Historical Events
- Aug 1 US Customs begins enforcing Tariff Act
- Aug 4 French Revolution: The National Constituent Assembly meets and issues the first decrees that abolish centuries of feudalism in France
- Aug 7 US Congress creates the Department of War and the United States Lighthouse Establishment
- Aug 23 French Revolution: The National Assembly proclaims freedom of religious opinions
- Aug 24 French Revolution: The National Assembly proclaims freedom of speech
- Aug 26 The National Constituent Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen at the beginning of the French Revolution
- Aug 27 French National Assembly issues the "Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen"
Herschel Discovers Enceladus
Aug 28 William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 9 Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, French harpist, composer, forger, and bigamist, born in Montmédy, France (d. 1856)
- Aug 21 Augustin-Louis Cauchy, French mathematician and physicist, born in Paris (d. 1857)
- Aug 26 Abbas Mirza, Crown Prince of Qājār dynasty of Iran, introduced Western military techniques, born in Nava, Mazandaran (d. 1833)
- Aug 28 Stéphanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden, born in Versailles, France (d. 1860)
Famous Deaths
- Aug 25 Mary Ball Washington, mother of George, dies
