What Happened in August 1941

Historical Events

  • Aug 1 Luftwaffe bombs German 23rd division
  • Aug 1 NY Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez sets MLB record for most walks in a shutout, issuing 11 in 9-0 win v St. Louis Browns
  • Aug 1 The first Jeep is produced
  • Aug 2 German 11st Army surrounds 20 Soviet divisions at Oeman
  • Aug 2 Jews are expelled from Hungarian Ruthenia
  • Aug 3 Gas (petroleum) sales limited in US
  • Aug 3 German troops conquer Roslavl USSR

Sports History

Aug 3 Joe DiMaggio goes 0-4 in Yankees 6-2 loss v St. Louis Browns, ending his on-base streak of 74 games, 2nd in MLB history

  • Aug 4 Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen becomes 1st MLB player to take 3 foul pop-ups in one inning (3rd) in 11-6 win v NY Giants

Event of Interest

Aug 4 Winston Churchill departs on Prince of Wales to US

  • Aug 6 Detroit Tigers pitcher Al Benton collects 2 sacrifices in an inning, a MLB record; wins 11-2 vs Cleveland Indians
  • Aug 7 551 Jews are shot in Kishnev ghetto in Romania
  • Aug 8 20 divisions of Soviet 6th/12th Army surrender at Oeman
  • Aug 9 Winston Churchill reaches Newfoundland for talks with FDR

Event of Interest

Aug 10 FDR & Churchill's 2nd meeting at Placentia, Newfoundland

Event of Interest

Aug 12 French Marshal Philippe Pétain gives full support to Nazi Germany

  • Aug 13 Red army evacuates Smolensk, Russia, as the German army advances
  • Aug 14 US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issue the joint declaration that later becomes known as the Atlantic Charter
  • Aug 15 Kovono Lithuanian Jews are herded into Slobodka ghetto
  • Aug 16 HMS Mercury, Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School opens at Leydene, near Petersfield, Hampshire, England.
  • Aug 17 German raider attacks Dutch SS Kota Nopan
  • Aug 18 German concentration camp Amersfoort opens
  • Aug 18 Phillies commit 8 errors in a baseball game

Sports History

Aug 19 Baseball umpire Jocko Conlan ejects Pirate manager Frankie Frisch for coming out on field holding an umbrella to get a rainout

Germany Invades the Soviet Union

Aug 19 Romania annexes the Transnistria territory from the Soviet Union after Operation Barbarossa

  • Aug 20 Police raid 11th district of Paris, takes 4,000+ Jewish males
  • Aug 22 Nazi troops reach Lenningrad
  • Aug 25 British & Soviet troops attack pro-German Iran
  • Aug 25 German troops conquer Nowgorod, Leningrad
  • Aug 27 WWII: British Royal Navy captures German U-boat U-570 on its maiden voyage; it is re-flagged as HMS Graph, and used by the British for nearly 2 years
  • Aug 28 8th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Chicago Bears 37, All-Stars 13 (98,203)
  • Aug 28 Last meeting of resistance fighter Comte d'Estienne d'Orves
  • Aug 29 German Einsatzkommando in Russia kills 1,469 Jewish children
  • Aug 30 St Louis Card Lon Warneke no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 2-0
  • Aug 30 Winston Churchill approves a nuclear programme (Tube Alloys), first national leader to do so
  • Aug 31 Great Gildersleeve, a spin-off of Fibber McGee & Molly debuts on NBC
1941 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Aug 1 Étienne Roda-Gil, French songwriter and screenwriter, born in Septfonds, Tarn-et-Garonne, France (d. 2004)
  • Aug 1 Ron Brown, American politician (US Secretary of Commerce, 1993-96; Democratic Party Chairman, 1989-93), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1996)
  • Aug 2 Doris Coley, American singer (The Shirelles), born in Goldsboro, California (d. 2000)
  • Aug 2 Homer Banks, American singer and songwriter (Be What You Are), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2003)
  • Aug 3 Beverly Lee, American pop singer (Shirelles - "Soldier Boy"), born in Passaic, New Jersey
  • Aug 3 Hage Geingob, Namibian politician (President of Namibia 2015-), born in Otjiwarongo, Namibia

