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What Happened in August 1949

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Historical Events

  • Aug 3 Basketball Association of America (BAA) & National Basketball League (NBL) merge to form National Basketball Association (NBA), Maurice Podoloff elected head of new league
  • Aug 3 Republic Indonesia proclaims cease fire
  • Aug 5 6.4 Earthquake strikes Tungurahua Province, Ecuador, killing 5,000 people
  • Aug 6 Future Hall of Famer Luke Appling appears in a MLB record 2,154th (en route to 2,218) game at shortstop for the Chicago White Sox
  • Aug 7 "All After Love" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 121 performances
  • Aug 8 Bhutan, land of Dragon, becomes an independent monarchy

Boxing Title Fight

Aug 10 Ezzard Charles TKOs Gus Lesnevich in 8 for heavyweight boxing title

Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion Ezzard Charles
  • Aug 10 US National Military Establishment renamed Depertment of Defense
  • Aug 11 10th Venice Film Festival: "Manon" directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot wins the Golden Lion (1st one)
  • Aug 11 1st Naples-Capri swim, 17 miles (27 km) (Giovanni Gambi)

Event of Interest

Aug 11 Gaston Eyskens forms Belgian government

Prime Minister of Belgium Gaston Eyskens
  • Aug 12 16th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Philadelphia 38, All-Stars 0 (93,780)
  • Aug 14 Military coup in Syria under colonel Sami Hinnawi
  • Aug 15 WOTV TV channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • Aug 18 Hungary adopts constitution
  • Aug 18 Ralph Flanagan & his Orchestra records "You're Breaking My Heart"
  • Aug 20 78,382 watch White Sox play Indians at Cleveland
  • Aug 20 Hungary (Magyar People's Republic) accepts constitution
  • Aug 20 Las Lajas Sanctuary, a basilica built inside the Guáitara River in Colombia, is completed after 33 years
  • Aug 21 Canada's largest earthquake since 1700 strikes the Queen Charlotte Fault below Haida Gwaii, at 8.1 magnitude it knocks cows off their feet [1]
  • Aug 21 Philadelphia fans cause A's to forfeit game when they riot over a trapped line drive by Rich Ashburn, Giants leading 4-2 in 9th declared winners
  • Aug 24 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) goes into effect
  • Aug 28 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: US takes trophy for third straight year with last day singles wins to Ted Schroeder and Pancho Gonzales; beat Australia, 4-1

Music History

Aug 28 Riot prevents Paul Robeson from singing near Peekskill, New York

Bass-Baritone Singer Paul Robeson
  • Aug 29 USSR performs its first nuclear test at Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR
  • Aug 30 Roly Jenkins (Worcs v Surrey) takes his 2nd hat-trick of the game
  • Aug 30 WTVN (now WSYX) TV channel 6 in Columbus, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
Events in 1949

