Historical Events
- Aug 1 Caroline Herschel becomes 1st woman to discover a comet
- Aug 15 French Cardinal de Rohan arrested in 'the affair of the diamond necklace'
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 15 Thomas De Quincey, English writer (Confessions of English Opium Eater), born in Manchester (d. 1859)
- Aug 19 Seth Thomas, American manufacturer and pioneer in the mass production of clocks, born in Wolcott, Connecticut (d. 1859)
- Aug 20 Oliver Hazard Perry, American Naval hero (Battle of Lake Erie), born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island (d. 1819)
Famous Deaths
- Aug 14 John William Fletcher, evangelist, dies
- Aug 17 Jonathan Trumbull, American politician and statesman, dies at 74
- Aug 21 Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor (Child with Cage, Mercury Fastening his Sandals), dies at 71
- Aug 26 George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, British soldier and politician (British Secretary of State for the Americas during War of Independence), dies at 69
Greatest Generation
Silent Generation
Baby Boomer
Generation X
Millennial
Generation Z