August 31 is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 122 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday (58 in 400 years each) than on Saturday or Sunday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Tuesday or Thursday (56).
Events
1056 – After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty .1218 – Al-Kamil becomes sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty .1314 – King Haakon V of Norway moves the capital from Bergen to Oslo .1422 – King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France. His son, Henry VI becomes King of England at the age of 9 months.1776 – William Livingston , the first Governor of New Jersey , begins serving his first term.1795 – War of the First Coalition : The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka ) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798 : Irish rebels, with French assistance, establish the short-lived Republic of Connacht .1813 – At the final stage of the Peninsular War , British-Portuguese troops capture the town of Donostia (now San Sebastián ), resulting in a rampage and eventual destruction of the town. Elsewhere, Spanish troops repel a French attack in the Battle of San Marcial .1864 – During the American Civil War , Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launch an assault on Atlanta .1876 – Ottoman Sultan Murad V is deposed and succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid II .1886 – The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake affects southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme ); 60 people killed with damage estimated at $ 5–6 million.1888 – Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She is the first of Jack the Ripper 's confirmed victims.1895 – German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon 1897 – Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope , the first movie projector.1907 – Count Alexander Izvolsky and Sir Arthur Nicolson sign the St. Petersburg Convention , which results in the Triple Entente alliance .1918 – World War I: Start of the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin , a successful assault by the Australian Corps during the Hundred Days Offensive .1920 – Polish–Soviet War : A decisive Polish victory in the Battle of Komarów .1920 – The first radio news program is broadcast by 8MK in Detroit .
1928 – The Threepenny Opera 1935 – In an attempt to stay out of the growing turmoil in Europe, the United States passes the first of its Neutrality Acts .1936 – Radio Prague , now the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, goes on the air.1939 – Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station , creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe .1940 – Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19 crashes near Lovettsville, Virginia . The CAB investigation of the accident is the first investigation to be conducted under the Bureau of Air Commerce act of 1938.1941 – World War II: Serbian paramilitary forces defeat Germans in the Battle of Loznica .1943 – USS Harmon , the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.1945 – The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies .1949 – The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece in Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War .1957 – The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia ) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.1958 – A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu , younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm , fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia .1962 – Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent.1963 – Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah ) achieves self governance .1980 – After two weeks of nationwide strikes , the Polish government signed the Gdańsk Agreement , allowing for the creation of the trade union Solidarity .1982 – Anti-government demonstrations are held in 66 Polish cities to commemorate the second anniversary of the Gdańsk Agreement .1986 – Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California , killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground.1986 – The Soviet passenger liner Admiral Nakhimov Black Sea after colliding with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev , killing 423.
1987 – Thai Airways Flight 365 crashes into the ocean near Ko Phuket , Thailand, killing all 83 aboard.1991 – Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union .1992 – Pascal Lissouba is inaugurated as the President of the Republic of the Congo .1993 – Russia completes removing its troops from Lithuania .1996 – Saddam Hussein 's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK .1997 – Diana, Princess of Wales , her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.1999 – The first of a series of bombings in Moscow kills one person and wounds 40 others.1999 – A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires , killing 65, including two on the ground.
2005 – The 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede in Baghdad kills 1,199 people.2006 – Edvard Munch 's famous painting The Scream 2012 – A 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes the Philippine province of Eastern Samar .2014 – China ruled out full universal suffrage in Hong Kong .2016 – Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is impeached and removed from office.
