What Happened on August 22
Important Events
- 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor's forces defeat English King Richard III during last battle in the Wars of the Roses. Richard is killed, the last English monarch to die in battle.
- 1639 Madras (now Chennai), India, founded by the British East India Company on sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers
- 1642 English Civil War begins between Royalists and Parliament
- 1864 First Geneva Convention adopted in Geneva "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field" signed by 12 nations
- 1945 Vietnam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh leads a successful coup
Aug 22 in Film & TV
- 1932 BBC begins experimental regular TV broadcasts
Aug 22 in Music
Aug 22 in Sport
- 1851 100 Guineas Cup is raced around Isle of Wight; US schooner 'America' beats British cutter 'Aurora' by 24 minutes; first competition for the America's Cup yachting trophy
Did You Know?
Did You Know?The first air raid in history; Austria launches pilotless balloons against the Italian city of Venice
On August 22, 1849
Famous Birthdays
- Claude Debussy
(1862 - 1918) - Dorothy Parker
(1893 - 1967) - Leni Riefenstahl
(1902 - 2003) - Deng Xiaoping
(1904 - 1997) - Carl Yastrzemski
81 Years Old - Mats Wilander
56 Years Old
Claude Debussy
Dorothy Parker
Leni Riefenstahl
Deng Xiaoping
Carl Yastrzemski
Mats WilanderFamous Weddings
- 1848 Soldier and later US President Ulysses S. Grant (26) marries Julia Dent
- 1900 Oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny (44) weds Carrie Estelle Betzold in New Mexico Territory
- 1925 Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson (28) weds teacher Maryon Elspeth Moody (23)
Famous Divorces
- 1927 Actor Charlie Chaplin divorces his 2nd wife Lita Grey after 3 years of marriage in the largest divorce settlement at the time (US$600,000, plus trusts for children)
- 1968 Cynthia Lennon sues Beatle member John Lennon for divorce on grounds of adultery
- 2011 Actress Melissa Gilbert (47) divorces actor Bruce Boxleitner (61) due to irreconcilable differences after 16 long years of marriage
Stilicho
Richard III
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
Michael Collins
Jomo KenyattaArticles, Photos and Quiz
Thomas Cromwell Backs The Wrong Horse
Thomas Cromwell became chief advisor to King Henry VIII and led the hunt for a new royal wife. Unfortunately for him he championed the cause of Anne of Cleves.
August 22, 1540First Geneva Convention
Major European powers sign the first-ever Geneva Convention
August 22, 1864Weekly Quiz for August 19-25
Test your knowledge of historical events and famous people in our weekly history quiz for August 19-25. Then challenge your friends
