Historical Events
German History
Aug 2 Adolf Hitler becomes commander-in-chief of German armed forces
- Aug 2 William Franks twirls an indian club overhead 17,280 times in 1 hour
- Aug 3 Adolf Hitler merges the offices of German Chancellor and President, declaring himself "Führer" (leader)
- Aug 4 II British Empire Games open at London's White City Stadium
- Aug 6 US troops leave Haiti, which had been occupied since 1915
Event of Interest
Aug 7 US Court of Appeals upheld lower court ruling striking down government's attempt to ban controversial James Joyce novel "Ulysses"
- Aug 9 4th Women's World Games (track & field competition for women) is conducted over 3-days at the White City Stadium in London, England
Cricket Record
Aug 18 Don Bradman (244) and Bill Ponsford (205 no) put on 451 in world record partnership for Australia on Day 1 of 5th cricket Test win against England at the Oval
US Open Women's Tennis
Aug 18 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Helen Jacobs beats fellow American Sarah Palfrey Cooke 6-1, 6-3 for her third straight US singles title
- Aug 19 The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio
Cricket History
Aug 20 Australian cricket opening batsman Bill Ponsford is dismissed for 266 in his final Test match against England at The Oval; out for 22 in 2nd innings
- Aug 22 Australian cricket spin bowler Clarrie Grimmett takes 5-64 as England dismissed for 145 in 5th Test at The Oval; Australia wins by 562 runs to regain Ashes, 2-1
Life Begins at 8:40
Aug 27 Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg's musical "Life Begins at 8:40", starring Ray Bolger and Lulla Gear opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 237 performances
- Aug 31 1st NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Chicago Bears 0, All-Stars 0 (79,432)
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Hermann Baumann, German classical horn player, composer and teacher, born in Hamburg, Germany
- Aug 1 John Beck, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests; 3 x 50; top score 99; Wellington), born in Wellington, New Zealand (d. 2000)
- Aug 2 Albert Hall, American hammer throw athlete, born in Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (d. 2008)
- Aug 2 Carl Cecil Cain, American basketball player (Olympic gold 1956), born in Freeport, Illinois
- Aug 2 Valery Bykovsky, Soviet cosmonaut (Vostok 5, Soyuz 22, 31), born in Pavlovsky Posad, Russia (d. 2019)
- Aug 3 Haystacks Calhoun, American professional wrestler, born in McKinney, Texas (d. 1989)
- Aug 4 Dallas Green, baseball manager (Phillies, Yankees), born in Newport, Delaware (d. 2017)
- Aug 4 Jonas Savimbi, Angolan revolutionary politician and military leader who founded the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), born in Munhango, Bié, Portuguese Angola (d. 2002)
- Aug 4 Rutger Kopland [Rutger van den Hoofdakker], Dutch poet
- Aug 5 Vern Gosdin, American country singer ("Set 'Em Up Joe"), born in Woodland, Alabama (d. 2009)
- Aug 5 Wendell Berry, American poet, writer and farmer, born in Henry County, Kentucky
- Aug 6 Billy Boston, Welsh rugby league footballer
- Aug 6 John Storey Bonington, UK, mountain climber (Annapurna I in 1970)
- Aug 6 Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, UK, sci-fi author (Chthon, Phthor)
- Aug 8 Julian Dixon, American politician (Rep-D-California, 1979-2000), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2000)
- Aug 9 Cynthia Harris, American stage and screen actress (Edward & Mrs. Simpson; Mad About You - "Sylvia"), born in New York City (d. 2021)
- Aug 9 Yves Coppens, French anthropologist (co-discovered 'Lucy' skeleton), born in Vannes, France (d. 2022)
