- 754 Karloman, abbot of Monte Cassino, dies at 39
- 1153 Eustace IV of Boulogne, son of Stephen of England (b. 1130)
- 1304 Emperor Go-Fukakusa of Japan (b. 1243)
- 1464 Nikolaus von Cusa, German theologist/mathematician/philosopher, dies
- 1510 Edmund Dudley, English treasurer, beheaded for teason
- 1510 Richard Empson, English treasurer, beheaded
- 1536 Pietersz, book publisher (Kersten Knight - on Index), dies
- 1553 Charles III, Duke of Savoy (1504-53), dies at 66
- 1635 Francisco de Moncada, Spanish earl of Osuna, dies at 48
- 1673 Regnier de Graaf, Dutch physician and anatomist, dies of possible suicide at 32
- 1676 Grimmelshausen, writer, dies
- 1681 Nikon, [Nikita Minin], patriarch of Rus-orthodox church, dies at 76
- 1720 Anne Lefèvre, French scholar (b. 1654)
- 1723 Joseph Bingham, English scholar (b. 1668)
- 1768 Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky, Russian poet (b. 1703)
- 1785 Jonathan Trumbull, American politician and statesman, dies at 74
Frederick the Great
1786 Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1740-86), dies at 74
Frederick the Great
José de San Martín
1850 Jose de San Martin, South American revolutionary hero and general, dies at 72
José de San Martín
- 1861 Alcée Louis la Branche, American Politician (b. 1806)
- 1865 Mosby Munroe Parsons, United States officer in the Mexican–American War and brigadier general of the Confederate States Army, dies in battle at 42
- 1875 Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist (Father of Bantu Philology), dies at 48
- 1878 Richard Upjohn, US architect, died
- 1886 Arthur Middleton Manigault, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 61
- 1888 James Jameson, British nature investigator (Congo), dies
- 1893 Aleksei N Apuchtin, Russian poet (Stichotvorenia), dies at 52[NS=8/29]
- 1896 Bridget Driscoll, 1st person in Great Britain to die in an auto-accident
- 1914 James Grierson, British general
- 1915 Leo Frank, American convict, hanged in 1915 by a lynch mob in Georgia at 31
- 1924 Pavel S "Paul" Urysohn, Russian mathematician, drowns at 26
- 1925 Ioan Slavici, Transylvanian writer of Romanian origin (b. 1848)
- 1927 Horace Alderman, American murderer, hanged
- 1935 Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American feminist, writer and lecturer for social reform, dies at 75
- 1940 Billy Fiske, US RAF-pilot/2nd lieutenant and 1st American serviceman killed in action in World War II, dies at 29
- 1945 Pater Bleijs, [Louis], resistance fighter, dies in car accident
- 1948 Nico J. Polak, Dutch economist, dies at 60
- 1949 Gregorio Perfecto, Filipino jurist & politician (b. 1891)
- 1953 Johannes B Tielrooy, literature (French Living Lesson), dies at 66
- 1953 Bannister Fletcher, English architect and architectural historian (A History of Architecture), dies at 87
- 1962 Peter Fechter trying to cross the Berlin Wall (b. 1944)
- 1966 Michael Garrison, producer (Crowded Sky), dies after a fall at 43
- 1969 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect (November Group), dies at 83
- 1969 Philip Blaiberg, after 19 days with artificial heart, dies
- 1971 Wilhelm List, German field marshal (b. 1880)
- 1972 Raymond Brulez, Flemish author (Schoone slaapster), dies at 76
- 1972 Wampilow, writer, dies
- 1973 Conrad Aiken, US poet (Pulitzer), dies at 74
- 1974 Aldo Palazzeschi, [Giurlani], Italian writer, dies at 89
- 1982 Ruth Voorst, South African (A World Apart), killed by letter bomb
- 1984 Holly Roffey, youngest heart transplant, dies at 4 weeks
- 1987 Charles Drummond de Andrade, Brazilian poet (Claro Enigma), dies at 84
Rudolf Hess
1987 Rudolf Hess, German Nazi official (Deputy Fuhrer who dramatically escaped to Britain in 1941, sentenced to life in Spandau Prison), commits suicide at 93
Rudolf Hess
- 1988 Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr, (Rep-D-NY, 1949-55), dies on 74th birthday
- 1988 Mohammad Zia Ul-Haq, President of Pakistan (1978-88), dies in plane crash at 64
- 1991 Leo Geerts, [Marcel van der Linden], Belgian writer/critic, dies
- 1991 Mervyn Nelson, director (Some of My Best Friends Are...), dies at 76
- 1992 Andre de Villiers, South African, murdered
- 1992 Barbara Morgan, photographer (Martha Graham), dies at 92
- 1992 Tommy Nutter, fashion designer (bell bottom pants), dies of AIDs at 49
- 1993 Max de Metz, Dutch publisher/translator, dies at 72
- 1993 Robert C Maynard, CEO (Oakland Tribune), dies at 56
- 1993 Feng Kang, Chinese mathematician (b. 1920)
- 1994 Elias Canetti, buried next to James Joyce
- 1995 Marjorie Sykes, peace campaigner, dies at 90
- 1995 Ted Whitten, Australian rules footballer, dies at 62
- 1996 Edward Digby Baltzell, Ivy League sociologist, dies at 80
- 1996 Eric Evans, English dean of St Paul's, dies at 68
- 2004 Thea Astley, Australian novelist and short-story writer, dies at 78
- 2005 John Bahcall, American astrophysicist (b. 1934)
- 2007 Bill Deedes, British journalist and politician (b. 1913)
- 2008 Franco Sensi, Italian oil tycoon and president of A.S. Roma
- 2010 Francesco Cossiga, Italian politician and 8th President of the Italian Republic (1985-92), dies at 82
- 2010 Edwin Morgan, Scottish poet (At Eighty), dies at 90
- 2012 Patrick Ricard, French businessman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, dies from cardiac arrest at 67
- 2016 Arthur Hiller, Canadian director (Love Story), dies at 92
August in History
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
America's Last Public Hanging
The last man to be publicly hanged in the United States met his fate on this day in history. It was a squalid affair watched by about 10,000 people.
August 14, 1936
First Faltering Steps of Jane Eyre
With hope, pride – and some subterfuge – Charlotte Brontë sent her hefty manuscript of Jane Eyre to publishers in London on this day, then crossed her fingers.
August 15, 1847
A Kiss For Adolf Hitler
A woman spectator leaned over and kissed Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympic Games on this day. Hitler pretended to be amused, but his guards were to suffer.
August 15, 1936