Historical Events
- 612 BC Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire. Destruction of Nineveh.
- 610 In Islam, the traditional date of the Laylat al-Qadr, when Muhammad began to receive the Qur'an
- 1497 John Cabot tells King Henry VII of his trip to "Asia"
- 1675 King Charles II and John Flamsteed lay the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London
- 1846 US Act of Congress passes establishing the Smithsonian Institution, now world's largest museum and research complex
- More Historical Events
Aug 10 in Film & TV
- 1948 ABC enters network TV at 7 PM (WJZ, NY)
Aug 10 in Music
- 1787 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his chamber piece "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Serenade)
Aug 10 in Sport
- 1984 Famous Mary Decker-Zola Budd collision during 3,000m at the LA Olympics; Decker falls, Budd finishes 7th; Maricica Puică of Romania wins
Did You Know?
Leo Daft opens America's 1st commercially operated electric streetcar in Baltimore
On August 10, 1885
Henri Nestlé
Edward L. Doheny
Herbert Hoover
Antonio Banderas
Riddick Bowe
Kylie JennerWould You Believe?
Louvre palace officially opens in Paris as The Museum Central des Arts
On August 10, 1793
Famous Weddings
- 1848 Inventor Samuel Morse (57) weds Sarah Elizabeth Griswold in Utica, New York
- 1912 British literary figure (author of "To the Lighthouse") Virginia Woolf [nee Stephen] (30) weds political theorist Leonard Woolf (31)
- 1933 Actress Hedy Lamarr (19) weds Hirtenberger Patronen-Fabrik chairman Friedrich Mandl (33)
Famous Divorces
- 2007 Actor Johnathon Schaech (37) divorces actress Christina Applegate (35) due to irreconcilable differences after 4 years of marriage
More Weddings & Divorces
Maarten Tromp
Thomas Elkins
Robert H. Goddard
Frank Lloyd
Michael Houser
Isaac HayesArticles, Photos and Quiz
Did a Snake Kill Cleopatra?
Cleopatra, the legendary Queen of Egypt, is said to have died on this day, famously submitting to the bite of a poisonous snake. The story might even be true. . .
August 10, 30 AD
The Sinking of the Vasa
Swedish warship Vasa sinking in Stockholm harbor
August 10, 1628
Pony Express
San Francisco Pony Express to New York cover
August 10, 1861
Jim Morrison's Trial
Jim Morrison and The Doors at the Dade County Courthouse
August 10, 1970
Weekly Quiz for August 5-11
Test your knowledge of historical events and famous people in our multi-choice, weekly history quiz for August 5-11. Then challenge your friends!
