Historical Events
- Aug 1 Charles Whitman wounds 31 and kills 16 at University of Texas
Coup d'état
Aug 1 Yakubu Gowon becomes Nigerian Head of State after a military coup d'état
- Aug 2 Radio Vila (New Hebrides) begins transmitting
- Aug 3 South African government bans records by The Beatles
- Aug 4 8th British Empire Games & Commonwealth Games open in Kingston, Jamaica; first Games held outside 'White Dominions'
- Aug 5 33rd NFL Chicago College All-Star Game: Green Bay 38, All-Stars 0; 72,000 at Soldier Field
Event of Interest
Aug 5 Martin Luther King Jr. stoned during Chicago march
- Aug 5 The Beatles release single "Yellow Submarine" with "Eleanor Rigby" in the UK
- Aug 5 The Beatles release their "Revolver" album in the UK
- Aug 5 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
Cricket History
Aug 5 West Indies cricket captain Garfield Sobers scores 174 including a century between lunch & tea to set up a 4th Test win v England at Headingley
Boxing Title Fight
Aug 6 Muhammad Ali knocks out English boxer Brian London in round 3 at Earl's Court in London to retain his undisputed world heavyweight title
- Aug 6 Salazarbrug over Tag opens (longest suspension bridge in Europe)
- Aug 6 US citizens demonstrate against war in Vietnam
- Aug 7 Race riot in Lansing Michigan
South Africa Bans the Beatles
Aug 8 South African Broadcasting bans the playing of all Beatles songs due to John Lennon's remark that the band was "more popular than Jesus"
- Aug 9 The Beatles release their "Yellow Submarine" single and its album "Revolver" in the US
- Aug 10 NASA launches Lunar Orbiter 1 to the Moon to photograph the lunar surface
- Aug 11 The Beatles arrive in Chicago, Illinois for their third (and final) US tour
- Aug 12 Last Beatle concert tour of North America begins with two shows at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 12 Longview, Texas radio station KLUE holds a "Beatles Bonfire" to burn Beatles records and memorabilia; station is struck by lightning the following day
- Aug 12 The Beatles hold press conference at the Astor Tower Hotel, in Chicago, Illinois; John Lennon apologizes for his "more popular than Jesus" remark
- Aug 13 Longview, Texas radio station KLUE is struck by lightning the day after holding a "Beatles Bonfire", knocking an engineer unconscious and causing extensive damage to equipment
- Aug 14 1st US lunar orbiter begins orbiting Moon
- Aug 14 Cleveland Stadium's 1st rock concert: The Beatles headline; fans break through barriers and rush stage causing a 30-minute delay while order is restored
- Aug 15 Puerto Rican champion José Torres beats American Eddie Cotton on points in Las Vegas to retain the WBC/WBA light-heavyweight boxing title
- Aug 15 Radio Free Asia (South Korea) begins radio transmission
- Aug 16 The Beatles in concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; their second and final show in the city
- Aug 17 NASA satellite Pioneer 7 launched into solar orbit
Baseball Record
Aug 17 Willie Mays takes 2nd place on all-time HR list
- Aug 19 Beatles pelted with rotten fruit and firecrackers during concert at Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee; Ku Klux Klan demonstrated outside the show and burned records
- Aug 19 Earthquake strikes Varto region in eastern Turkey with 6.8 magnitude killing around 2,400
- Aug 21 1st concert at Busch Memorial Stadium: (St. Louis, Missouri): The Beatles headline; it is their second show of the day, having played in the afternoon 341 miles away in Cincinnati, Ohio after getting rained out on the night before
- Aug 21 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Rainbow Springs CC; Mickey Wright wins her 13th and final major title by 1 from Margie Masters & Jo Ann Prentice
