- Aug 16 Puyi, the last Chinese Emperor and ruler of Manchukuo is captured by Soviet troops
- Aug 17 Korea is divided into North and South Korea along the 38th parallel
- Aug 18 Scheduled demonstrations at Polo Grounds & Ebbets Field to end segregation in organized baseball are called off
- Aug 18 Sukarno elected 1st President of Indonesia by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI)
- Aug 19 Phillies Jimmie Foxx, 37, pitches 1st 7 innings vs Reds & wins
- Aug 20 Dodgers Tommy Brown, 17, is youngest player to hit a HR
- Aug 20 Robert Hamilton wins PGA golf tournament
- Aug 20 Soviet troops occupy Harbin & Mukden
- Aug 21 US President Harry Truman ends Lend-Lease program
- Aug 22 Bob Cristofani scores 110 for Aust Services at Old Trafford
- Aug 22 Noel Coward's revue "Sigh no More" premieres in London
- Aug 22 Vietnam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh leads a successful coup
- Aug 24 Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from Navy & strike out 12
- Aug 25 Jewish immigrants are permitted to leave Mauritius for Palestine
- Aug 26 Japanese diplomats board USS Missouri to receive instructions on Japan's surrender at the end of WWII
- Aug 27 US troops land in Japan after Japanese surrender
- Aug 29 British liberate Hong Kong from Japan
Douglas MacArthur
- Aug 30 12th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Green Bay 19, All-Stars 7 (92,753)
Event of Interest
Aug 30 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 9th Symphony
Dmitri Shostakovich
- Aug 30 General Douglas MacArthur lands in Japan
- Aug 30 Hong Kong liberated from Japanese
Event of Interest
Aug 31 The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Douglas Osheroff, American physicist (Nobel 1996), born in Aberdeen, Washington
- Aug 2 Joanna Cassidy [Joanna Virginia Caskey], American actress (Blade Runner, Under Fire), born in Haddonfield, New Jersey
- Aug 2 Jewell Jackson McCabe, American feminist and social and political activist who led the National Coalition of 100 Black Women movement in the 1970s, born in Washington, D.C.
- Aug 2 John Bowis, British MP (C), born in Brighton, East Sussex
- Aug 2 Alex Jesaulenko, Australian rules footballer, born in Salzburg, Austria
- Aug 3 Ron Hendren, American TV host (Entertainment Tonight), born in Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Aug 3 Eamon Dunphy, Irish footballer, born in Dublin, Ireland
- Aug 4 John Qace Hardbattle, political activist
- Aug 5 Ja'net Dubois, American actress (Good Times, Beverly Hill 90210), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 5 Jo Collins, American Playboy playmate (Dec, 1964, Playmate of the Year 1965), born in Lebanon, Oregon
- Aug 6 Ron Jones, British TV director (d. 1995)
- Aug 6 Andy Messersmith, American baseball player
- Aug 7 Alan Young, American NFL defensive end (NY Jets), born in Canton, Ohio
- Aug 7 Alan Page, NFL defensive tackle (Minnesota Vikings)
- Aug 7 Kerry Chater, rocker (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - Young Girl)
- Aug 7 Patrice Mestral, composer
- Aug 9 Posy Simmonds, English cartoonist
- Aug 10 Harry Thomas, Dutch founder (Schlager Festival Gay Party)
- Aug 10 Larry Larden, rocker (Every Mother's Son)
- Aug 10 Harriet Miers, White House counsel
- Aug 12 Ron Mael, American songwriter, composer and record producer (Sparks), born in Culver City, California
- Aug 13 Robin Jackman, cricketer (England medium-pacer early eighties)
- Aug 13 Lars Engqvist, Swedish politician
- Aug 13 Howard Marks, British drug dealer and author (Mr Nice), born in Kenfig Hill, Wales (d. 2016)
- Aug 14 Brenda Benet, actress (Lee-Days of Our Lives, Beach Ball), born in Hollywood, California
- Aug 14 Cheryl Waltz, author/film producer
- Aug 14 Jennifer d'Abo, CEO (Ryman, Moyses Stevens)
Steve Martin
Aug 14 Steve Martin, American comedian, musician, author and actor (Parenthood, Jerk, Roxanne), born in Waco, Texas
Steve Martin
- Aug 14 Tony Scannel, actor (Bill, Blue Money) [or 1932]
- Aug 14 Wim Wenders, West German director (American Friend, Hammett)
- Aug 15 Charlemagne Palestine, composer
- Aug 15 Gene Upshaw, NFL guard (Oakland Radiers), NFLPA leader
- Aug 15 Thomas C Sawyer, (Rep-D-Ohio)
- Aug 15 Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991-96 and 2001-06), born in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
- Aug 16 Bob Balaban, American actor and director (2010, Girlfriends, Gosford Park), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Gary Loizzo, rock guitarist (American Breed), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, Merseyside, rock drummer (Easybeats)
