Historical Events
- Aug 1 Japanese city Toyama destroyed by B-29's
Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Aug 2 After 3½ days suffering exhaustion, lack of water and shark attacks in the Philippine Sea, the surviving crew of USS Indianapolis are spotted by Wilbur “Chuck” Gwinn, a PV-1 Ventura pilot on a routine sector search. 316 had survived.
Potsdam Conference
Aug 2 Potsdam Conference between Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill (replaced by Clement Attlee after losing the 1945 general election) ends
Golf Tournament
Aug 4 American golfer Byron Nelson wins Canadian Open at Uplands & Thornhill CC for a record 11th consecutive PGA victory, on way to record season tally of 18
- Aug 4 Red Sox outfielder Tom McBride drives in MLB record tying 6 runs in an inning (4th) during 15-4 win v Washington
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Aug 6 Atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the US B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay"
Cricket History
Aug 6 Australian Test cricket all-rounder Keith Miller scores 110 not out for Australian Services on Day 1 of drawn 4th Victory Test against England at Lord's
- Aug 8 England & Australian Services draw 4th Victory Test
United Nations Charter
Aug 8 President Harry Truman signs the United Nations Charter
Nuremberg Trials
Aug 8 US, USSR, Britain and France sign Treaty of London which sets down procedures for the Nuremberg war trials of Nazi leaders
- Aug 8 USSR declares war against Japan in WW II
- Aug 8 USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea
Nuclear Bombing of Nagasaki
Aug 9 US drops second atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan, destroying part of the city
Event of Interest
Aug 14 Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh movement launch a coordinated uprising against French rule across Vietnam following the Japanese surrender
Potsdam Declaration
Aug 14 Japanese government notifies the Allies that it had accepted the Potsdam Declaration
Victory over Japan
Aug 14 V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II (also August 15 depending on time zone)
- Aug 15 A riot ensues in San Francisco while the city is celebrating the end of WW II
- Aug 15 Chandler sells World Series radio rights for $150,000 to Gillette, Ford had been World Series sponsor since 1934, pay $100,000 annually
- Aug 15 US wartime rationing of gasoline & fuel oil ends
- Aug 15 Victory over Japan Day, the Japanese surrender and the end of WWII is announced in Japan (due to time zones 14th Aug in the Americas)
- Aug 15 World War II: Korean Liberation Day
- Aug 16 Puyi, the last Chinese Emperor and ruler of Manchukuo is captured by Soviet troops
- Aug 17 Korea is divided into North and South Korea along the 38th parallel
Sports History
Aug 19 Phillies Jimmie Foxx, 37, pitches 1st 7 innings vs Reds & wins
- Aug 20 17-year-old Dodgers utility Tommy Brown becomes youngest player to hit a MLB home run in Brooklyn's 11-1 rout of Pittsburgh Pirates at Ebbets Field
- Aug 20 Soviet troops occupy Harbin & Mukden
- Aug 21 US President Harry Truman ends Lend-Lease program
- Aug 22 Bob Cristofani scores 110 for Aust Services at Old Trafford
Music History
Aug 22 Noël Coward's revue "Sigh no More" premieres in London
- Aug 22 Vietnam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh leads a successful coup
Baseball History
Aug 24 MLB Cleveland Indians ace Bob Feller returns from serving in the US Navy and strikes out 12
Occupation of Japan
Aug 29 General MacArthur named Supreme Commander of Allied Powers in Japan
- Aug 30 12th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Green Bay 19, All-Stars 7 (92,753)
Music History
Aug 30 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 9th Symphony
- Aug 30 Hong Kong liberated from Japanese control
- Aug 30 US General Douglas MacArthur lands in Japan
Liberal Party Founded
Aug 31 The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Douglas Osheroff, American physicist (Nobel 1996), born in Aberdeen, Washington
- Aug 2 Alex Jesaulenko, Australian rules footballer, born in Salzburg, Austria
- Aug 2 Eric Simms, Australian rugby league fullback (8 Tests; NSWRL points record [1,841] stood until 1983; South Sydney), born in Karuah, Australia
- Aug 2 Jewell Jackson McCabe, American feminist and social and political activist who led the National Coalition of 100 Black Women movement in the 1970s, born in Washington, D.C.