- Aug 10 James Carl Tenney, American composer, born in Silver City, New Mexico (d. 2006)
- Aug 11 Bob Hepple, South African-born academic and master of Clare College Cambridge, (d. 2015)
- Aug 12 Robin Nicholson, English metallurgist, born in Warwickshire, England
- Aug 13 Gary Davidson, American sports league founder (ABA, WHA, WFL)
- Aug 13 Leifur Thórarinsson, Icelandic composer, born in Reykjavík, Iceland (d. 1998)
- Aug 14 André Boniface, French rugby union outside back (48 Tests; Stade Montois Rugby; IRB HOF), born in Montfort-en-Chalosse, France (d. 2024)
- Aug 14 Robin McLaren, British ambassador (China)
- Aug 15 Georgy Garanian, Armenian-Russian jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer, born in Moscow, USSR (d. 2010)
- Aug 15 Nino Ferrer, French-Italian singer and composer (Mirza, Cornichons), born in Genoa, Italy (d. 1998)
- Aug 15 Reg Scarlett, West Indian cricket off-spinner (3 Tests 1960), born in Port Maria, St Mary, Jamaica (d. 2019)
- Aug 15 Valentin Varlamov, Russian cosmonaut, born in Sukhaya Tereshka, Russia (d. 1980)
- Aug 16 Angela Buxton, English tennis player (French C'ships, Wimbledon women's doubles 1956 [with Althea Gibson]), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2020)
- Aug 16 Diana Wynne Jones, British sci-fi author (Drowned Ammet; Witch Week), born in London, England (d. 2011)
- Aug 16 Ed van Thijn, Dutch politician (House of Representatives, 1977-82; Mayor of Amsterdam, 1983-94; Member of Senate, 1999-2007), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2021)
- Aug 16 John Standing, British actor (Lime Street - "Edward"), born in London, England
- Aug 16 Ketty Lester [Revoyda Frierson], American singer/actress (Love Letters), born in Hope, Arkansas
- Aug 16 Pierre Richard, French actor and director (The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe), born in Valenciennes, Nord, France
- Aug 16 Sam Trimble, cricketer (Queensland batsman, 12th man for Aust, no Test)
- Aug 18 Rafer Johnson, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1960), born in Hillsboro, Texas (d. 2020)
Roberto Clemente (1934-1972)
Aug 18 Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (15 x MLB All Star; World Series 1960, 71 [MVP]; Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Carolina, Puerto Rico
- Aug 18 Ronnie Carroll, British singer (Walk Hand in Hand), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2015)
- Aug 18 Vincent Bugliosi, American attorney and author (Helter-Skelter), born in Hibbing, Minnesota (d. 2015)
- Aug 19 Bill Cleary, American hockey HOF center, (Olympic gold 1960, silver 1956) and coach (Harvard University 1971-90), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Aug 19 David Durenberger, American politician, (US Sen-R-MN, 1978-95), born in St. Cloud, Minnesota (d. 2023)
- Aug 19 Michael Naura, German jazz pianist, radio broadcaster, editor and anti-nuclear proliferation activist, born in Memel, Lithuania (d. 2017)
- Aug 19 Renee Richards [Richard Rankind], American trans-sexual tennis player and coach (took USTA to court and won), born in New York City
- Aug 20 "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, American country-rock musician (Flying Burrito Brothers), born in South Bend, Indiana (d. 2007)
- Aug 20 Armi Kuusela, Finnish beauty queen (1st Miss Universe, 1952), born in Muhos, Finland
- Aug 21 Paul Panhuysen, Dutch composer, visual and sound artist, born in Maastricht, Netherlands (d. 2015)
- Aug 22 Diana Sands, American actress (Raisin in the Sun, Doctor's Wife), born in New York City
- Aug 22 John Chowning, American composer (Turenas), born in Salem, New Jersey
- Aug 22 Margaret Douglas, chief political adviser (BBC), born in London (d. 2008)
Norman Schwarzkopf (1934-2012)