Births
12 – Caligula , Roman emperor (d. 41)161 – Commodus , Roman emperor (d. 192)1652 – Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (d. 1708)1663 – Guillaume Amontons , French physicist and instrument maker (d. 1705)1721 – George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol , English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1775)1741 – Jean-Paul-Égide Martini , French composer and educator (d. 1816)1748 – Jean-Étienne Despréaux , French ballet dancer, choreographer, composer, and playwright (d. 1820)1767 – Henry Joy McCracken , Irish businessman and activist, founded the Society of United Irishmen (d. 1798)1775 – Agnes Bulmer , English poet and author (d. 1836)1802 – Husein Gradaščević , Ottoman general (d. 1834)1821 – Hermann von Helmholtz , German physician and physicist (d. 1894)1822 – Galusha A. Grow , American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1907)1834 – Amilcare Ponchielli , Italian composer and educator (d. 1886)1842 – Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin , American journalist, publisher, and activist (d. 1924)1843 – Georg von Hertling , German academic and politician, 7th Chancellor of the German Empire (d. 1919)1870 – Maria Montessori , Italian physician and educator (d. 1952)1871 – James E. Ferguson , American banker and politician, 26th Governor of Texas (d. 1944)1878 – Frank Jarvis , American sprinter and lawyer (d. 1933)1879 – Alma Mahler , Austrian-American composer and painter (d. 1964)1879 – Emperor Taishō of Japan (d. 1926)
1880 – Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (d. 1962)1885 – DuBose Heyward , American author and playwright (d. 1940)1890 – August Alle , Estonian poet and author (d. 1952)1893 – Lily Laskine , French harp player (d. 1988)1894 – Albert Facey , Australian soldier and author (d. 1982)1896 – Brian Edmund Baker , English Air Marshal (d. 1979)1896 – Félix-Antoine Savard , Canadian priest and author (d. 1982)
1897 – Fredric March , American lieutenant, actor, and singer (d. 1975)1900 – Gino Lucetti , Italian anarchist, attempted assassin of Benito Mussolini (d. 1943)1902 – Géza Révész , Hungarian general and politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (d. 1977)1903 – Arthur Godfrey , American radio and television host (d. 1983)1903 – Vladimir Jankélévitch , Jewish-French musicologist and philosopher (d. 1985)
1905 – Robert Bacher , American physicist and academic (d. 2004)1905 – Sanford Meisner , American actor and educator (d. 1997)
1907 – Valter Biiber , Estonian footballer (d. 1977)1907 – Augustus F. Hawkins , American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
1907 – Ramon Magsaysay , Filipino captain, engineer, and politician, 7th President of the Philippines (d. 1957)
1907 – William Shawn , American journalist (d. 1992)
1907 – Altiero Spinelli , Italian theorist and politician (d. 1986)
1908 – William Saroyan , American Novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 1981)1909 – Ferenc Fejtő , Hungarian-French journalist and political scientist (d. 2008)1911 – Edward Brongersma , Dutch journalist and politician (d. 1998)1911 – Arsenio Rodríguez , Cuban-American tres player, composer, and bandleader (d. 1970)
1913 – Helen Levitt , American photographer and cinematographer (d. 2009)1913 – Bernard Lovell , English physicist and astronomer (d. 2012)
1914 – Richard Basehart , American actor (d. 1984)1915 – Pete Newell , American basketball player and coach (d. 2008)1916 – Danny Litwhiler , American baseball player and coach (d. 2011)1916 – Daniel Schorr , American journalist and author (d. 2010)
1916 – John S. Wold , American geologist and politician
1918 – Alan Jay Lerner , American songwriter and composer (d. 1986)1919 – Amrita Preetam , Indian poet and author (d. 2005)1921 – Otis G. Pike , American judge and politician (d. 2014)1921 – Raymond Williams , Welsh author and academic (d. 1988)
1924 – John Davidson , American physician and politician (d. 2012)1924 – Buddy Hackett , American actor and singer (d. 2003)
1924 – Herbert Wise , Austrian-English director and producer (d. 2015)
1925 – Moran Campbell , English-Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (d. 2004)1925 – Maurice Pialat , French actor and director (d. 2003)
1928 – James Coburn , American actor (d. 2002)1928 – Jaime Sin , Filipino cardinal (d. 2005)
1930 – Big Tiny Little , American pianist (d. 2010)1931 – Jean Béliveau , Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2014)1931 – Noble Willingham , American actor (d. 2004)
1932 – Allan Fotheringham , Canadian journalist1935 – Eldridge Cleaver , American activist and author (d. 1998)1935 – Bryan Organ , English painter
1935 – Frank Robinson , American baseball player and manager
1936 – Vladimir Orlov , Russian journalist and author (d. 2014)1937 – Warren Berlinger , American actor1937 – Bobby Parker , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
