Historical Events
- Aug 1 Dutch editor and politician Hendrikus Colijn becomes political editor-in-chief of The Standard
- Aug 1 In Italy, the socialist 'Alianza del Lavoro' declare a national strike which collapses immediately and fascist forces destroy union and socialist headquarters
- Aug 2 China is hit by a typhoon; about 60,000 die
Event of Interest
Aug 12 Dedication of Frederick Douglass' home in Washington, D.C. as national shrine
PGA Championship
Aug 18 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Oakmont CC: 20-year old US Open champion Gene Sarazen defeats Emmet French, 4 & 3 in the final
US Open Women's Tennis
Aug 19 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Germantown CC, PA: Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Helen Wills Moody 6-3, 6-1 for her 7th US singles crown
- Aug 20 1st Women's World Games (first track & field competition for women) is conducted over 1-day at the Pershing Stadium in Paris
Event of Interest
Aug 22 William T. Cosgrave replaces Michael Collins as Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State after the later was ambushed and killed in a shoot out with anti-Treaty forces
World Record 3000m
Aug 27 Paavo Nurmi runs world record 3000m (8:28.6)
- Aug 28 1st Walker Cup in Golf: US beats England 8-4
- Aug 28 Albert von Tilzer & Neville Fleesons musical "The Gingham Girl" premieres in NYC
- Aug 28 WEAF in NYC airs 1st radio commercial (Queensboro Realty-$100 for 10 mins)
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Arthur Hill, Canadian actor (Owen Marshall, Glitter), born in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2006)
- Aug 1 Frank Hauser, British theatrical director (Oxford Playhouse), born in Cardiff (d. 2007)
- Aug 1 Maria Cole [née Hawkins], American jazz singer and wife of Nat King Cole, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2012)
- Aug 1 Paul Lambert, American character actor (Executive Suite, Spartacus), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 1997)
- Aug 2 Lord Murray of Epping Forest [Lionel], British labour politician and union leader (General Secretary TUC), born in Hadley, Telford (d. 1984)
- Aug 2 Paul Laxalt, American politician (22nd Governor of Nevada), born in Reno, Nevada (d. 2018)
- Aug 3 Robert Sumner, American evangelist and author, born in Norwich, New York (d. 2016)
- Aug 4 Charley Harper, American modernist artist, born in Frenchton, West Virginia (d. 2007)
- Aug 5 L. Tom Perry, American religious leader (LDS apostle), born in Logan, Utah (d. 2015)
- Aug 6 Doug Ford, American golfer (PGA Championship 1955, US Masters 1957), born in West Haven, Connecticut (d. 2018)
- Aug 6 Freddie Laker, British airline entrepreneur (Laker airlines), born in Canterbury, England (d. 2006)
- Aug 8 Gertrude Himmelfarb, American conservative historian, born in New York City (d. 2019)
- Aug 8 Rory Calhoun [Francis Timothy McCown], American actor (Blue & Gray, How to Marry a Millionaire), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1999)
- Aug 8 Rudi Gernreich, Austrian-American fashion designer (monokini - 1st women's topless swimsuit), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1985)
- Aug 9 Philip Larkin, English poet and writer (North Ship, Jill), born in Radford, Coventry, Warwickshire, England (d. 1985)
- Aug 12 Fulton Mackay, Scottish actor and playwright (Porridge), born in Paisley (d. 1987)
- Aug 15 Lukas Foss [Fuchs], German-American pianist, conductor and composer (Prairie), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2009)
- Aug 16 Ernie Freeman, American musician (Raunchy), pianist and arranger, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1981)
- Aug 16 Louis Lomax, African-American author and journalist, born in Valdosta, Georgia (d. 1970)
- Aug 17 Paul Wiens, German writer, born in Königsberg, East Prussia (d. 1982)
- Aug 17 Roy Tattersall, English cricketer (brilliant England off-spinner early 50's), born in Bolton, England (d. 2011)
- Aug 18 Alain Robbe-Grillet, French novelist (Voyeur) and film maker, born in Brest, France (d. 2008)
- Aug 18 Eric William Hunter Christie, British lawyer and advocate for the Falkland Islands, born in Downe, England Kent (d. 1997)
- Aug 19 Douglas MacKenzie Davey, British occupational psychometrist (d. 1994)
- Aug 20 Tetsuzo Akutsu, Japanese surgeon who built the first artificial heart, born in Japan (d. 2007)
- Aug 22 Micheline Presle [Chassagne], French actress (Nea, Donkey Skin), born in Paris, France
- Aug 23 Brian Young, Chairman (Christian Aid), born in Sri Lanka (d. 2016)
- Aug 23 Eevi Huttunen, Finnish speed skater (8 World C'ship gold 1951-59), born in Karttula, Finland (d. 2015)
- Aug 23 George Kell, American Baseball HOF third baseman (10 x MLB All-Star; AL batting champion 1949; Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox), born in Swifton, Arkansas (d. 2009)
- Aug 23 Jack Boddy, British trade union leader, born in Norwich (d. 2004)
- Aug 23 Jean Darling, American child actress (Our Gang), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2015)
- Aug 23 Pierre Gauvreau, Canadian painter, television writer and producer, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2011)
Howard Zinn (1922-2010)
Aug 24 American historian and activist (A People's History of the United States), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 24 René Lévesque, Premier of Quebec, born in Campbellton, Canada (d. 1987)
- Aug 25 Ivry Gitlis, Israeli classical violin virtuoso, born in Haifa, Palestine Mandate (d. 2020)
- Aug 25 Ronnie Potsdammer, Dutch singer, songwriter and programmer, born in Hoogeveen, Netherlands (d. 1994)
- Aug 26 Irving R. Levine, American journalist (NBC News), born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (d. 2009)
- Aug 26 Jay Pritzker, American entrepreneur (co-founder of Hyatt hotels), philanthropist, founder of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1999)
- Aug 26 Lazar Nikolov, Bulgarian composer, born in Burgas, Bulgaria (d. 2005)
- Aug 29 Emile Habibi, Palestinian Israeli writer (The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist), born in Haifa (d. 1996)
- Aug 29 Mr. Blackwell, American fashion critic, born in Brooklyn Heights, New York (d. 2008)
- Aug 29 Yorgos Sicilianos, Greek composer, born in Athens (d. 2005)
- Aug 30 Lionel Murphy, Australian politician, born in Kensington, New South Wales, Australia (d. 1986)
- Aug 30 Regina Resnik, American mezzo-soprano (Sieglinde-Bayreuth), born in New York City (d. 2013)
Famous Divorces
Gloria Swanson
Aug 9 Actress Gloria Swanson (23) divorces businessman Herbert K. Somborn after almost 3 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Aug 1 Vaclav Juda Novotny, Czech music writer, composer, and libretti translator, dies at 72
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
Aug 2 Scottish-born British-American inventor (telephone), dies of diabetes complications at 75
- Aug 2 Mina Kruseman, Dutch author and feminist, dies at 82
Enver Pasha (1881-1922)
Aug 4 Turkish general, Ottoman Minister of War during World War I and part of the dictatorial triumvirate known as the "Three Pashas", dies in battle in the Soviet Union at 40
- Aug 5 Tommy McCarthy, American Baseball HOF outfielder (Boston Beaneaters, Philadelphia Quakers, St. Louis Browns), dies from cancer at 59
Arthur Griffith (1871-1922)
Aug 12 Irish writer and politician who founded Sinn Féin (President of Ireland 1922), dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 51
Michael Collins (1890-1922)
Aug 22 Irish revolutionary leader and leading figure in the struggle for Irish independence in the early 20th century, killed in ambush by anti-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War at 31