Aug 22 US Army General and commander of coalition forces in the Gulf War, born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Aug 22 Ralph Mellanby, Canadian sportscaster / television producer (EP Hockey Night in Canada 1966-85; 5 x Emmy Awards various Olympic Games), born in Hamilton, Ontario (d. 2022)
- Aug 23 Christian "Sonny" Jurgensen, American NFL quarterback (Wash Redskins) and sportscaster, born in Wilmington, North Carolina
- Aug 23 Eduardo González Pálmer, Mexican soccer forward (4 caps; Club América), born in Maravatío, Mexico (d. 2022)
- Aug 23 Lojze Lebič, Slovenian composer (Myths and Apocrypha), peadagogue, and musicologist, born in Prevalje, Slovenia
- Aug 24 Kenny Baker, English actor (R2-D2 in Star Wars, Time Bandits), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2016)
- Aug 24 Roger Donald Dickerson, American pianist and composer (New Orleans Concerto), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Aug 25 Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 4th President of Iran (1989-97) and de facto commander-in-chief of the Iranian military during the Iran-Iraq War, born in Bahreman, Persia (d. 2017)
- Aug 25 Eddie Ilarde, Filipino disk jockey, television host and Senator, born in Iriga, Philippines
- Aug 25 John Stears, special effects expert (Dr No), born in Middlesex, England
- Aug 25 Lise Bacon, French Canadian politician, born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Canada
- Aug 25 Valery F. Bykovsky, USSR cosmonaut (Vostok V, Soyuz 22, 31/39), born in Pavlovsky Posad, Soviet Union
- Aug 26 Gordon Clough, English journalist (BBC Radio 4), born in Salford, England (d. 1996)
- Aug 29 David Pryor, American politician (Sen-D Arkansas, 1979-97), born in Camden, Arkansas
- Aug 29 Gene Allison, American R&B-singer ("You Can Make It If You Try"), born in Pegram, Tennessee (d. 2004)
- Aug 29 Jean-Pierre Guézec, French composer (Colorful Architectures), born in Dijon (d. 1971)
- Aug 29 John Guy, New Zealand cricketer (solid left-handed batsman for NZ in late 1950's), born in Nelson, New Zealand
- Aug 30 Baloo Gupte, Indian cricket leg spin bowler (3 Tests, 3 wickets; Bombay, Bengal, Railways), born in Bombay, India (d. 2005)
- Aug 30 Eric Schneider, Dutch actor (Drop Out, Family, Flanagan), born in Jakarta, Indonesia (d. 2022)
- Aug 31 Nikos Xanthopoulos, Greek actor, born in Athens, Greece (d. 2023)
Famous Deaths
- Aug 1 Piotr Maszyński, Polish composer, dies at 79
Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934)
Aug 2 German WW1 general and President of Germany (1925-34), dies of lung cancer at 86
- Aug 3 Carl Friedrich von Langen, German equestrian (Olympic gold 1928), dies after a fall from his horse at 47
- Aug 5 Neville Quinn, South African cricket fast bowler (12 Tests, 35 wickets), dies of heart failure at 26
- Aug 6 Hermann Glauert, British aerodynamicist, dies at 41
- Aug 8 Wilbert Robinson, American Baseball HOF catcher (Philadelphia A's, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals) and manager (Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Robins), dies at 71
- Aug 10 John Kane, Scottish-American primitivist painter (Self-Portrait), dies at 73
- Aug 12 Hendrik P. Berlage, Dutch architect (Stock exchange Amsterdam), dies at 78
- Aug 13 Mary Austin, American nature writer and early feminist (Land of Little Rain), dies at 65
- Aug 18 Delilah Beasley, American author and the 1st Black female newspaper columnist (Oakland Tribune, The Negro Trial-Blazers of California), dies of heart disease at 61
- Aug 28 Doris Ulmann, American photographer best known for her portraits of the people of Appalachia, dies aged 52
- Aug 30 Earnest L. Wolzogen, German writer (That tolle Komtess), dies at 79