1938 – Martin Bell , English journalist and politician1939 – Jerry Allison , American drummer and songwriter1940 – Robbie Basho , American guitarist, pianist, and composer (d. 1986)1940 – Wilton Felder , American saxophonist and bass player (d. 2015)
1940 – Larry Hankin , American actor, director, and producer
1940 – Roger Newman , English-American actor and screenwriter (d. 2010)
1940 – Jack Thompson , Australian actor
1941 – William DeWitt, Jr. , American businessman1941 – Emmanuel Nunes , Portuguese-French composer and educator (d. 2012)
1942 – Isao Aoki , Japanese golfer1943 – Leonid Ivashov , Russian general1944 – Roger Dean , English illustrator and publisher1944 – Liz Forgan , English journalist
1944 – Christine King , English historian and academic
1944 – Clive Lloyd , Guyanese cricketer
1945 – Van Morrison , Northern Irish singer-songwriter1945 – Itzhak Perlman , Israeli-American violinist and conductor
1945 – Bob Welch , American singer and guitarist (d. 2012)
1946 – Ann Coffey , Scottish social worker and politician1946 – Jerome Corsi , American theorist and author
1946 – Tom Coughlin , American football player and coach
1947 – Luca Cordero di Montezemolo , Italian businessman1947 – Yumiko Ōshima , Japanese author and illustrator
1947 – Somchai Wongsawat , Thai lawyer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Thailand
1948 – Harald Ertl , Austrian race car driver and journalist (d. 1982)1948 – Lowell Ganz , American screenwriter and producer
1948 – Ken McMullen , English director, producer, and screenwriter
1948 – Holger Osieck , German footballer and manager
1948 – Rudolf Schenker , German guitarist and songwriter
1949 – Richard Gere , American actor and producer1949 – Hugh David Politzer , American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1951 – Grant Batty , New Zealand rugby player1951 – Sirje Tamul , Estonian historian, author, and academic
1952 – Kim Kashkashian , American viola player and educator1952 – Herbert Reul , German politician
1953 – Miguel Ángel Guerra , Argentinian race car driver1953 – György Károly , Hungarian poet and author
1953 – Pavel Vinogradov , Russian astronaut and engineer
1955 – Aleksander Krupa , Polish-American actor1955 – Julie Maxton , Scottish lawyer and academic
1955 – Edwin Moses , American hurdler
1955 – Anthony Thistlethwaite , English saxophonist and bass player
1955 – Gary Webb , American journalist and author (d. 2004)
1956 – Mária Balážová , Slovak painter and illustrator1956 – Masashi Tashiro , Japanese singer, actor, and director
1957 – Colm O'Rourke , Irish footballer and sportscaster1957 – Glenn Tilbrook , English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1958 – Serge Blanco , Venezuelan-French rugby player and businessman1958 – Stephen Cottrell , English bishop
1958 – Julie Brown , American actress and screenwriter
1959 – Ralph Krueger , Canadian ice hockey player and coach1959 – Jessica Upshaw , American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
1960 – Vali Ionescu , Romanian long jumper1960 – Chris Whitley , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
1960 – Hassan Nasrallah , Lebanese politician, 3rd Secretary-General of Hezbollah
1961 – Kieran Crowley , New Zealand rugby player1961 – Magnus Ilmjärv , Estonian historian and author
1962 – Dee Bradley Baker , American voice actor1963 – Reb Beach , American guitarist1963 – Rituparno Ghosh , Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
1963 – Naomi Robson , American-Australian journalist
1963 – Sonny Silooy , Dutch footballer and manager
1964 – Raymond P. Hammond , American poet and critic1965 – Zsolt Borkai , Hungarian gymnast and politician1965 – Susan Gritton , English soprano and actress
1967 – Gene Hoglan , American drummer1967 – Anita Moen , Norwegian skier
1968 – Valdon Dowiyogo , Nauruan politician1968 – Hideo Nomo , Japanese-American baseball player
1968 – Jolene Watanabe , American tennis player
1969 – Nathalie Bouvier , French skier1969 – Jonathan LaPaglia , Australian actor and physician
1969 – Javagal Srinath , Indian cricketer and referee
1970 – Debbie Gibson , American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress1970 – Nikola Gruevski , Macedonian economist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
1970 – Greg Mulholland , English politician
1970 – Queen Rania of Jordan
1970 – Arie van Lent , Dutch-German footballer and manager
1970 – Zack Ward , Canadian actor and producer
1971 – Pádraig Harrington , Irish golfer1971 – Vadim Repin , Belgian-Russian violinist
1972 – Chris Tucker , American comedian and actor1973 – Scott Niedermayer , Canadian ice hockey player and coach1974 – Andriy Medvedev , Ukrainian-Monacan tennis player1975 – Craig Cumming , New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster1975 – John Grahame , American ice hockey player and coach
1975 – Daniel Harding , English conductor
1975 – Takahiro Suwa , Japanese wrestler
1976 – Vincent Delerm , French singer-songwriter and pianist1976 – Roque Júnior , Brazilian footballer and manager
