- 1914 Bransby Cooper, Australian cricketer, dies at 70
- 1953 Abner Powell, American baseball player, dies at 92
- 1973 Jack Gregory, cricketer (scorer of fastest ton Australia 1921), dies
- 1974 Sylvio Mantha, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 72
- 1991 Shotzie, Cincinnati Red dog mascot, dies at 9
- 1996 Gerry Gomez, West Indian cricketer (post-war WI all-rounder), dies at 76
- 2003 Mickey McDermott, baseball player (b. 1929)
- 2018 Stan Mikita, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (4 time NHL scoring leader), dies of Lewy body dementia at 78
August in History
![The Strange, Mysterious Story of the Balloon Expedition to the North Pole]()
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]()
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]()
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]()
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
