Historical Events
- Aug 1 KRCR TV channel 7 in Redding-Chico, California (ABC) begins broadcasting
- Aug 3 American sprinter Willie Williams sets 100m world record at 10.1 in Berlin, Germany
- Aug 4 German Wilhelm Herz becomes first to ride motorcycle at 200mph (210mph/338kph) at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
- Aug 4 Indonesia says it will not pay debts to the Netherlands
- Aug 4 Lee Petty dismounts car on lap 32, waves red flag to field because of dusty conditions at NASCAR Grand National at Tulsa, Oklahoma; race halted and never completed
- Aug 5 Belgian race car driver André Milhoux (27) runs in his only Grand Prix driving a Gordini T32 in Germany; forced to retire after 15 laps due to engine problem
- Aug 5 KUAM TV channel 8 in Agana, Guam (CBS/ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting
- Aug 5 WCYB TV channel 5 in Bristol-Kingsport, Virginia (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Aug 6 After going bankrupt in 1955, the American national broadcaster DuMont Television Network makes its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena
Sports History
Aug 7 51-year-old Satchel Paige (Miami Marlins) wins a game before the largest crowd in minor league history, 57,000 at Miami’s Orange Bowl; International League: Marlins 6-2 v Columbus Jets
Sports History
Aug 7 Boston Red Sox fine slugger Ted Williams $5,000 for spitting at heckling Boston fans, third incident in 3 weeks
- Aug 7 British government sends 3 aircraft carriers to Egypt
- Aug 7 Dynamite transport explodes in Colombia; about 1200 die
- Aug 8 Fire & explosion kill 263 miners at Marcinelle, Belgium
- Aug 8 WDIQ (now KMCT) TV channel 2 in Dozier, AL (PBS) begins
- Aug 9 1st state-wide state-supported educational TV network, Alabama
- Aug 9 South African women demonstrate against pass laws
- Aug 10 23rd NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Cleveland 26, All-Stars 0 (75,000)
- Aug 11 1st flight 4-motor Cessna 620
- Aug 12 KOTI TV channel 2 in Klamath Falls, OR (NBC/CBS) begins broadcasting
Don't Be Cruel
Aug 13 Elvis Presley releases music single "Don't Be Cruel"
- Aug 13 WBIR TV channel 10 in Knoxville, TN (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Aug 16 Adlai E Stevenson nominated as US Democratic presidential candidate
Sports History
Aug 16 MLB Cleveland Indians' Rocky Colavito hits his 1st grand slam, Cleveland 5, Tigers 4
- Aug 17 Federal Constitutional Court bans the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in West Germany
- Aug 17 One of the largest demonstrations in South Africa's history, 20,000 women marched to Pretoria's Union Buildings to present petition against carrying of passes by women to the Prime Minister
- Aug 18 Cincinnati Reds (8) & Cubs (2) combine to hit 10 HRs in a 9 inning game
- Aug 18 Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" reach #1 in the charts, staying for 11 weeks (a record for a single release) [1]
- Aug 20 Republicans convene at Cow Palace
- Aug 21 WTVW TV channel 7 in Evansville, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting
- Aug 22 Elvis Presley begins filming "Love Me Tender" (The Reno Brothers)
Presidential Convention
Aug 22 US President Eisenhower and VP Richard Nixon renominated by Republican convention in San Francisco
- Aug 24 1st non-stop transcontinental helicopter flight arrived Washington, D.C.
