Historical Events
- Aug 1 394 migrants rescued from a stricken vessel by humanitarian NGO ships in Tunisian waters [1]
- Aug 1 American swimmer Caeleb Dressel wins his 5th gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay
- Aug 1 American swimmer Robert Finke wins men's 1,500m gold in 14:39.65 at the Tokyo Olympics, completing long distance double 800/1,500m
Fauci's Warning
Aug 1 American virologist Dr. Anthony Fauci says "things are going to get worse" as US COVID-19 cases double in 10 days due to surge of Delta variant
Olympic Gold
Aug 1 Australian swimmer Emma McKeon claims gold in 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay for total 7 medals at Tokyo Olympics; equals record set by Russian gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya in 1952
- Aug 1 Canada marks its first Emancipation Day (date slavery abolished in the British Empire in 1834)
- Aug 1 Chinese diver Shi Tingmao completes women's 3m springboard/synchronized 3m springboard double at the Tokyo Olympics for second consecutive Games
- Aug 1 Italian Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar avoid a jump-off by agreeing to share the long jump gold medal after tying on 2.37m at the Tokyo Olympic Games
- Aug 1 Marcell Jacobs becomes first Italian athlete to win the coveted 100m in 9.80 at the Tokyo Olympics
- Aug 1 Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing names himself Prime Minister, pledges to hold elections by 2023
- Aug 1 The US passes the 35 million mark in COVID-19 cases with California becoming first state to record 4 million cases
- Aug 1 Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas records a WR 15.67m to claim the women's gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
US Meets Vaccination Target
Aug 2 70% of American have had at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, a target President Joe Biden had hoped to meet by 4 July
Olympic Gold
Aug 3 Jamaican athlete Elaine Thompson-Herah wins 200m gold in Tokyo to become the first female to claim the 100/200m double at consecutive Olympic Games
- Aug 3 Karsten Warholm of Norway runs first ever sub-46 second 400m hurdles 45.94 WR to claim gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
- Aug 3 New Zealand canoeist Lisa Carrington wins her third straight Olympic K-1 200m title at the Tokyo Games; also wins K-2 500m for her 4th career Olympic gold medal
Music History
Aug 3 Singer Tony Bennett celebrates his 95th birthday with Lady Gaga in the first of two "farewell" performances at Radio City Music Hall, NYC
- Aug 4 Americans Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad go 1-2 in women's 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics; McLaughlin sets WR 51.46s
- Aug 4 Global known COVID-19 caseload passes 200 million, with the death toll at 4.2 million according to Johns Hopkins
- Aug 4 Largest wildfire in California so far in 2021, the Dixie Fire at 320,000 acres, destroys the gold rush town of Greenville [1]
- Aug 4 Mediterranean region evolving into a "wildfire hotspot" according to authorities, amidst extreme temperatures with Greece experiencing one of its worst heatwaves in 40 years [1]
Sports History
Aug 5 FC Barcelona confirms record breaking Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi will leave the club because of Spanish La Liga regulations on player payments
- Aug 5 New Zealand canoeist Lisa Carrington wins her third Olympic gold medal of the Tokyo Games by winning K-1 500m; 5th career gold for Carrington
Music History
Aug 5 Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (80) announces he will be unable to accompany the band on its 2021 U.S. tour, based on medical advice; American Steve Jordan tapped to fill in
- Aug 6 Faith Kipyegon of Kenya retains her Olympic 1,500m title in OR 3:53.11 at the Tokyo Olympics
- Aug 6 Jamaican 100/200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah claims her third track gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics as part of the winning Jamaican 4x100m relay team
- Aug 7 As part of the winning American 4×400m relay team in Tokyo, Allyson Felix takes her total to 11 Olympic medals; becomes the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history
- Aug 7 Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan wins 10,000m gold medal in 29:55.32 at the Tokyo Olympics to claim the 5/10k double
- Aug 7 Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra makes history winning his country’s first-ever Olympic track and field gold with 87.58m in Tokyo
Olympic Gold
Aug 7 Kevin Durant with 29 points leads USA to his third and the team's 4th consecutive Olympic men's basketball gold medal with an 87-82 win over France in Tokyo
- Aug 8 "Wright Brothers' moment" in nuclear fusion research when 1.3 megajoules of energy produced at National Ignition Facility by the Livermore Lab [1]
- Aug 8 More than 51 people killed in northern Mali after attacks on three villages by Islamist jihadists
- Aug 8 Taliban forces capture three regional Afghan cities including key northern city of Kunduz [1]
- Aug 8 The Dixie Fire becomes California's second-largest wildfire ever at 463,000 acres (724 square miles)
Basketball Gold for US Women
Aug 8 USA women's basketball team wins it's record extending 7th consecutive Olympic gold medal with 90-75 win over Japan in Tokyo; guards Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each win their 5th straight gold
- Aug 8 XXXII Summer Olympic Games officially close at the Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