Famous Birthdays

  • Aug 1 Keto Losaberidze, Georgian archer (Olympic gold USSR women's individual 1980; World C'ship gold team 1973, 81), born in Tqibuli, Georgia (d. 2022)
  • Aug 1 Kurmanbek Bakiyev, 2nd President of Kyrgyzstan (2005-10), born in Masadan, Kyrgyzstan
  • Aug 1 Nigel Finch, English TV director and film-maker, born in Tenterden, Kent (d. 1995)
  • Aug 2 "Fat" Larry James, American R&B drummer and bandleader (Fat Larry's Band), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1987)
  • Aug 2 Bertalan Farkas, Hungarian cosmonaut (Soyuz 36/35), born in Gyulaháza, Hungary
  • Aug 2 James Fallows, American writer and journalist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Aug 2 Madeleine Smith, English actress (Vampire Lovers), born in Sussex, England
  • Aug 3 Morris "B. B." Dickerson, American bassist (War - "Why Can't We Be Friends?"; "Low Rider"), born in Torrence, California (d. 2021)
  • Aug 3 Reed Waller, American comic book author (Omaha the Cat Dancer)
  • Aug 3 Valeri Vasiliev, Soviet ice hockey defenceman (2x Olympic gold), born in Gorky, Soviet Union (d. 2012)
  • Aug 4 John Riggins, NFL running back (NY Jets, Wash Redskins)
  • Aug 6 Alan Campbell, Northern Irish clergyman
  • Aug 6 Clarence Richard Silva, Catholic Bishop of Honolulu
  • Aug 6 Dino Bravo, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1993)
  • Aug 6 Joyce McKinney, Avery County NC, Miss Wyoming (1972)
  • Aug 7 Carlo Novi, Mexican songwriter and saxophone player (Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes), born in Mexico City (d. 2010)
  • Aug 7 Tim Renwick, British rock guitarist (Sutherland Brothers & Quiver), born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
  • Aug 7 Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese political leader, born in Moukhtara, Lebanon
  • Aug 8 Airrion Love, American singer (Stylistics - "16 Bars")
  • Aug 8 Bela Magyari, Hungarian cosmonaut
  • Aug 8 Keith Carradine, San Mateo California, actor (Young Guns, Pretty Baby)
  • Aug 8 Ricardo Londoño, Colombian racing driver
  • Aug 9 Brie Howard-Darling, American musician (Boxing Gandhis; Fanny), artist and cake designer, born in Stockton, California
  • Aug 9 Jonathan Kellerman, American writer (Alex Delaware novels), born in New York City
  • Aug 9 Ted Simmons, American Baseball HOF catcher (8 x MLB All Star; Silver Slugger Award 1980; St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves), born in Highland Park, Michigan
  • Aug 10 Gene Johnson, American country singer (Diamond Rio - "Meet in the Middle"), born in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania
  • Aug 11 Eric Carmen, American power pop singer songwriter (The Raspberries - "Go All The Way"; solo "All By Myself"), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2024) [1]
  • Aug 11 Ian Charleson, Scottish actor (Gandhi, Chariots of Fire), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Aug 11 Sandra Scheuer, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military, born in Youngstown, Ohio (d. 1970)
  • Aug 11 Tim Hutchinson, American politician (Rep-R-Arkansas 1997-2003), born in Bentonville, Arkansas
  • Aug 12 Anthony Akerman, South African film director and playwright, born in Durban, South Africa
  • Aug 12 Fernando Collor de Mello, Brazilian politician (President of Brazil (1990-92), born in Rio Janeiro, Brazil
  • Aug 12 Mark Knopfler, British singer-songwriter, guitarist (Dire Straits - "Walk Of Life"; "Sultans Of Swing"; The Notting Hillbillies), and film score composer (Local Hero; Princess Bride), born in Glasgow, Scotland
  • Aug 12 Panagiotis Chinofotis, Greek politician
  • Aug 13 Bobby Clarke, Canadian NHL player and coach (Philadelphia Flyer), born in Flin Flon, Manitoba
  • Aug 13 Cliff Fish, English bassist (Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"), born in Ripley, Derbyshire
  • Aug 13 Peter Visclosky, American politician (Rep-D-Indiana, 1985-2021), born in Gary, Indiana
  • Aug 13 Sheralee, American vocalist (Your Hit Parade, 1974-75), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • Aug 14 Bob Backlund, American pro wrestler (WWWF/WWF Heavyweight C'ship 1978-93, 1994; WWF Tag Team C'ship with Pedro Morales), born in Princeton, Minnesota
  • Aug 14 John Tarrant, 1st Australian born Zen teacher, born in Tasmania, Australia
  • Aug 15 Ann Ryerson, American actress (Pvt Carol Winter-Pvt Benjamin), born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
  • Aug 15 Beverly Burns, American pilot and 1st woman to captain a Boeing 747, born in Baltimore, Maryland
  • Aug 15 Carlien Brouwer, translator/missing since Jan 6, 1994
  • Aug 15 Kate Taylor, American singer and songwriter ("It's In His Kiss"), born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Aug 15 Richard Deacon, Welsh sculptor, born in Bangor, Wales
  • Aug 16 Bill "Sputnik" Spooner, American rock guitarist (The Tubes - "Talk To Ya Later"), born in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Aug 16 Naseeruddin Shah, Indian actor (Zinda Bhaag, Masoom, Paar), born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh
  • Aug 17 Norm Coleman, American politician (Senator(R)-Minnesota 2003-09), born in New York City
  • Aug 17 Sib Hashian, American rock drummer (Boston - "More Than A Feeling"), born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Aug 18 John O'Leary, Irish golfer (Irish Open 1982; Ryder Cup 1975; director European Tour 1985-2019), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2020)
