On This Day

August 1948 in History

Events in History

  • Aug 1 The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations is founded.
  • Aug 3 FDR advisor Alger Hiss accused of being a "communist"
  • Aug 4 5 day Southern States filibuster succeeds in maintaining America's poll tax
  • Aug 6 Willem Drees forms Socialist government (KVP/Social Democratics/CHU/Liberal) in the Netherlands
  • Aug 7 1st Dutch government of Beel resigns
  • Aug 12 Court of justice sentences General Friedrich Christiansen, commander of the German Wehrmacht in the Netherlands, to 12 years imprisonment
  • Aug 15 Republic of Korea (South Korea) proclaimed (National Day)
  • Aug 16 Arabs blow up Latrun pumping station in Jerusalem
  • Aug 16 Israeli pound becomes legal tender
  • Aug 17 Alger Hiss denies ever being a Communist agent
  • Aug 17 Tom Henrich hits his then record tying 4th grand slam of season
  • Aug 20 US expels Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob Lomakin
  • Aug 23 Earl Bernadotte asks aid for fugitives to Palestine
  • Aug 23 World Council of Churches formed by 147 churches from 44 countries
  • Aug 27 102°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in August

Event of Interest

Aug 31 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands celebrates her golden jubilee

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Birthdays in History

  • Aug 1 Abdelmalek Sellal, Prime Minister of Algeria (2014 - present), born in Constantine, Algeria
  • Aug 1 Bob Spink, British politician (MP for Castle Point in Essex), born in Haworth, Worth Valley, Yorkshire
  • Aug 2 Robert Holdstock, English sci-fi author (Ghost Dance, Labyrinth), born in Hythe, England (d. 2009)
  • Aug 4 Giorgio Parisi, Italian theoretical physicist (2021 Nobel Prize for Physics for pioneering work on climate change), born in Rome, Italy
  • Aug 4 Jim Slattery, American politician (Rep-D-Kansas, 1983-95), born in Good Intent, Kansas
  • Aug 6 Michael Peters, choreographer (What's Love Got to Do with It)
  • Aug 7 James Allison, American immunologist (Noble Prize for Medicine 2018), born in Alice, Texas
  • Aug 7 Marty Appel, American public relations executive and author, born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Aug 8 Svetlana Y Savitskaya, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-7, T-12, T-15A)
  • Aug 11 Don Boyd, Scottish director and producer (Goldeneye, 21, East of Elephant Rock), born in Nairn
  • Aug 11 Jan Palach, Czech student protester (d. 1969)
  • Aug 12 Graham Zellick, principal (Queen Mary & Westfield College London)
  • Aug 13 Mosiuoa Lekota, South African UDF/ANC leader, born in Kroonstad, South Africa
  • Aug 15 George Ryton, British engineer, born in Singapore
  • Aug 16 Pierre Reid, Canadian politician and teacher
  • Aug 19 Tipper Gore, American wife of US Vice President Al Gore (1993-01), born in Washington D.C.
  • Aug 23 Andrei Pleşu, Romanian writer and essayist, born in Bucharest, Romania
  • Aug 23 Daniel Ruettiger "Rudy", University of Notre Dame football legend, born in Joliet, Illinois
  • Aug 24 Kim Sung-Il, Chief of Staff of Republic of Korea Air Force, born in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang
  • Aug 24 Sauli Niinistö, Finnish politician (President of Finland 2012-), born in Salo, Finland
  • Aug 28 Fred Cole, American rock artist (The Lollipop Shoppe, Dead Moon, Pierced Arrows), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2017)
  • Aug 29 Charles David Walker, American engineer and astronaut (STS 12 STS 16 STS 23), born in Bedford, Indiana
  • Aug 30 Fred Hampton, American activist (Black Panther Party leader; Rainbow Coalition co-founder), born in Summit, Illinois (d. 1969)

Deaths in History

  • Aug 3 Albert Pollard, British historian (Evolution of parliament), dies at 78
  • Aug 9 Hugo Boss, German fashion designer (Hugo Boss), dies at 63
  • Aug 10 Andrew Brown, Scottish football coach (b. 1870)
  • Aug 10 Emmy Hennings-Ball [Emma Cordsen], German poet and performer dies at 63
  • Aug 10 Kan'ichi Asakawa, Japanese historian, writer, and peace activist, dies at 74
  • Aug 10 Montague Summers, English clergyman and writer (Malleus Maleficarum), dies at 68
  • Aug 12 Harry Brearley, English inventor (b. 1871)
  • Aug 17 Nico J. Polak, Dutch economist, dies at 60
  • Aug 27 Charles Evans Hughes, American statesman, Republican politician and 11th Chief Justice of Supreme Court (1930-41), dies at 86
  • Aug 28 Eleni Gatzoyiannis, Greek heroine (subject of "Eleni" by son Nicholas Gage about how she saved her children), shot and killed by communists at 41
  • Aug 31 Andrei Zjdanov, Russian politician (against kosmopolitism), dies at 52

Historical Figures

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