Martha Stewart (82 years old)

Aug 3 American business magnate and TV personality who founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, born in Jersey City, New Jersey

  • Aug 4 Cliff Nobles American soul singer ("The Horse"), born in Grove Hill, Alabama (d. 2008)
  • Aug 4 Martin Jarvis, English actor, born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
  • Aug 4 Quincey Daniels, American boxer (Olympic bronze 1960), born in San Diego, California
  • Aug 4 Ted Strickland, American politician, Governor of Ohio (2007-2011), born in Lucasville, Ohio
  • Aug 5 Airto Moreira, Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist (Quarteto Novo, Miles Davis, Return to Forever), born in Itaiópolis, Brazil
  • Aug 5 Jan Gomola, Polish soccer goalkeeper (7 caps; Górnik Zabrze), born in Ustron, Poland (d. 2022)
  • Aug 5 Leonid Kizim, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz T-3, T-10, T-15), born in rasnyi Lyman, Soviet Union (d. 2010)
  • Aug 6 (Doris) "Sorrel" Hays, American pianist and composer (The Glass Woman), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2020)
  • Aug 6 Hubertus AGM "Bert" Andre, Dutch actor (Turkish Fruit-Come Back)
  • Aug 6 Lyle Berman, American poker player
  • Aug 6 Ray Culp, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1963, 69; Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox), born in Elgin, Texas
  • Aug 7 Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor and author (Mr. Olympia 1976, 81), born in Ollolai, Sardinia (d. 2019)
  • Aug 7 Howard Johnson, American jazz and session baritone saxophonist and tuba player (SNL band), born in Montgomery, Alabama
  • Aug 7 Ken Jones, Welsh rugby union centre (14 caps Wales, 6 British Lions; Cardiff RFC, London Welsh RFC, Barbarian FC), born in Cross Hands, Wales (d. 2022)
  • Aug 7 Thomas F. Hartnett, American politician (Rep-R-SC, 1981-86), born in Charleston, South Carolina
  • Aug 9 Dick Sheridan, American College Football HOF coach (Furman University, NC State University), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 2023)
  • Aug 9 Paul Lindblad, American baseball pitcher (World Series champion 1973-74, 78; Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics), born in Chanute, Kansas (d. 2006)
  • Aug 9 Viv Prince, British drummer (Pretty Things - "Honey I Need"), born in Loughborough, England
  • Aug 10 Anita Lonsbrough, English 200m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1960)
  • Aug 10 George Bellamy, English rocker (The Tornados), born in Sunderland, England
  • Aug 10 Kees van Kooten, Dutch TV host/founder (Simplistic Union)
  • Aug 11 Elizabeth Holtzman, Bkln DA (D-Rep-NY, Watergate Committee)
  • Aug 11 John Simon, American record producer (The Band), and singer-songwriter, born in Norwalk, Connecticut
  • Aug 11 Patricio Guzman, director/actor (Cruz del Sur, Moon over Parador)
  • Aug 12 Craig Douglas [Terence Perkins], British pop singer ("Only Sixteen"), born in Newport, England
  • Aug 12 Deborah Walley, American actress (Mothers-in-Law, Beach Blanket), born in Bridgeport, Connecticut
  • Aug 12 Jennifer Warren, American actress (Slap Shot, Fatal Beauty, Mutant), born in New York City
  • Aug 12 Réjean Ducharme, Quebec novelist and playwright
  • Aug 13 Erin Fleming, Canadian actress, born in New Liskeard, Ontario (d. 2003)
  • Aug 13 Jim Barnes, American basketball player (Olympic gold 1964), born in Tuckerman, Arkansas (d. 2002)
  • Aug 14 Connie Smith, American singer (Dream Painter, New Horizons), born in Elkhart, Indiana
  • Aug 14 David Crosby, American rock singer-songwriter (The Byrds, 1964-67 - "Eight Miles High"; Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Guinnevere"; "Wooden Ships"), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2023) [1]
  • Aug 14 Peter Truscott, New Zealand cricketer (one Test NZ v Pakistan 1965, 3 & 26), born in Pahiatua, Manawatu, New Zealand
  • Aug 15 Don Rich, American guitarist and country singer (Hee Haw), born in Olympia, Washington (d. 1974)
  • Aug 17 Boog Powell, American baseball player (AL MVP 1970), born in Lakeland, Florida