  • Aug 18 Nigel Griggs, British rock bassist (Split Enz; Khan; Octopus), born in Hatfield, England
  • Aug 20 Alan Hardwick, English TV presenter, born in Staveley, Derbyshire, England
  • Aug 20 Katiana Balanika [Aikaterini Athaniti], Greek actress (On Air) and singer
  • Aug 20 Nikolas Asimos, Greek counter-culture composer and singer, born in Thessaloniki, Greece (d. 1988)
  • Aug 20 Norman Featherstone, South African cricketer, born in Que, Que, Southern Rhodesia
  • Aug 20 Phil Lynott, Irish rock singer and bass player (Thin Lizzy - "The Boys Are Back In Town"), born in West Bromwich, England. (d. 1986)
  • Aug 21 Loretta Devine, American actress (Boston Public), born in Houston, Texas
  • Aug 22 Alfred Musema, Rwandan genocidaire, born in Byumba, Rwanda
  • Aug 22 Diana Nyad, American journalist and long-distance swimmer (1st to swim Bahamas to Fla-1979), born in New York City
  • Aug 22 Doug Bair, American baseball player, born in Defiance, Ohio
  • Aug 22 Þórarinn Eldjárn, Icelandic writer (The Blue Tower), born in Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Aug 23 Christopher Blake, English actor (Alexa), born in Chingford, London
  • Aug 23 Geoff Capes, British shot putter, born in Holbeach, England
  • Aug 23 John Bauldie, British music journalist (The Telegraph (magazine); Q), born in Bolton, England (d. 1996)
  • Aug 23 Norah Ellen O'Neill, first woman pilot for Alaska Central Air (1974), born in Seattle, Washington
  • Aug 23 Rick Springfield [Springthorpe], Australian singer ("Speak to the Sky"; "Jessie's Girl") and actor (General Hospital, 1981-83 and 2004-08 - "Noah Drake"), born in Balmain, New South Wales
  • Aug 23 Shelley Long, American actress (Diane in Cheers, Money Pit), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Aug 23 Woody Paul [Paul Chrisman], American singer (Riders in the Sky), born in Nashville, Tennessee
  • Aug 24 Anna Lee Fisher [Tingle], American chemist, emergency physician and astronaut (STS 51-A), born in St Albans, New York
  • Aug 24 Joe Regalbuto, American actor (Knots Landing; Murphy Brown - "Frank"), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Aug 24 Stephen Paulus, American composer (To Be Certain of the Dawn) and co-founder of the American Composer's Forum, born in Summit, New Jersey (d. 2014)
  • Aug 25 (Reinhold) Mack, German audio engineer (Electric Light Orchestra) and record producer (Queen; Sparks), born in West Germany
  • Aug 25 Fariborz Lachini, Iranian film score composer, born in Tehran, Iran
  • Aug 25 Gene Simmons [Chaim Witz], Israeli-American rock bassist (KISS - "Rock and Roll All Nite"), born in Tirat Carmel, Israel
  • Aug 25 Henry Paul, American southern rock and county guitarist and singer (Outlaws - "Green Grass And High Tides"; Blackhawk), born in Kingston, New York
  • Aug 25 John Savage, American actor (The Deer Hunter; Maria's Lovers: The Onion Fields), born in Old Bethpage, New York
  • Aug 25 Martin Amis, British novelist (London Fields; The Rachel Papers), born in Oxford, England (d. 2023)
  • Aug 26 Bob Cowsill, American musician (The Cowsills - "Hair"; "We Can Fly"), born in Newport, Rhode Island
  • Aug 26 John Baldwin, American light middleweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1968), born in Detroit, Michigan
  • Aug 26 Leon Redbone [Dickran Gobalian], American blues and jazz musician ("Seduced"; "Theme to Mr. Belvedere"), born in Nicosia, Cyprus (d. 2019)
  • Aug 26 Virginia Vallejo, Colombian journalist, writer and TV presenter, born in Cartago, Colombia
  • Aug 27 Andrew McKay, conservative MP
  • Aug 27 Doug Tewell, American golfer (PGA Senior C'ship 2000, The Tradition 2001), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Aug 27 Edith Valckaert, Belgian violinist and educator, born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1992)
  • Aug 27 Jeff Cook, American country music guitarist, singer and fiddler (Alabama - "Mountain Music"), born in Fort Payne, Alabama (d. 2022)
  • Aug 28 Charles Rocket, American actor and comedian (Saturday Night Live), born in Bangor, Maine (d. 2005)
  • Aug 28 Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), born in New York City (d. 2016)
  • Aug 28 Hugh Cornwell, Britsh punk singer-songwriter (The Stranglers - "Dreamtime"), born in Tufnell Park, North London, England
  • Aug 28 Imogen Cooper, British concert pianist, born in North London, England
  • Aug 28 Martin Lamble, British folk-rock drummer (Fairport Convention, 1966-69), born in St. John's Wood, London, England (d. 1969)
  • Aug 29 Peter Wiegold, British composer (Earth & Stars; Kafka's Wound), born in Ilford, Essex, England
  • Aug 29 Stan Hansen, American pro wrestler, 1973-2001 (most successful gaijin in Japanese pro wrestling history), born in Knox City Texas
  • Aug 30 Christopher Collins, American actor (True Identity), voice actor (Cobra Commander-G.I. Joe) and comedian, born in Orange, New Jersey (d. 1994)
  • Aug 30 Don Boudria, Canadian politician (MP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell), born in Hull, Quebec, Canada
  • Aug 30 Peter Maffay, Romanian-German musician, born in Brașov, Romania
  • Aug 30 Ted Ammon, American financier and investment banker, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
  • Aug 31 Jim Fassel, American football coach (University of Utah 1985–89; New York Giants 1997-2003), born in Anaheim, California (d. 2021)