- Aug 22 The Beatles arrive in New York City and hold two press conferences, one for the press and one for their fans
- Aug 23 Lunar Orbiter 1 takes 1st photograph of Earth from Moon
- Aug 23 The Beatles' last concert in Queens, New York City at Shea Stadium before a crowd of 45,000, and 11,000 unsold seats
- Aug 24 USSR launches Luna 11 for orbit around Moon
- Aug 26 Baltimore Orioles Roznovsky & B.Powell are 4th to hit consecutive pinch HRs
- Aug 26 KLOC (now KCSO) channel 42 in Charlotte, North Carolina (PBS) begins broadcasting
Event of Interest
Aug 27 Francis Chichester begins 1st solo sail around world
- Aug 27 Oakland Pitcher Paul Lindblad begins a 385 cons errorless streak
- Aug 27 Race riot in Waukegan, Illinois
- Aug 28 27th Venice Film Festival: "The Battle of Algiers" directed by Gillo Pontecorvo wins Golden Lion
- Aug 29 Dutch Internal minister Smallenbroek resigns after driving drunk
- Aug 29 The Beatles' last public concert before a crowd of 25,000, and 7,000 unsold seats, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California
Dr. Kildare
Aug 30 American medical drama series "Dr. Kildare", starring Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey, ends a five season run on NBC-TV
- Aug 31 "The Battle of Algiers", directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, starring Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef, premieres at the Vienna International Film Festival
- Aug 31 Referee Leo Horn whistles his last soccer match (Ajax-Bulgaria)
Famous Birthdays
- Aug 1 Darryl Hall, CFL linebacker (Calgary Stampeders), born in Oscoda, Michigan
- Aug 1 Horacio de la Peña, Argentinian tennis star and coach, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Aug 1 James St. James, American author and nightlife personality, born in Saginaw, Michigan
- Aug 2 Joseph Wanag, American judoka (Olympic-92), born in Wilton, Connecticut
- Aug 2 Tim Wakefield, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 2009; World Series 2004, 07 Boston Red Sox) and broadcaster (NESN), born in Melbourne, Florida (d. 2023) [1]
- Aug 3 Eric Esch, American boxer, born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Aug 4 Kensuke Sasaki, wrestler (WCW/NJPW/Calgary, Power Warrior)
- Aug 5 Jonathan Silverman, American actor (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Single Guy), born in Los Angeles, California
- Aug 6 Billy Mayfair, American golfer (Tour Championship 1995), born in Phoenix, Arizona
- Aug 6 Regina Carter, American jazz and classical violinist, and composer, born in Detroit, Michigan
- Aug 7 Jimmy Wales, American internet entrepreneur and cofounder of Wikipedia, born in Huntsville, Alabama
- Aug 7 Kristin Hersch, American singer and songwriter (Throwing Muses), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Aug 8 Chris Eubank, English boxer (WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles), born in London, England
- Aug 8 John Hudek, American baseball player
- Aug 9 Pat Petersen, American actor (Michael-Knots Landing), born in Los Angeles, California
- Aug 9 Vinny Del Negro, American NBA guard (San Antonio Spurs) and coach (Chicago Bulls), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
- Aug 10 (Charlotte) "Charlie" Dimmock, British gardener and television presenter (Ground Force; Garden Rescue), born in West Wellow, Hampshire, England
- Aug 10 Gerald Williams, American MLB baseball outfielder, 1992-2005 (NY Yankees, and 5 other teams), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2022)
- Aug 10 Hansi Kürsch, German heavy metal singer-songwriter, band bassist (Blind Guardian), born in Lank-Latum, West Germany
- Aug 10 Roberta Donnay American jazz singer, guitarist, and songwriter ("One World"), born in Washington, D.C.
