On This Day

August 1897 in History

Events in History

  • Aug 4 Henry A Rucker appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia
  • Aug 10 Automobile Club of Great Britain established (now: Royal Automobile Club)
  • Aug 10 German chemist Felix Hoffman first synthesizes acetylsalicylic acid, which would later be patened by his company Bayer under the name "aspirin"
  • Aug 14 The town of Anosimena is captured by French troops from Menabe defenders in Madagascar.
  • Aug 17 W B Purvis patents electric railway switch (aka points)
  • Aug 19 1st electric taxis driven in London
  • Aug 21 Oldsmobile first manufactured by Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in Lansing, Michigan
  • Aug 30 The town of Ambiky is captured by France from Menabe in Madagascar

Historic Event

Aug 31 British General Kitchener's army occupies Berber, North of Khartoum

Horatio Kitchener
General and Secretary of War Horatio Kitchener

Birthdays in History

  • Aug 2 Karl Otto Koch, German SS-officer, born in Darmstadt, Germany (d. 1945)
  • Aug 2 Max Weber, Swiss Federal Councilor, born in Zürich, Switzerland (d. 1974)
  • Aug 5 Aksel Larsen, Danish politician, founder of the Socialist People's Party, born in Brændekilde, Denmark (d. 1972)
  • Aug 7 Franz J Weinrich [Heinrich Lerse], German writer (Himmlisches)
  • Aug 9 Ralph Wyckoff, American scientist and pioneer of X-ray crystallography, born in Geneva, New York (d. 1994)
  • Aug 10 John Galbreath, American businessman (d. 1988)
  • Aug 10 Piet[er O] Bakker, Dutch novelist (Ciske the Rat)

Enid BlytonEnid Blyton (1897-1968)

Aug 11 English children's writer, fifth most popular author in the world (Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Adventure), born in London, England

Enid Blyton
  • Aug 11 Louise Bogan, American poet and critic (Sleeping Fury), born in Maine (d. 1970)
  • Aug 12 Otto (von) Struve, German/US dir (Yerkes/MacDonald observatory)
  • Aug 16 Robert Ringling, circus master, born in Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin (d. 1950)
  • Aug 20 Tarjei Vesaas, Norwegian poet and author (Det Store Spelet), born in Vinje, Telemark, Norway (d. 1970)
  • Aug 26 Yoon Boseon, Korean politician, President of South Korea (1960-62), born in Asan, Joseon (d. 1990)
  • Aug 31 Marianne Bruns, German writer, born in Leipzig, Germany (d. 1994)

Deaths in History

  • Aug 8 Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss cultural historian, dies at 79
  • Aug 9 Samuel McGowan, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 77
  • Aug 13 Antonius von der Linde, Dutch-German librarian and historian (history of chess), dies at 63

Historical Figures

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