Ibrahim Babangida (82 years old)

Aug 17 Nigerian Head of State (1985–1993), born in Northern Region, British Nigeria

  • Aug 18 Christopher Jones, American actor (Wild in the Streets), born in Jackson, Tennessee (d. 2014)
  • Aug 18 Dennis Claridge, American football quarterback (NFL C'ship 1965, Green Bay Packers; Atlantic Falcons), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2018)
  • Aug 18 Matt Snell, American football running back (NY Jets, Super Bowl III), born in Garfield, Georgia
  • Aug 19 Christopher Cerf, American book editor, writer (National Lampoon), Emmy Award-winning television producer (Free To Be You and Me; Between the Lions), and Grammy Award-winning songwriter (Sesame Street - "Put Down the Duckie"; "Born To Add"), born in New York City
  • Aug 19 Milford Graves, American avant-garde and free jazz drummer, percussionist (New York Art Quartet), and educator (Bennington College, Vermont, 1973-2012), born in Jamaica, Queens, New York (d. 2021) [1]
  • Aug 20 Dave Brock, British progressive rock singer, and multi-instrumental musician (Hawkwind), born in Isleworth, Middlesex, England
  • Aug 20 Jo Ramírez, Mexican motor racing team manager and author, born in Mexico City
  • Aug 20 Rich Brooks, American football player and coach (University of Oregon 1977-94; St. Louis Rams 1995-96), born in Forest, California
  • Aug 20 Robin Oakley, British journalist and political editor (BBC 1998-2000, CNN 2000-08)

Slobodan Milošević (1941-2006)

Aug 20 President of Serbia (1991-97) and Yugoslavia (1997-2000), born in Pozarevac, Yugoslavia

  • Aug 20 Stevan Ostojić, Serbian soccer striker (2 caps Yugoslavia; Red Star Belgrade) and manager (RS Belgrade), born in Ostojićevo, Serbia (d. 2022)
  • Aug 20 William H. Gray III, American politician (Rep-D-PA, 1978-1991), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (d. 2013)
  • Aug 21 Alberto Mario González, Argentine soccer forward (19 caps; Unión Española Santiago, CA Boca Juniors, Atlanta Buenos Aires), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2023)
  • Aug 21 Howard Lew Lewis, English comedian and actor (Maid Marian and Her Merry Men and Brush Strokes), born in London (d. 2018)
  • Aug 21 Jackie DeShannon [Sharon Lee Myers], American singer-songwriter ("What the World Needs Now Is Love"; "When You Walk In The Room"), born in Hazel, Kentucky
  • Aug 21 Tom Coster, American rock and jazz keyboard player (Santana), born in Detroit Michigan
  • Aug 21 Tony Clarke, British rock musician and producer (Moody Blues), born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England (d. 2010) [1]

Bill Parcells (82 years old)

Aug 22 American NFL coach, 1993-2006, 2X Super Bowl wins (NY Giants, NE Patriots, NY Jets, Dallas Cowboys), born in Englewood, New Jersey