- Aug 11 Antonio Goss, American NFL linebacker, 1989-96, 2X Super Bowl winner (San Francisco 49ers), born in Randleman, North Carolina
- Aug 11 Nigel Martyn, English soccer goalkeeper (23 caps; Crystal Palace, Leeds, Everton), born in St Austell, Cornwall
- Aug 12 Bruce Covernton, Canadian CFL defensive tackle (Calgary Stampeders), born in Morris, Manitoba
- Aug 12 Dean Hartgraves, American baseball pitcher (Houston Astros), born in Bakersfield, California
- Aug 12 Greg Manusky, American NFL coach (Denver Broncos) and linebacker (KC Chiefs), born in Dallas, Pennsylvania
- Aug 12 Vladimir Fedotov, Russian soccer manager (FC Ural Yekaterinburg, FC Orenburg, PFC Sochi, CSKA Moscow) and utility (FC Ural Yekaterinburg 264 games), born in Mikhaylovsk, Russia
- Aug 13 Miguel Miranda, Peruvian soccer goalkeeper (47 caps; Sporting Cristal) and coach (Alianza Atlético), born in Lima, Peru (d. 2021)
- Aug 13 Shayne Corson, Canadian NHL forward (Team Canada Olympics 1998, Montreal), born in Midland, Ontario, Canada
- Aug 14 David Hallyday, French singer-songwriter and actor (He's My Girl), born in Boulougne, France
- Aug 14 Freddy Rincón, Colombian soccer midfielder (84 caps; Santa Fe, América de Cali, SC Corinthians), born in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia (d. 2022)
Halle Berry (57 years old)
Aug 14 American actress (X-Men: The Last Stand: Monsters Ball), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Aug 14 Karl Petter Løken, Norwegian footballer, born in Karlskoga, Sweden
- Aug 15 Fred Strickland, American NFL linebacker, 1988-99 (Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and 3 other teams), born in Buffalo, New York
- Aug 15 Shirley Kwan [Kwan Suk Yee] Chinese Canto-pop singer ("Happy Are Those In Love"), born in Hong Kong
- Aug 16 Ed Olczyk, NHL center (Winnipeg Jets), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Rosey Edeh, Canadian 400m hurdler (Olympics-4-92, 96), born in London, England
- Aug 16 Terry Shumpert, infielder (Chicago Cubs), born in Paducah, Kentucky
- Aug 17 Cedric Figaro, American football linebacker (Amsterdam Admirals), born in Lafayette, Louisiana
- Aug 17 Don Sweeney, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Boston Bruins) and executive (GM Boston Bruins), born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick
- Aug 17 Jill Cunniff, American alt-rock singer and bassist (Luscious Jackson), born in Brooklyn, NYC
- Aug 17 Maysa [Leak], American jazz and R&B singer, born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Aug 17 Rodney Mullen, American skateboarder ("Godfather of modern freestyle skating"; 35 x world titles), born in Gainesville, Florida
- Aug 17 Zefross Moss, American NFL tackle (Detroit Lions, NE Patriots), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Aug 18 Gustavo Charif, Argentine artist, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Aug 18 Kang Soo-yeon, South Korean actress (The Surrogate Woman, Come Come Come Upward), born in Seoul, South Korea (d. 2022) [1]
- Aug 18 Sarita Choudhury, English actress (And Just Like That...), born in London, England
- Aug 18 Steve Avery, American football running back (Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Aug 19 Lee Ann Womack, American country singer ("I Hope You Dance"), born in Jacksonville, Texas
- Aug 19 Lilian Garcia, Spanish-American wrestling announcer (WWE), born in Madrid, Spain
- Aug 20 "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, American heavy metal guitarist (Pantera), born in Arlington, Texas (d. 2004)
- Aug 20 Colin Cunningham, American actor (Centigrade, Falling Skies), born in Los Angeles, California
- Aug 20 Courtney Gibbs, American actress (Baywatch) and Miss USA 1988, born in Dallas, Texas
- Aug 20 Steven Finn, Canadian NHL defenseman (LA Kings), born in Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Aug 21 John Wetteland, American pitcher (NY Yanks, Rangers, Expos), born in San Mateo, California
- Aug 22 GZA [Gary Grice], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 22 Mark Michaels, American rock and jazz session guitarist, educator, and author (Teach Yourself Rhythm Guitar)
- Aug 22 Rob Witschge, Dutch soccer star (Ajax/Feyenoord), born in Amsterdam
- Aug 23 Rik Smits, NBA center (Indiana Pacers), born in Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Aug 24 Jon Sieben, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m butterfly 1984), born in Brisbane, Queensland