- Aug 9 Cholera outbreak in Nigeria has killed more than 800 people with 31,425 suspected cases since January 2021 according to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control [1]
- Aug 9 Herd of 14 elephants returning home from a 500km (300-mile) trek across China, lead authorities to evacuate 150,000 people out of their path [1]
- Aug 9 Landmark UN IPCC climate report "is a "Code Red for humanity", rise of 1.5C now certain, catastrophic change can still be avoided if the world works fast [1] [2]
- Aug 10 "I am Legend" screenwriter Akiva Goldsman tweets "It's a movie. I made that up. It's. Not. Real." amid rumors COVID-19 vaccines could turn people into zombies, as in the film [1]
- Aug 10 Forest fires kill 65 people, including 25 soldiers, in Algeria in the Kabylie region during heatwave conditions
Event of Interest
Aug 10 Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo resigns amid a sexual harassment scandal
- Aug 11 Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi confirms signing a rich 2-year contract with French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain after leaving FC Barcelona
- Aug 11 Sicily records highest-ever temperature in Europe of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in city of Siracusa (unverified)
- Aug 11 Torrential rains cause flash flooding in Turkey's northwestern provinces of Kastamonu, Sinop and Barti, killing at least 77 with more missing [1]
- Aug 12 195 million Americans across 34 states under heat advisory warnings from Pacific Northwest to the Northeast as summer of intense heat continues in Northern Hemisphere [1]
- Aug 12 Bennu Asteroid, size of the Empire State Building, now has 1-in-1,750 chance of hitting Earth in 2182, according to data from NASA's OSIRIS-REX spacecraft [1]
- Aug 12 Britney Spear's father says he will step down as her conservator after the singer called his conservatorship abusive, amid a #FreeBritney campaign
Contract of Interest
Aug 12 Kawhi Leonard re-signs with the Los Angeles Clippers to a max four-year, $176.3 million contract
- Aug 12 Phoenix is the US's fastest-growing city (+11.2%), overtaking Philadelphia to be nations's fifth largest at 1.6 million according to US Census [1]
- Aug 12 US Census reveal country grown more diverse, growth in Hispanic (+23%) and Asian (+36%) populations, 1st ever decline in white population (-2.6%) [1]
- Aug 12 US FDA authorises a third booster COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for people with weak immune systems
- Aug 14 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes south-west Haiti near city of Les Cayes, killing at least 2,200 people, injuring many more and destroying 52,000 homes
- Aug 14 Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Gilbert throws a no-hitter in his MLB debut, defeating San Diego Padres, 7-0 in Phoenix; record equalling 8th no-hitter of the season
- Aug 14 Calder Fire, near Lake Tahoe, begins in California, goes on to destroy 1000 structures and over 218,000 acres [1]
- Aug 14 It rains for the first time at Greenland ice sheets' highest point, at Summit Station research facility, above freezing conditions create some melting for 337,000 square miles of ice [1]
- Aug 14 Spain records its highest ever temperature of 47.2C (117F) in Montoro, Córdoba [1]
Event of Interest
Aug 15 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees the country as Taliban forces enter the capital Kabul and take control
Election of Interest
Aug 15 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls a snap election for 20 September, two years ahead of schedule
- Aug 15 Petrol tanker explosion kills 27 and injures 79 in al-Tleil, Lebanon, amid the country's continuing economic crisis
- Aug 16 First Marvel film with an Asian superhero "Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings" starring Simu Liu premieres in Los Angeles
- Aug 16 First official water shortage declared at Lake Mead, major reservoir on Colorado river supplying 40 million people, with cuts mandated mainly for Arizona
- Aug 16 Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet resign after losing their majority amid political turmoil
- Aug 16 US President Joe Biden says "I stands squarely behind my decision" to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, despite sudden collapse of the country to the Taliban
- Aug 17 Joel Embiid signs a four-year, $196 million NBA extension with the 76ers
- Aug 17 One in five US hospital ICUs at or over 95% capacity due to Delta surge of COVID-19, with 1,800 children hospitalized [1]
- Aug 18 MLB Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani becomes fastest player in team history to reach 40 home runs in a season, also pitches 8 innings in 3-1 win at Detroit
- Aug 19 Iran's official COVID-19 death toll passes 100,000 amid its fifth wave of infections, according to its Health Ministry
- Aug 21 Flash flooding in Humphreys County, Middle Tennessee, kills 22 with dozens missing
- Aug 22 British Open Women's Golf, Carnoustie CC: Anna Nordqvist of Sweden finishes 1 stroke clear of Madelene Sagström, Lizette Salas and Georgia Hall to win her third major title
Music History
Aug 22 Josephine Baker will be the first black woman to be interred in the Panthéon in Paris, according to the French government
- Aug 22 Tropical storm Henri makes landfall near Westerly, Rhode Island
Kamala Harris Visits South East Asia
Aug 22 US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Singapore to begin a short visit to South East Asia
- Aug 23 US Food and Drug Administration grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and over. First vaccine to move past emergency-use status in the US.