- Aug 2 Joanna Cassidy [Caskey], American actress (Blade Runner; Under Fire; Six Feet Under), born in Haddonfield, New Jersey
- Aug 2 John Bowis, British MP (C), born in Brighton, East Sussex
- Aug 2 John T. Ward Jr., American racehorse trainer (Kentucky Derby 2001 Monarchos; Breeders' Cup Distaff 1999 Beautiful Pleasure), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 2021)
- Aug 3 Eamon Dunphy, Irish footballer, born in Dublin, Ireland
- Aug 3 Ron Hendren, American TV host (Entertainment Tonight), born in Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Aug 4 John Qace Hardbattle, political activist
- Aug 5 Ja'net Dubois, American actress (Good Times, Beverly Hill 90210), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 5 Jo Collins, American Playboy playmate (Dec, 1964, Playmate of the Year 1965), born in Lebanon, Oregon
- Aug 5 Loni Anderson, American actress (WKRP in Cincinnati - "Jennifer"), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Aug 6 Andy Messersmith, American baseball player
- Aug 6 John Kongos, South African singer and songwriter ("He's Gonna Step On You Again"), born in Johannesburg
- Aug 6 Ron Jones, British TV director (d. 1995)
- Aug 7 Alan Page, American football defensive tackle (NFL MVP 1971; 6×First-team All-Pro; 9×Pro Bowl; Minnesota Vikings) and Associate Justice Minnesota Supreme Court (1993–2015), born in Canton, Ohio
- Aug 7 Kerry Chater, Canadian musician (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - "Young Girl") and Nashville songwriter, born in Vancouver, British Columbia (d. 2022)
- Aug 7 Patrice Mestral, French composer, born in Paris, France
- Aug 9 Posy Simmonds, English cartoonist (Gemma Bovery), born in Berkshire, England
- Aug 10 Gary Blair, American Basketball HOF coach (Texas A&M Aggies women 2003-22; NCAA National C'ship 2011; 23 x NCAA Tournament appearances; Uni of Arkansas), born in Dallas, Texas
- Aug 10 Harriet Miers, American lawyer (White House counsel to George W. Bush), born in Dallas, Texas
- Aug 10 Harry Thomas, Dutch founder (Schlager Festival Gay Party)
- Aug 10 Larry Larden, American rocker (Every Mother's Son), born in New York City
- Aug 12 Ron Mael, American songwriter, composer and record producer (Sparks), born in Culver City, California
- Aug 13 Howard Marks, British drug dealer and author (Mr Nice), born in Kenfig Hill, Wales (d. 2016)
- Aug 13 Lars Engqvist, Swedish politician (Minister of Health and Social Affairs), born in Sala, Sweden
- Aug 13 Robin Jackman, English cricket seam bowler (4 Tests, 14 wickets; 15 ODIs; Surrey CCC), born in Simla, India (d. 2020)
- Aug 14 Brenda Benet, American actress (Lee-Days of Our Lives, Beach Ball), born in Hollywood, California
- Aug 14 Jennifer d'Abo, British entrepreneur (Ryman, Moyses Stevens)
Steve Martin (78 years old)
Aug 14 American comedian, banjo player, author and actor (Parenthood; The Jerk; Roxanne), born in Waco, Texas
- Aug 14 Tony Scannel, Irish actor (Bill, Blue Money), born in Kinsale, Ireland
- Aug 14 Wim Wenders, German filmmaker (American Friend, Hammett), born in Düsseldorf, Germany
- Aug 15 Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991-96 and 2001-06), born in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
- Aug 15 Gene Upshaw, American NFL guard (Oakland Radiers) and NFLPA leader, born in Robstown, Texas (d. 2008)
- Aug 15 Thomas C. Sawyer, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio), born in Akron, Ohio
- Aug 16 Bob Balaban, American actor and director (2010, Girlfriends, Gosford Park), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Gary Loizzo, American rock guitarist and singer (American Breed - "Bend Me, Shape Me"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016)
- Aug 16 Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, British rock drummer (Easybeats - "Friday On My Mind"), born in Liverpool, England
- Aug 16 Kevin Ayers, British progressive rocker (Soft Machine; Joy of a Toy), born in Herne Bay, Kent, England (d. 2013)
- Aug 16 Suzanne Farrell, American ballerina (Don Quioxote), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aug 17 Héctor Sanabria, Mexican soccer defender (7 caps; UNAM Pumas 1965-78) and manager (UNAM Pumas, CD Toluca, CD Veracruz), born in Mexico City, Mexico (d. 2024)
- Aug 17 Katri-Helena, Finnish singer, born in Tuupovaara, Finland
- Aug 18 Barbara Harris, American pop singer (The Toys -"A Lover's Concerto"), born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
- Aug 18 Sarah Dash, American pop, R&B, and disco singer (Patti LaBelle & Bluebirds; Labelle - "Lady Marmalade"), born in Trenton, New Jersey (d. 2021)
- Aug 19 Ian Gillan, English heavy metal and rock singer (Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"; Jesus Christ Superstar), born in London
- Aug 21 Basil Poledouris, American film score composer (The Hunt For Red October), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2006)
- Aug 21 Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player, born in Oceanside, California
- Aug 21 Patty McCormack, American actress (Mama, Peck's Bad Girl, Ropers), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 22 Derek Fatchett, British Labour politician, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England (d. 1999)
- Aug 22 Erol Gelenbe, Turkish computer scientist and mathematician, born in Istanbul, Turkey
- Aug 22 James G Richardson, actor (Tim Cassidy-Sierra), born in Gainesville, Florida
