Elizabeth Báthory
1560 Elizabeth Báthory, Hungarian countess and serial killer, born in Nyírbátor, Hungary (d. 1614)
Elizabeth Báthory
Nathanael Greene
1742 Nathanael Greene, American military leader (major general during the American Revolutionary War), born in Potowomut, Rhode Island (d. 1786)
Nathanael Greene
- 1746 Daniel W Wyttenbach, Dutch classical/historian
- 1751 Wilhelmina FS, Princess of Prussia/Orange/wife of Willem V
- 1779 Carl Ritter, co-founder of modern science of geography
- 1779 Louis de Freycinet, French explorer (d. 1842)
- 1783 John Heathcoat, inventor (lace-making machinery)
- 1783 Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom (d. 1810)
- 1826 Carl AE Ahlqvist, [A Oksanen], Finnish poet (Suomalainen Runousoppi)
- 1829 Thomas Ewing Jr, American attorney, 1st chief justice of Kansas, congressman, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Lancaster, Ohio (d. 1896)
- 1833 Powell Clayton, American politician, diplomat, and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (d. 1914)
- 1836 Evander McIvor Law, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1920)
- 1844 Auguste Michel-Lévy, French geologist (d. 1911)
- 1860 Alan Leo, British astrologer (d. 1917)
- 1862 Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden (d. 1931)
- 1867 Emil Nolde, [Hansen], German painter and graphic artist
- 1868 Ladislaus Bortkiewicz, Russian mathematician (d. 1931)
- 1870 19 kittens, born to Tarawood Antigone (4 still born)
- 1870 Jozef Brems, Flemish apostole (vicar of Denmark)
- 1872 Andries C D de Graeff, governor-general of Neth Indies (1926-31)
- 1880 Ernst Laqueur, chemist/pharmacology/psychology (sexual hormones)
- 1883 Joachim Ringelnatz [Hans Bötticher], German writer and artist, born in Wurzen, Saxony (d. 1934)
- 1886 Louis Hazeltine, inventor (neutrodyne circuit, making radio possible)
- 1887 Jan HA Eman, Aruban politician
- 1897 Franz J Weinrich, [Heinrich Lerse], German writer (Himmlisches)
Louis Leakey
1903 Louis Leakey, British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist (1964 Richard Hooper Medal), born in Kabete, Kenya (d. 1972)
Louis Leakey
Ralph Bunche
1904 Ralph Bunche, American diplomat to the UN (Nobel Peace Prize1950), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1971)
Ralph Bunche
- 1907 Albert Kotin, American abstract painter (d. 1980)
- 1911 R Nicholas Ray, Galesville WI, director (Rebel Without a Cause)
- 1918 Cees Buddingh', Dutch poet/writer/interpreter
- 1919 John Hogan, Lowes, Kentucky, chemist (discovered methods of producing polypropylene), (d. 2012)
- 1920 Jan Walravens, Flemish writer (Motionless at Sea)
- 1921 M J bin Gorion, writer
- 1925 M. S. Swaminathan, Indian scientist
- 1926 Amo Houghton, (Rep-R-New York)
- 1927 Edwin W Edwards, (Gov-La)
- 1928 Amazing [James] Randi, skeptic magician (Nova), born in Toronto, Ontario
- 1928 Herbert H Bateman, (Rep-R-Virginia)
- 1929 James Pilditch, designer
- 1929 Richard T Schulze, (Rep-R-PA, 1975- )
- 1929 Ruth Carter-Stapleton, evangelist, born in Plains, Georgia
- 1929 Jo Baer [Josephine Kleinberg], American painter and minimalist artist, born in Seattle, Washington
- 1931 Charles E. Rice, American legal scholar and author
- 1932 Maurice Rabb, Jr., American ophthalmologist
- 1933 Jerry [Eugene] Pournelle, American sci-fi author (Mercenary, Red Dragon)
- 1936 Richard L[ouis] Tierney, American sci-fi author (Winds of Zarr)
- 1938 Helen Caldicott, Australian physician/anti-war activist, born in Melbourne, Victoria
- 1940 Tom Barlow, (Rep-D-Kentucky)
- 1940 Jean-Luc Dehaene, Belgian Prime Minister (1992-99), born in Montpellier, France (d. 2014)
- 1941 Thomas F Hartnett, (Rep-R-SC, 1981-86)
- 1942 Garrison Keillor, Minn, PBS radio personality (Prairie Home Companion)
- 1943 Alain Corneau, director (Choice of Arms)
- 1944 Robert Mueller, American lawyer, FBI Director (2001-13) Special Counsel Russian Investigation (2017-), born in New York City
- 1945 Kerry Chater, rocker (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - Young Girl)
- 1946 Ed Seykota, American commodities and futures trader
- 1947 Ann Beattie, American novelist and short story writer (Chilly Scenes of Winter), born in Washington D.C.
- 1947 Mosibudi Mangena, South African black leader (On Your Own)
- 1948 James Allison, American immunologist (Noble Prize for Medicine 2018), born in Alice, Texas
- 1948 Marty Appel, American public relations executive and author
- 1949 Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese political leader
- 1953 Anne Fadiman, American writer; daughter of Clifton Fadiman
- 1955 Vladimir Sorokin, Russian writer
- 1955 Greg Nickels, mayor of Seattle
- 1956 Kent V Rominger, Del Norte Colo, US Navy /astronaut (STS 73, 80, 85)
- 1963 Patrick Kennedy, son of US President JFK (lives only 3 days)
- 1964 John Birmingham, Australian author
- 1966 Jimmy Wales, American internet entrepreneur and cofounder of Wikipedia, born in Huntsville, Alabama
- 1977 Samantha Ronson, British DJ, born in Camden, London
- 1978 Alexandre Aja, French director, born in Paris, France
- 1988 Melody Oliveria, American internet blogger (bowiechick)
August in History
The Strange, Mysterious Story of the Balloon Expedition to the North Pole
The discovery of Swedish engineer S. A. Andrée's tragic, long-lost polar expedition in 1930 led to more questions than answers.
August 5, 1930
A Pill to Cure All Ills
Not well? Take a Beecham’s Pill was often the advice. So popular was it that nobody doubted it’s extravagant claim in the world’s first advertising slogan.
August 6, 1859
Why Mata Hari Was Not the Spy You Thought She Was
The controversial life and death of Mata Hari, the glamorous WWI double agent, executed in 1917, has recently been reassessed in the light of new evidence.
August 7, 1876
Ship Of Gold Sails Into Oblivion
A frigate with more than 150 souls on board, as well as nearly three tons of gold, sailed out of Melbourne on this day – never to be seen again.
August 12, 1853