- Aug 23 Video evidence of a Seychelles giant tortoise hunting and eating a bird revealed for the first time, tortoises previously thought to be herbivores [1]
- Aug 24 16th Paralympic Games opens in Tokyo, Japan
1st Female Governor of NY
Aug 24 Kathy Hochul becomes the first female Governor of New York, replacing Andrew Cuomo after his resignation
- Aug 24 UN says Madagascar on brink of world's first "climate change famine" with people suffering "catastrophic" levels of hunger, after four years without rain [1]
Mamma Mia!
Aug 25 Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus' musical "Mamma Mia!", featuring the songs of ABBA, re-opens at the Novello Theatre in London's West End, after COVID-19 interruption stopped performances in March of 2020
- Aug 26 Two bomb blasts from suicide bombers at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan, kill at least 60 civilians and 13 US soldiers, amid international efforts to evacuate citizens out of the country
- Aug 27 Britain's Prince Andrew served with a US federal lawsuit alleging he sexually abused a teenager 20 years ago [1]
- Aug 28 MLB Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani becomes 1st player in team history to reach 20 stolen bases and hit 40 home runs in a season, in 10-2 win over San Diego Padres
- Aug 29 Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a Category 4 storm near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
- Aug 29 Missile and drone attack on al-Anad airbase in south Yemen kills at least 30 soldiers, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years [1]
- Aug 30 Algeria becomes the last country to stop selling leaded petrol, ending 99 years of gasoline use worldwide, saving 1.2 million lives a year [1]
- Aug 30 America ends its longest-ever war of 20 years in Afghanistan as the last military evacuation plane flies out of Kabul
- Aug 30 China restricts online gaming for under 18s to one hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays ordering companies to enforce this [1]
Appointment of Interest
Aug 31 36-year old Cristiano Ronaldo is confirmed as a Manchester United player for a second time when his transfer from Juventus is ratified; Ronaldo left United in 2009 to join Real Madrid
Famous Weddings
- Aug 20 Yusuf Buhari, son of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, marries Zahra Nasir Bayero, daughter of the emir of Bichi, Nasiru Ado Bayero, in Bichi, in the country's celebrity wedding of the year
Famous Divorces
Kelly Clarkson
Aug 3 Singer Kelly Clarkson divorces talent manager Brandon Blackstock after 7 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Aug 1 David A. Gall, Canadian thoroughbred Hall of Fame jockey (US Champion Jockey by wins 1979, 81; first to ride 8 winners on single US race card), dies at 79
- Aug 1 Ian Thomson, English cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 9 wickets; Sussex CCC), dies at 92
- Aug 2 Ged Dunn, English rugby league winger (8 Tests; Hull KIngston Rovers 301 games), dies at 74
- Aug 2 June Daugherty, American women's college basketball coach (Boise State Uni, Uni of Washington, Washington State University), dies from heart issues at 64
- Aug 3 Jocelyne Bourassa, Canadian golfer (LPGA Rookie of the Year 1972; Canadian Open 1973), dies at 74
- Aug 4 David Haddon Whitaker, British publisher (Whitaker's Almanack; Bookseller), and proponent of Standard Book Numbering (SBN) system, dies at 90
- Aug 4 Graham McRae, New Zealand auto racer (Tasman Formula 5000 Series 1971, 72, 73; L&M Continental 5000 C'ship 1972), dies at 81
- Aug 4 J.R. Richard, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1980; NL ERA leader 1979; NL strikeout leader 1978, 79; Houston Astros), dies at 71 [1]
- Aug 5 Terry Davies, Welsh rugby union full back (21 Tests Wales, 2 British & Irish Lions; Swansea RFC, Llanelli RFC), dies at 88
- Aug 6 Herbert Schlosser, American television executive (NBC - hired Johnny Carson; championed Laugh-In; conceptualized Saturday Night Live), dies at 95