Richard Gere (74 years old)

Aug 31 American actor (Breathless, Cotton Club, Pretty Woman), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Richard Gere
  • Aug 31 Rick Roberts, American singer-songwriter (Flying Burrito Brothers; Firefall - "You Are The Woman"), born in Clearwater, Florida
Born in 1949

Famous Weddings

James Stewart

Aug 9 Film and stage actor Jimmy Stewart (41) weds former model Gloria Hatrick McLean (31) at the Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles

James Stewart

Francis Crick

Aug 11 Molecular biologist Francis Crick (33) weds artist Odile Speed (29)

Francis Crick

Angela Lansbury

Aug 12 Multi-Tony award-winning actress Angela Lansbury (23) weds actor and producer Peter Shaw (31) at St. Columba's Presbyterian Church of Scotland in London, England

Angela Lansbury

Famous Deaths

  • Aug 9 Edward Thorndike, American psychologist (father of modern educational psychology), dies at 74
  • Aug 9 Harry Davenport, American actor and director (Her Unborn Child, My Sin), dies at 83
  • Aug 11 Karl Weigl, Austrian-American pianist, composer (Apocalyptic Symphony), and educator, dies of bone marrow cancer at 68
  • Aug 14 Husni al-Barazi, premier of Syria, shot to death
  • Aug 14 Husni el-Zaim, president/dictator of Syria, shot to death

Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949)

Aug 16 American author (Gone With The Wind), dies at 48

Margaret Mitchell
  • Aug 17 Gregorio Perfecto, Filipino jurist (48th Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court) and politician, dies at 57
  • Aug 18 Paul J Mares, US jazz trumpetist/composer (Tin Roof Blues), dies at 49
  • Aug 21 Gerhard von Keussler, German composer, dies at 75
  • Aug 26 Nico van Suchtelen, Dutch writer and publisher, dies at 70
  • Aug 27 Arthur Chesney [Kellaway], British stage and screen character actor (The Lodger; Chelsea Life), dies of a stroke at 68
  • Aug 30 Arthur Fielder, English cricket fast bowler (6 Tests 1903-08), dies at 72
  • Aug 31 André-Louis Debierne, French chemist and physicist (discoverer of element actinium, worked with Marie Curie), dies at 75
  • Aug 31 Paul Höffer, German composer (Olympic Arts gold, 1936), dies at 53


What Happened in 1949

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