- Aug 16 Kevin Ayers, England, progressive rocker (Joy of a Toy), (d. 2013)
- Aug 16 Suzanne Farrell, ballerina (Don Quioxote), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aug 17 Katri Helena, Finnish singer
- Aug 18 Sarah Dash, rock vocalist (Patti LaBelle & Bluebirds), born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Aug 18 Barbara Harris, US singer (Toys-A Lover's Concerto)
- Aug 19 Ian Gillan, English heavy metal and rock singer-songwriter (Deep Purple-Knocking at Backdoor), born in London
- Aug 21 Patty McCormack, American actress (Mama, Peck's Bad Girl, Ropers), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 21 Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player, born in Oceanside, California
- Aug 21 Basil Poledouris, American film score composer (The Hunt For Red October), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2006)
- Aug 22 Derek Fatchett, British Labour politician, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England (d. 1999)
- Aug 22 James G Richardson, actor (Tim Cassidy-Sierra), born in Gainesville, Florida
- Aug 22 Ron Dante, rock vocalist (Archies-Sugar, Sugar), born in Staten Island, New York
- Aug 22 Steve Kroft, American journalist and longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes, born in Kokomo Indiana
- Aug 22 Erol Gelenbe, Turkish computer scientist and mathematician, born in Istanbul, Turkey
- Aug 23 Rayfield Wright, American football player, born in Griffin, Georgia
- Aug 24 Ken Hensley, rock keyboardist (Blackfoot, Uriah Heep)
- Aug 24 Malcolm "Mollie" Duncan, Scotland, saxophonist (Average White Band)
- Aug 24 Vince McMahon, American professional wrestling promoter
Marsha P. Johnson
Aug 24 Marsha P. Johnson [born Malcolm Michaels Jr.], African-American gay liberation and AIDS activist, drag queen, and transgender pioneer (Gay Liberation Front, S.T.A.R.), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey (d. 1992)
Marsha P. Johnson
- Aug 26 Melvin Watt, (Rep-D-North Carolina)
- Aug 26 Tom Ridge, first United States Secretary of Homeland Security (Rep-R-Pennsylvania), born in Munhall, Pennsylvania
- Aug 28 Bruno Nuytten, French film director (Camille Claudel), born in Melun, Île-de-France, France
- Aug 28 Bob Segarini, American musician and radio personality, born in Stockton, California
- Aug 29 Chris Copping, English rock bassist (Procol Harum), born in Middleton, Lancashire, England
- Aug 29 Wyomia Tyus, American 100m runner (Olympic gold 1964, 68), born in Griffin, Georgia
- Aug 30 David Schiff, American composer, born in New York City
- Aug 30 Fred Tackett, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Little Feat), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Aug 31 Bob Welch, rock vocalist/guitarist (Fleetwood Mac-Oh Well), (d. 2012)
- Aug 31 Itzhak Perlman, Tel Aviv Israel, violinist/polio victim (14 Grammys)
- Aug 31 Leonid Ivanovich Popov, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 35/37, 40, T-7)
- Aug 31 [George Ivan] "Van" Morrison, Northern Irish singer-songwriter (Astral Weeks, Moondance), born in Bloomfield, Belfast
Famous Deaths
- Aug 2 Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, Austrian composer (Donna Diana), dies at 85
- Aug 2 Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer (Cavalleria Rusticana), dies at 81
- Aug 6 Hiram Johnson, American progressive politician, US Senator, Governor of California (1911-17), dies at 78
- Aug 6 Prince Wu of Korea (b. 1912)
- Aug 9 Harry Hillman, American athlete (3 Gold Olympic 1904), dies at 63
Robert H. Goddard
Aug 10 Robert H. Goddard, American rocket pioneer (invented and built the first liquid-fueled rocket), dies of throat cancer at 62
Robert H. Goddard
- Aug 15 Korechika Anami, Japanese War Minister (b. 1887)
- Aug 16 Nico Richter, composer, dies at 29
- Aug 16 Takijiro Ohnishi, led Japanese kamikaze pilots (harakiri), dies
- Aug 17 Gino Marinuzzi, composer, dies at 61
- Aug 17 Pater Bleijs, [Louis], resistance fighter, dies in car accident
- Aug 18 Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian revolutionary and nationalist, dies of injuries from a plane crash at 48
- Aug 19 Tomas Burgos, Chilean philanthropist (founder of Villa Lo Burgos), dies at 69
- Aug 20 Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian writer, dies at 73
- Aug 22 Ida Henrietta Hyde, American physiologist who invented the micro-electrode and the first woman allowed to do research at Harvard Medical School and to be elected to the American Physiology Society, dies at 87
- Aug 25 John Birch, American intelligence officer and missionary (b. 1918)
- Aug 26 Franz Werfel, Czech/German/US poet/writer (Mirror Man), dies at 54