Sports History
Aug 25 To make room for Enos Slaughter, NY Yankees release Phil Rizzuto
- Aug 26 KREY TV channel 10 in Montrose, CO (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting
Sports History
Aug 26 Yankees announce purchase of outfielder Enos Slaughter from KC
- Aug 27 Curt Robert of Columbus (Intl League) hits 4 HRs in 7 inning game
- Aug 28 17th Venice Film Festival opens. No Golden Lion awarded
- Aug 28 Australia clings on for a draw in 5th Test at The Oval, London; England retain cricket Ashes with Jim Laker's 46 wickets a record series haul
- Aug 29 French government routes troops to Cyprus near Suez crisis
- Aug 30 Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opens in Louisiana, longest continuous bridge in the world
- Aug 30 USSR performs nuclear test (atmospheric tests)
- Aug 30 White mob prevents enrollment of blacks at Mansfield High School, Texas
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Doug Burgum, American businessman (Great Plains Software) and politician (Governor of North Dakota 2016-), born in Arthur, North Dakota
- Aug 1 Tom Leykis, American radio personality (The Tom Leykis Show), born in The Bronx, New York
- Aug 2 Fulvio Melia, Italian-American physicist, astrophysicist and author, born in Gorizia, Italy
- Aug 2 Isabel Pantoja, Spanish copia and Canción melódica singer (Genio y Figura), born in Seville, Spain
- Aug 3 Abhisit Vejjajiva, 27th Prime Minister of Thailand (2008-11), born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England
- Aug 3 Balwinder Sandhu, Indian cricket all-rounder (8 Tests; 22 ODIs), born in Mumbai, India
- Aug 3 Kirk Brandon, British punk rock and new wave singer-songwriter (Theatre of Hate; Spear of Destiny - Outland), born in Westminster, London
- Aug 3 Todd Christensen, American football tight end (Super Bowl XV, XVIII; First-team All-Pro 1983, 85, 86; 5 × Pro Bowl; Oakland/LA Raiders) and sportscaster (NBC Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports Network), born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
- Aug 4 Gerry Cooney, American boxer (5 x World Heavyweight title loser), born in Manhattan, New York
- Aug 5 Ferdi Bolland, Dutch singer, guitarist (Bolland & Bolland - "Spaceman"), songwriter, and record producer, born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Maureen McCormick (67 years old)
Aug 5 American actress (The Brady Bunch- "Marcia"), born in Encino, California
- Aug 6 Stepfanie Kramer, American actress (Claudia-We Got it Made, Hunter), born in Los Angeles, California
- Aug 7 Kent Rominger, American astronaut (STS 73, 80, 85), born in Del Norte, California
- Aug 8 Chris Foreman, British pop-ska guitarist (Madness - "Our House"; "It Must Be Love"), born in London
- Aug 8 David Grant, British pop-soul singer ("Stop & Go"; "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"), and televeion personality (Pop Idol), born in Hackney, London, England
- Aug 10 Charlie Peacock, American jazz and contemporary Christian music pianist, singer, songwriter, and record producer (The Civil Wars), born in Yuba City, California
- Aug 10 Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat, Australian tennis player (1977 Australian Open doubles winner and single finalist), born in Albury, New South Wales
- Aug 10 On Ka'a Davis, American experimental jazz guitarist and composer (Sun Ra Arkestra), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Aug 10 Tugboat [Fred Ottman], American WWF wrestler, born in Miami, Florida
- Aug 11 June Daugherty, American women's college basketball coach (Boise State Uni, Uni of Washington, Washington State University), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 2021)
- Aug 11 Pierre-Louis Lions, French mathematician
- Aug 12 Bruce Greenwood, Canadian actor (Thirteen Days), born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
- Aug 12 Sidath Wettimuny, Sri Lanka cricket batsman (23 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 190; Sri Lanka's first Test century [157] 1982), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Aug 14 Adele Sebastian, American jazz flute player and vocalist (The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra), born in Riverside, California (d. 1983)
- Aug 14 Rusty Wallace, American auto racer (NASCAR Winston Cup 1989; NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year 1984) and broadcaster (ESPN, ABC), born in Arnold, Missouri
- Aug 14 Sharon Bryant, American vocalist (Atlantic Starr), born in Westchester County, New York
- Aug 15 Lorraine Desmarais, French Canadian jazz pianist and composer, born in Montreal, Quebec
- Aug 15 Peter-John Vettese, Scottish keyboardist (Jethro Tull, 1982-89), songwriter, arranger, and producer, born in Scotland, United Kingdom
- Aug 15 Vinny Denunzio, American drummer (The Feelies), born in New Jersey
- Aug 16 Colleen Walker, American golfer (du Maurier Classic 1997), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2012)
- Aug 16 Daniel Willems, Belgian cyclist
- Aug 16 Dominic Erban, French rugby international player
- Aug 17 Álvaro Pino, Spanish cyclist, born in Ponteareas, Spain
- Aug 17 Gail Berman, American film executive, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 18 John Debney, American Emmy Award-winning TV, film, and orchestral composer (The Passion of the Christ; Elf; Garry Marshall films; The Abrahamic Symphony), born in Glendale, California