- Aug 6 Kenneth Nichols, Canadian classical pianist, composer, (Symphonic Celebration; Boy In A Cage), and teacher (Brandon University, 1962-96), dies at 85
- Aug 7 Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, American funk saxophonist (Kool & The Gang - "Who's Gonna Take The Weight"), dies at 70 [1]
- Aug 7 Douglas Applegate, American politician (US Representative from Ohio, 1977-95), dies at 93
- Aug 7 Jane Withers, American film child star (Bright Eyes; Ginger), character actress (Giant), and commercial spokesperson (Josephine the Plumber), dies at 95
- Aug 7 Markie Post, American actress (Night Court, 1984-92 - "Christine"; There’s Something About Mary), dies of cancer at 70
- Aug 7 Mike De Palmer, American tennis player and coach (Boris Becker), dies at 59
- Aug 8 Bobby Bowden, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Florida State 1976-2009; National C'ship 1993, 99), dies of pancreatic cancer at 91
- Aug 8 Cesare Salvadori, Italian fencer (Olympic gold sabre team 1972; silver 1964, 68), dies at 79
- Aug 8 Ken Clark, Canadian football punter (CFL All Star 1977, 80, 82, 85; Hamilton Tiger-Cats; Saskatchewan Roughriders; Ottawa Rough Riders; NFL: LA Rams), dies at 73
- Aug 9 Alex Cord [Alexander Viespi], American actor (Brotherhood; Fire; Street Asylum; Airwolf), dies at 88
- Aug 9 Bob Jenkins, American television and radio sports announcer (IndyCar & NASCAR telecasts ESPN/ABC, NBC Sports), dies from brain cancer at 73
- Aug 9 Patricia Hitchcock, British-American actress (Strangers on a Train), dies at 93
- Aug 10 Tony Esposito, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender (6 x NHL All Star; Vezina Trophy 1970, 72, 74; Chicago Blackhawks), dies from pancreatic cancer at 78
- Aug 11 Dick Huddart, English rugby league second rower (16 Tests Great Britain; St. Helens, St. George), dies at 85
- Aug 11 Roy Gaines, American electric and Texas blues and session guitarist, singer, and songwriter ("A Hell of a Night"), dies at 83
- Aug 12 Emilio Flores Márquez "Don Millo", Puerto Rican sugar cane worker and centenarian, (world's oldest man in 2021), dies at 113 [1]
- Aug 12 Roger Harring, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Uni of Wisconsin–La Crosse 1969–99, record 261–75–7), dies at 88
- Aug 12 Una Stubbs, English actress (Till Death Us Do Part; Sherlock - "Mrs. Hudson"), dies at 84
- Aug 13 Charlie Johnson, American football defensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1979-81; All Pro 1980; Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings), dies at 69
- Aug 13 Nanci Griffith, American singer ("From A Distance"), and songwriter ("Once in a Very Blue Moon"; "Love at the Five and Dime"), dies at 68
- Aug 14 Igor Oistrakh, Soviet-Russian concert violinist (Wieniawski Competition, 1952), and educator (Moscow Conservatory, Brussels Royal Conservatory), dies at 90
- Aug 14 R. Murray Schafer, Canadian composer (Patria), music educator, and environmentalist, dies of complications Alzheimer's disease at 88
- Aug 15 Gary Woollard, New Zealand rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Wellington), dies at 79
Gerd Müller (1945-2021)
Aug 15 German soccer striker (62 caps; FIFA World Cup 1974; Bayern Munich 453 games, 398 goals), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 75
- Aug 15 Joe Walton, American football coach (New York Jets 1983-89; Robert Morris University), dies at 85
- Aug 16 Sean Lock, British comedian (British Comedy Award, 2000), and television personality, dies of cancer at 58
- Aug 18 Robert Smith, American baseball administrator (President International Baseball Federation 1981-93; IOC Olympic Order), dies at 85
- Aug 19 Bill Freehan, American baseball catcher (11 x All Star; World Series 1968; 5 x Gold Glove; Detroit Tigers), dies from dementia at 79
- Aug 19 Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba [Sadaho Maeda], Japanese martial artist and actor (The Street Fighter; Kill Bill: Volume 1), dies of Covid-19 complications at 82