- Aug 25 Albert Belle, American baseball outfielder (Cleveland Indians; 5-time MLB All-Star), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
- Aug 25 Derek Sherinian, American keyboardist (Dream Theater; Sons Of Apollo), born in Laguna Beach, California
Michael Cohen (57 years old)
Aug 25 American lawyer to Donald Trump, born in Long Island, New York
- Aug 25 Robert Maschio, American Actor ("The Todd" in Scrubs)
- Aug 26 Dan Vickrey, American guitarist and songwriter (Counting Crows - "Accidentally in Love"), born in Walnut Creek, California
- Aug 26 Jacques Brinkman, Dutch field hockey player
- Aug 26 Shirley Manson, Scottish rock singer (Garbage), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Aug 27 Deena Wigger, US shooter (Olympic-92), born in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Aug 27 Juhan Parts, Prime Minister of Estonia
- Aug 28 Jerry Fehily, Irish drummer (Hothouse Flowers - "Don't Go"; "Thing Of Beauty"), born in Cork, Ireland
- Aug 28 Priya Dutt, Indian social worker and politician, born in Mumbai, India
- Aug 29 Dan Truman, American singer (Diamond Rio - "Meet in the Middle"), born in St. George, Utah
- Aug 30 John Terry, Canadian CFL tackle (Saskatchewan Roughriders), born in Greenwood, North Carolina
- Aug 30 Michael Michele, American actress (Nikki-Central Park West), born in Evansville, Indiana
- Aug 31 Jan Einar Thorsen, Norwegian Alpine skier
- Aug 31 Jeff Frye, American MLB infielder (Boston Red Sox), born in Oakland, California
- Aug 31 Zdenko Morović, Venezuelan soccer midfielder (5 caps; Deportivo Italia, CS Marítimo, Caracas FC), born in Rijeka, Croatia (d. 2024)
Famous Weddings
Al Michaels
Aug 27 American sportscaster Al Michaels (21) weds Linda Stamaton
Famous Deaths
- Aug 1 Charles Whitman, former marine, kills 16 at U of Texas, shot by cops
- Aug 1 Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell, American jazz pianist and composer, dies at 41
- Aug 3 Lenny Bruce [Leonard Schneider], American comedian, dies of a morphine overdose at 39
- Aug 5 Austin Diamond, Australian cricketer (Australian captain to America 1913), dies at 92
- Aug 6 Cordwainer Smith [Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger], American sci-fi author (Space Lords), dies at 53
- Aug 8 Ed "Strangler" Lewis, American professional wrestler, dies at 75
- Aug 8 Pierre Charles, Belgian heavyweight boxer, dies at 63
- Aug 9 Gösta Nystroem, Swedish composer, dies at 75
- Aug 10 (Jacobus) "J.C." Bloem, Dutch poet (Sintels - Embers), dies at 79
- Aug 10 Felix Andries Vening Meinesz, Dutch geophysicist (black force), dies at 79
- Aug 11 Frank Nelson, English politician and civil servant (head of the Special Operations Executive, 1940-42), dies at 83
- Aug 14 Duke Slater, American College/Pro Football HOF tackle (Uni of Iowa; 5 × First-team All-Pro; Milwaukee Badgers, Rock Island Independents, Chicago Cardinals), dies of stomach cancer at 67
- Aug 14 Tip Snooke, South African cricket all-rounder and captain (26 Tests 1905-23, 35 wickets), dies at 85
- Aug 15 Gerhart Pohl, German broadcaster, writer (The Crazy Ferdinand; Flüchtburg), and publisher, dies at 64
- Aug 15 Jan Kiepura, Polish vocalist and actor (Her Wonderful Lie; Give Us this Night), dies of a heart attack at 64
- Aug 15 Seena Owen, American silent screen actress and screenwriter (Queen Kelly), dies at 71
- Aug 16 Jack Mather, actor (Cisco Kid), dies of a heart attack at 58
- Aug 17 Archibald Palm, South African cricketer (Test South Africa v England 1927-28), dies at 65
- Aug 17 Ken Miles, British-American auto racer and engineer (USAC Road Racing C'ship 1961; 24 Hours of Daytona 1966), dies in practice accident at 47
- Aug 17 Michael Garrison, American TV producer (Crowded Sky), dies after a fall at 43
- Aug 18 Isaac Keesing, Dutch publisher and founder (System Keesing), dies at 80
- Aug 18 Watze Cuperus, Frisian author (Struggle & Blessing), dies at 75
- Aug 22 Apolinary Szeluto, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 82
- Aug 23 Francis X. Bushman, American silent film actor (Sabrina, Ben-Hur), dies at 83
- Aug 26 Art Baker, American TV host (You Asked For It), dies at 68
- Aug 29 Sayyid Qutb, Egyptian theoretician (b. 1906)
- Aug 31 Kasimir Edschmid, German writer, dies at 75