- Aug 18 Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, American drummer, songwriter (Weird Al Yankovic), and web designer, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 18 Sandeep Patil, Indian cricketer (Indian batsman Great 174 v Adelaide 1981), born in Mumbai, India
- Aug 19 Adam Arkin, American actor (Busting Loose; Pearl; Northern Exposure - "Adam"), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 19 Cindy Nelson, American skier (Olympic bronze 1976)
- Aug 20 Alvin Greenidge, West Indian cricketer (WI opener, no relation to Gordon or Geoff), born in Bath Village, Christ Church, Barbados
- Aug 20 Joan Allen, American actress (Peggy Sue Got Married, Tucker, In Country), born in Rochelle, Illinois
- Aug 20 Rick Olsen, American rock guitarist (Berlin - "Take My Breath Away")
- Aug 21 Jon Tester, American politician (Senator-D-Montana 2007-), born in Havre, Montana
Kim Cattrall (67 years old)
Aug 21 British Canadian actress (Mannequin, Sex and the City), born in Liverpool, England
- Aug 22 Jeffrey Lloyd, South African jockey based in Australia, born in Durban, South Africa
Paul Molitor (67 years old)
Aug 22 American Baseball HOF infielder (7 x MLB All-Star Milwaukee Brewers; World Series MVP 1993 Toronto Blue Jays) and manager (Minnesota Twins 2015-18), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Aug 22 Peter Taylor, Australian cricketer (Australian off-spinner 1987-92), born in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Aug 23 Andreas Floer, German mathematician (Floer homology), born in Duisburg, Germany (d. 1991)
- Aug 23 David Wolf, American astronaut (STS 58, sk: 89/91), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Aug 23 Skipp Sudduth, American actor (Third Watch), born in Wareham, Massachusetts
- Aug 23 Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, Norwegian politician, born in Kvam, Norway
- Aug 24 John Culberson, American attorney and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas), born in Houston, Texas
- Aug 24 Kile Smith, American contemporary orchestral and choral composer (The Arc in the Sky), and podcaster (Fleisher Discoveries), born in Camden, New Jersey [1]
- Aug 25 Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally driver (3 x World Rally C'ship round wins for Talbot, Opel, Porsche, Lancia), born in Jyväskylä, Finland (d. 1986)
- Aug 25 Matt Aitken, English songwriter and rocker (Stock Aitken & Waterman-Road Block), born in Coventry, England
- Aug 26 Maneka Gandhi, Indian politician and activist, wife of Sanjay Gandhi, born in Delhi, India
- Aug 26 Mark Mangino, American football coach, born in New Castle, Pennsylvania
- Aug 26 Sally Beamish, British violist and composer (Monster; River; The Singing; Spinal Chords), born in London, England
- Aug 27 Constantine Orbelian, American pianist and conductor (Moscow Chamber Orchestra, 1991-2010; Kaunas City Symphony, 2014-present; New York City Opera, 2021-present), born in San Francisco, California
- Aug 27 Glen Matlock, British punk rock bassist (The Sex Pistols; The Philistines), born in Paddington, London
- Aug 28 Beverley Goddard-Callender, English track and field athlete (Olympic bronze 1980, 84), born in Barbados
- Aug 28 Luis Guzmán, Puerto Rican actor (The Limey), born in Cayey, Puerto Rico
- Aug 29 (Jesus Christ) "G.G." Allin, American punk rock singer, born in Lancaster, New Hampshire (d. 1993)
- Aug 30 Jayne Irving, English TV hostess (Live at 3), born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire
- Aug 31 Masashi Tashiro, Japanese television performer
Tsai Ing-wen (67 years old)
Aug 31 Taiwanese politician, academic and 7th President of the Republic of China (Democratic Progressive Party: 2016-), born in Taipei, Taiwan
Famous Weddings
Shirley Jones
Aug 5 American actress-singer Shirley Jones (22) weds film and stage actor-singer Jack Cassidy (29); divorce in 1975
William Shatner
Aug 12 Canadian "Star Trek" actor William Shatner (25) weds Gloria Rand; divorce in 1969
- Aug 14 Writer Iris Murdoch (37) marries academic John Bayley (31)
Christopher Plummer
Aug 19 Actor Christopher Plummer (26) weds actress Tammy Grimes (22) at Cherokee Castle in Sedalia, Colorado
Archie Moore
Aug 21 Boxing champ Archie Moore (42) weds model Joan Hardy in Ensenada, Mexico
Sidney Lumet
Aug 27 Socialite Gloria Vanderbilt (32) weds "12 Angry Men" director Sidney Lumet (32)
Famous Deaths
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
Aug 11 American expressionist painter (Lavender Mist), dies at 44 in a car accident in East Hampton
- Aug 13 Harry Donnan, Australian cricketer (5 Tests for Australia 1891-96), dies at 91
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
Aug 14 German poet and playwright (Mother Courage), dies of a heart attack at 58
Bela Lugosi (1882-1956)
Aug 16 Austrian actor (Dracula, Plan 9 From Outer Space), dies of a heart attack at 73
- Aug 24 Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (Ugetsu), dies of leukemia at 58
- Aug 25 Alfred Kinsey, American entomologist and sexologist (Kinsey Report), dies from a heart ailment and pneumonia at 62
- Aug 26 Alfred Wagenknecht, German-born American activist, dies at 75
- Aug 30 Anita Donostia [Jose Antonio de Donostia], Spanish composer, musicologist and priest, dies at 70