- Aug 20 Peter Ind, British jazz double bassist, dies at 93
- Aug 20 Tom T. Hall, American country singer, songwriter ("Harper Valley PTA"), and author, dies of a self-inflicted gun wound at 85
- Aug 21 (Isaac) Don Everly, American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), dies at 84
- Aug 21 Floyd Reese, American football administrator (GM Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans 1994-2006) and analyst (ESPN's NFL Live, ESPN.com), dies from cancer at 73
- Aug 21 Nicoletta Orsomando, Italian TV presenter, dies at 92
- Aug 22 Alberto Bica, Uruguayan soccer right winger (9 caps; Racing, River Plate, Nacional Montevideo), dies from leukemia at 63
- Aug 22 Brian Travers, British rock saxophonist (UB40 - "Red, Red Wine"), dies of cancer at 62
- Aug 22 Eric Ash, British engineer and university rector (Imperial College, London), dies at 93
- Aug 22 Micki Grant [Minnie Perkins], American theater singer, actress, and composer (Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope; Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God), dies at 92
- Aug 22 Rod Gilbert, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right-wing, 1960-78 (NY Rangers; first NYR to have # retired), dies at 80
- Aug 23 José Yudica, Argentine soccer forward (4 caps; Newell's Old Boys, Boca Juniors) and manager (Newell's Old Boys, Quilmes), dies at 85
- Aug 23 Michael Nader, American actor (Dynasty, All My Children), dies at 76
Charlie Watts (1941-2021)
Aug 24 British rock and jazz drummer (Rolling Stones), dies at 80
Hissène Habré (1942-2021)
Aug 24 Dictator of Chad (1982-90) and convicted war criminal, dies in prison of COVID-19 at 79 [1]
- Aug 24 Jerry Harkness, American College Basketball HOF point guard (Loyola [Illinois]; New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers), dies at 81
- Aug 24 Wilfried van Moer, Belgian soccer midfielder (57 caps; Belgian Golden Shoe x 3; Beveren, Antwerp, Standard Liège), dies from a stroke at 76
- Aug 25 Neal Brendel, American rugby union prop (6 Tests; Pittsburgh RC) and executive (Chairman USA Rugby 2002-05), dies from cancer at 66
- Aug 25 Robin Miller, American motorsports journalist (Indianapolis Star, Autoweek, Car and Driver, ESPN, Speed, NBCSN), dies from leukemia at 71
- Aug 25 Ted Dexter, English cricket all-rounder and captain (62 Tests, 4,502 runs @ 47.89, 9 x 100s, 66 wickets; Sussex), dies at 86
- Aug 26 Kenny Malone, American Nashville-based session drummer (Dolly Parton; Dobie Gray: Waylon Jennings), dies of COVID-19 at 83
- Aug 26 Vladimir Shadrin, Russian Hockey HOF centre (Olympic gold Soviet Union 1972, 76; 5 x World C'ship gold; HC Spartak Moscow, Oji Seishi), dies at 73
- Aug 27 Siegfried Matthus, German composer, and opera director (Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg, 1991-2018), dies at 87
- Aug 29 Ed Asner, American Emmy Award-winning actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Mr. Grant"; Lou Grant, Roots; Up), and activist, dies at 91
- Aug 29 Jacques Rogge, Belgian sports administrator (8th President International Olympic Committee 2001-13), dies at 79
- Aug 29 Lee "Scratch" Perry, [Rainford Hugh Perry] Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter and producer (The Upset;ers), dies at 85
- Aug 29 Ron Bushy, American rock drummer (Iron Butterfly - “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”), dies of esophageal cancer at 79
- Aug 31 Francesco Morini, Italian soccer defender (11 caps; Sampdoria, Juventus), dies at 77
- Aug 31 Michael Constantine [Ioannides], American actor (Room 222 - "Mr. Kaufman"; Don't Drink The Water; My Big Fat Greek Wedding), dies at 94
- Aug 31 Sister Bernard Ncube (née Neikie Zellie Ncube), South African religious sister, anti-apartheid activist, and politician (Member of National Assembly, 1994-2002), dies at 77
Greatest Generation
Silent Generation
Baby Boomer
Generation X
Millennial
Generation Z