- Aug 22 Ron Dante, American rock vocalist (Archies - "Sugar, Sugar"), and producer (Barry Manilow), born in Staten Island, New York
- Aug 22 Steve Kroft, American journalist and longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes, born in Kokomo Indiana
- Aug 23 Rayfield Wright, American Pro Football HOF offensive tackle (Super Bowl 1971, 77; 3 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Griffin, Georgia (d. 2022)
- Aug 23 Rita Pavone, Italian-Swiss pop singer ("La partita di pallone"), born in Turin, Italy
- Aug 24 (Malcolm) "Molly" Duncan, Scottish saxophonist (Average White Band, 1972-83 - "Pick Up the Pieces"), born in Montrose, Scotland (d. 2019)
- Aug 24 Ken Hensley, British rock songwriter, keyboardist, and singer (Uriah Heep, 1970-80 - "Easy Livin'"; Blackfoot, 1982-84), born in Plumstead, England (d. 2020)
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
Aug 24 African-American gay liberation and AIDS activist, drag queen, and transgender pioneer (Gay Liberation Front, S.T.A.R.), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Aug 24 Ronee Blakley, American actress (Nashville), and singer-songwriter, born in Nampa, Idaho
- Aug 24 Vince McMahon, American professional wrestling promoter, born in Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Aug 25 Martha Veléz, American singer-songwriter ("Living Outside the Law"), actress, and playwright (Power of the Powerless), born in New York City
- Aug 26 Melvin Watt, American politician (Rep-D-North Carolina 1993-2014), born in Steele Creek, North Carolina
- Aug 26 Tom Ridge, American politician, (1st US Secretary of Homeland Security, Rep-R-Pennsylvania), born in Munhall, Pennsylvania
- Aug 28 Bob Segarini, American musician and radio personality, born in Stockton, California
- Aug 28 Bruno Nuytten, French film director (Camille Claudel), born in Melun, Île-de-France, France
- Aug 28 Jim Lynch, American College Football HOF linebacker (Notre Dame; AFL–NFL World C'ship Game 1970; Kansas City Chiefs), born in Lima, Ohio (d. 2022)
- Aug 29 Chris Copping, British rock bassist and organist (Procol Harum, 1969-77), born in Middleton, Lancashire, England
- Aug 29 Wyomia Tyus, American 100m runner (Olympic gold 1964, 68), born in Griffin, Georgia
- Aug 30 David Schiff, American composer, born in New York City
- Aug 30 Fred Tackett, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Little Feat, 1988-2012), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Aug 31 Bob Welch, American rock vocalist, guitarist (Fleetwood Mac), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2012)
- Aug 31 Donyale Luna [Peggy Ann Freeman], American model and actress "the first Black supermodel", born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1979) [1]
- Aug 31 Itzhak Perlman, Israeli Grammy Award-winning violinist, and polio survivor, born in Tel Aviv, Israel
- Aug 31 Leonid Popov, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 35/37, 40, T-7), born in Oleksandriia, Ukrainian SSR. Soviet Union
Van Morrison (78 years old)
Aug 31 Northern Irish singer-songwriter (Astral Weeks; "Moondance"; "Brown-Eyed Girl"), born in Bloomfield, Belfast
Famous Weddings
Louis B. Mayer
Aug 19 American actor Dick Powell (40) weds his third wife, American actress June Allyson (27), until his death in 1963; MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer reluctantly gave the bride away
Famous Deaths
- Aug 2 Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, Austrian composer (Donna Diana), dies at 85
- Aug 2 Pietro Mascagni, Italian opera composer (Cavalleria Rusticana), dies at 81
- Aug 6 Hiram Johnson, American progressive politician, US Senator, Governor of California (1911-17), dies at 78
- Aug 6 Prince Wu of Korea (b. 1912)
- Aug 9 Harry Hillman, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 200/400m hurdles 1904; silver 400m hurdles 1908), dies of coronary thrombosis at 63
Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945)
Aug 10 American rocket pioneer (invented and built the first liquid-fueled rocket), dies of throat cancer at 62
- Aug 15 Korechika Anami, Japanese War Minister (who opposed surrender in WWII), commits suicide a day after signing Japan's surrender at 58
- Aug 16 Nico Richter, Dutch composer, dies at 29
- Aug 16 Takijiro Ohnishi, led Japanese kamikaze pilots (harakiri), dies
- Aug 17 Gino Marinuzzi, Sr., Italian opera conductor (Wagner; Puccini), and composer (Symphony in A), dies at 61
- Aug 17 Pater Bleijs [Louis], Dutch catholic priest and resistance fighter in WWII, dies in car accident at 39
- Aug 18 Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian revolutionary and nationalist, dies of injuries from a plane crash at 48
- Aug 19 Tomas Burgos, Chilean philanthropist (founder of Villa Lo Burgos), dies at 69
- Aug 20 Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian writer, dies at 73
- Aug 22 Ida Henrietta Hyde, American physiologist who invented the micro-electrode and the first woman allowed to do research at Harvard Medical School and to be elected to the American Physiology Society, dies at 87
- Aug 25 John Birch, American intelligence officer and missionary (b. 1918)
- Aug 25 Willis Augustus Lee, American World War II admiral (Guadalcanal) and sport shooter (5 Olympic golds 1920), dies of a heart attack at 57 while being ferrying him out to his flagship USS Wyoming off the coast of Maine
- Aug 26 Franz Werfel, Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet (Mirror Man, The Forty Days of Musa Dagh), dies at 54