  • Aug 22 Hannspeter Winter, Austrian plasma physicist, born in Wels (d. 2006)
  • Aug 22 Howard Grimes, American soul music session drummer (Al Green; Ann Peeples), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2022)
  • Aug 22 Michael Aldrich, British inventor (online shopping), born in Brocket Hall, England (d. 2014)
  • Aug 22 Thomas Lovejoy, American conservation biologist who coined the term "biodiversity", born in New York City (d. 2021)
  • Aug 23 Gloria Ehret, American golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1966), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • Aug 23 Patrick Taylor, Irish-Canadian medical researcher, editor, and novelist (An Irish Country series), born in Bangor, Northern Ireland
  • Aug 23 Rafael Albrecht, Argentine soccer defender (39 caps; San Lorenzo, Club León), born in Tucumán, Argentina (d. 2021)
  • Aug 24 Ernest Wright Jr, American R&B vocalist (Imperials - "Tears On My Pillow"; "Goin' Out of My Head"), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Aug 25 Ludwig Müller, German soccer defender (6 caps; FC Nürnberg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hertha BSC), born in Haßfurt, Germany (d. 2021)
  • Aug 25 Mario Corso, Italian soccer winger (23 caps; Inter Milan 413 games) and coach (Lecce, Inter), born in Verona, Italy (d. 2020)
  • Aug 25 Shirley Carter Burden, patrician, born in Beverly Hills, California (d. 1996)
  • Aug 26 Akiko Wakabayashi, Japanese actress (You Only Live Twice), born in Tokyo, Japan
  • Aug 26 Barbet Schroeder, Iranian-Swiss director (Barfly, Single White Female, More), born in Tehran, Iran
  • Aug 26 Chris Curtis [Crummey], British rock drummer, songwriter and vocalist (The Searchers - "Needles And Pins"), born in Oldham, Lancashire (d. 2005)
  • Aug 27 Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean Grammy Award-winning morna singer (Voz d'Amor), known as "the Barefoot Diva", born in Mindelo, Cape Verde (d. 2011)
  • Aug 27 Harrison Page, American character actor (Sledge Hammer!; C.P.O. Sharkey), born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Aug 27 Yuri Vassilyevich Malyshev, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-2, T-11)
  • Aug 28 Paul Peter Plishka, American operatic bass (Bronx Botanical Gardens), born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania
  • Aug 29 Robin Leach, English TV host (Life Styles of Rich & Famous), born in London, England (d. 2018)
  • Aug 30 Ben Jones, American politician and actor (The Dukes of Hazzard), born in Tarboro, North Carolina
  • Aug 30 John McNally, English rock guitarist and vocalist (Searchers - "Needles And Pins"), born in Liverpool, England
  • Aug 30 Sue MacGregor, BBC 4 radio broadcaster (Woman's Hour), born in Oxford, England
  • Aug 31 Emanuel Nunes, Portuguese composer, born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 2012)
  • Aug 31 Henk Terlingen, Dutch radio and TV-host (Paul Meier Show), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1994)
  • Aug 31 William DeWitt, Jr., American businessman (Chairman of St. Louis Cardinals), born in St. Louis, Missouri
Born in 1941

Famous Weddings

Jackie Coogan

Aug 10 American actor Jackie Coogan (26) weds American actress Flower Parry in Gardnerville, Nevada; divorce in 1943

  • Aug 12 "I Love Lucy" actress Vivan Vance (32) weds actor Philip Ober (39)

Billie Holiday

Aug 25 American jazz singer Billie Holiday (26) weds American jazz trombonist Jimmy Monroe; divorce in 1947


Famous Deaths

  • Aug 2 Jose Juan Tablada, Mexican poet (el Florilegio), dies at 70

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Aug 7 Indian philosopher, poet, writer (Nobel Prize for Literature 1913), dies at 80

  • Aug 12 Bobby Peel, English cricket all-rounder (20 Tests, 3 x 50, 101 wickets, BB 7/31; Yorkshire CCC), dies at 84
  • Aug 14 Josef Jakobs, German spy, executed in Tower of London
  • Aug 14 Paul Sabatier, French chemist (Nobel 1912 - improving the hydrogenation of organic species in the presence of metals), dies at 86
  • Aug 14 Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Polish martyr (b. 1894)
  • Aug 23 Jack O'Connor, Australian cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 13 wickets, BB 5/40; NSW CA, SA CA), dies at 65
  • Aug 29 Henri Louis, French officer/resistance fighter, executed at 40
  • Aug 29 Jan Louis Guillaume Doornik, Dutch resistance fighter (Free French Forces), executed for treason by Nazi occupiers of France at 36
  • Aug 30 Peder Oluf Pedersen, Danish engineer and physicist, dies at 67
  • Aug 31 Marina Tsvetaeva, Russian poet (The Train of Life), committed suicide at 48