What Happened on August 25
Historical Events
- 1609 Galileo demonstrates his 1st telescope to Venetian lawmakers
- 1718 Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans founded
- 1768 Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, on his first voyage on board the Endeavour, bound for the Pacific Ocean
- 1894 Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet
- 1944 French General Charles de Gaulle walks the Champs Elysees in Paris after the liberation of the city from Nazi occupation
- 1990 UN security council authorizes military action against Iraq
- 1991 Linux is born when Linus Torvalds sends off an email announcing his project to create a new computer operating system
- More Historical Events
Aug 25 in Film & TV
- 1955 16th Venice Film Festival: "Ordet" directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer wins Golden Lion
Aug 25 in Music
- 1998 "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" debut album by Lauryn Hill is released (5 Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, Billboard Album of the Year 1998)
Aug 25 in Sport
- 1875 Captain Matthew Webb makes the 1st observed and unassisted swim across the English Channel in 21 hours and 45 minutes
- 1960 AFL begins placing players names on back of their jerseys
Did You Know?
Momofuku Ando markets the first package of precooked instant noodles (Chikin Ramen)
On August 25, 1958
Would You Believe?
Alicia Thornton becomes first female jockey in England riding at Knavesmire in Yorkshire
On August 25, 1804
Famous Weddings
- 1749 British admiral Samuel Hood (24) weds Susannah Linzee in Portsmouth, England
- 1870 German composer Richard Wagner (57) weds Franz Liszt's daughter Cosima Liszt (32) at a Protestant church in Lucerne, Switzerland
- 1885 "Little House On The Prairie" author Laura Ingalls (18) weds Almonzo James Wilder (28)
More Weddings & Divorces
Articles, Photos and Quiz
Captain Webb Conquers the English Channel
After 22 hours in the water Captain Matthew Webb stepped ashore at Calais on this day – the first person ever to swim across the Channel from England to France.
August 25, 1875Instant Ramen
The packaging of the first chicken instant ramen in 1958
August 25, 1958Weekly 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