1976 – Radek Martínek , Czech ice hockey player
1977 – Jeff Hardy , American wrestler and singer1977 – Ian Harte , Irish footballer
1977 – Craig Nicholls , Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1978 – Philippe Christanval , French footballer1978 – Ido Pariente , Israeli mixed martial artist and trainer
1978 – Sandis Valters , Latvian basketball player
1978 – Morten Qvenild , Norwegian pianist and composer
1979 – Clay Hensley , American baseball player1979 – Mark Johnston , Canadian swimmer
1979 – Simon Neil , Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1979 – Yuvan Shankar Raja , Indian singer-songwriter and producer
1979 – Ramón Santiago , Dominican baseball player
1980 – Joe Budden , American rapper1981 – Ahmad Al Harthy , Omani race car driver1981 – Dwayne Peel , Welsh rugby player
1981 – Steve Saviano , American ice hockey player
1982 – Ian Crocker , American swimmer1982 – Chris Duhon , American basketball player
1982 – Lien Huyghebaert , Belgian sprinter
1982 – Christopher Katongo , Zambian footballer
1982 – Josh Kroeger , American baseball player
1982 – Alexei Mikhnov , Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey player
1982 – Pepe Reina , Spanish footballer
1982 – Michele Rugolo , Italian race car driver
1982 – G. Willow Wilson , American journalist and author
1983 – Deniz Aydoğdu , German-Turkish footballer1983 – Milan Biševac , Serbian footballer
1983 – Larry Fitzgerald , American football player
1984 – Aleksander Baldin , Estonian swimmer1984 – Matti Breschel , Danish cyclist
1984 – Ryan Kesler , American ice hockey player
1984 – Ted Ligety , American skier
1984 – Charl Schwartzel , South African golfer
1985 – Rolando , Portuguese footballer1985 – Andrew Foster , Australian footballer
1987 – Xavi Annunziata , Spanish footballer1987 – Petros Kravaritis , Greek footballer
1987 – Ondřej Pavelec , Czech ice hockey player
1988 – Trent Hodkinson , Australian rugby league player1988 – Ken Kallaste , Estonian footballer
1988 – David Ospina , Colombian footballer
1989 – Dezmon Briscoe , American football player1990 – Tadeja Majerič , Slovenian tennis player1991 – António Félix da Costa , Portuguese race car driver1992 – Tyler Randell , Australian rugby league player1993 – Pablo Marí , Spanish football player1993 – Ilnur Alshin , Russian football player
1993 – Anna Karnaukh , Russian water polo player
1994 – Alex Harris , Scottish footballer
Deaths
577 – John Scholasticus , Byzantine patriarch and saint651 – Aidan of Lindisfarne , Irish bishop and saint731 – Ōtomo no Tabito , Japanese poet (b. 665)1158 – Sancho III of Castile (b. 1134)1234 – Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (b. 1212)1372 – Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford , English soldier (b. 1301)1422 – Henry V of England (b. 1386)1645 – Francesco Bracciolini , Italian poet (b. 1566)1654 – Ole Worm , Danish physician and historian (b. 1588)1688 – John Bunyan , English preacher, theologian, and author (b. 1628)1730 – Gottfried Finger , Czech-German viol player and composer (b. 1660)1741 – Johann Gottlieb Heineccius , German academic and jurist (b. 1681)1772 – William Borlase , English geologist and historian (b. 1695)1795 – François-André Danican Philidor , French-English chess player and composer (b. 1726)1799 – Nicolas-Henri Jardin , French architect and academic, designed the Bernstorff Palace and Marienlyst Castle (b. 1720)1811 – Louis Antoine de Bougainville , French admiral and explorer (b. 1729)1814 – Arthur Phillip , English admiral and politician, 1st Governor of New South Wales (b. 1738)1817 – Sir John Duckworth, 1st Baronet , English admiral and politician, 39th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1747)1867 – Charles Baudelaire , French poet and critic (b. 1821)1869 – Mary Ward , Irish astronomer and entomologist (b. 1827)1908 – Leslie Green , English architect (b. 1875)1910 – Emīls Dārziņš , Latvian composer, conductor, and music critic (b. 1875)1912 – Jean, duc Decazes , French sailor (b. 1864)1920 – Wilhelm Wundt , German physician, psychologist, and philosopher (b. 1832)1924 – Todor Aleksandrov , Bulgarian soldier (b. 1881)1927 – Andranik , Armenian general (b. 1865)1940 – Georges Gauthier , Canadian archbishop (b. 1871)1941 – Marina Tsvetaeva , Russian poet and author (b. 1892)1948 – Andrei Zhdanov , Russian civil servant and politician (b. 1896)1952 – Henri Bourassa , Canadian publisher and politician (b. 1868)1954 – Elsa Barker , American author and poet (b. 1869)1963 – Georges Braque , French painter and sculptor (b. 1882)1965 – E. E. Smith , American engineer and author (b. 1890)1967 – Ilya Ehrenburg , Russian journalist and author (b. 1891)1968 – John Hartle , English motorcycle racer (b. 1933)1969 – Rocky Marciano , American boxer (b. 1923)1973 – John Ford , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)1974 – William Pershing Benedict , American soldier and pilot (b. 1928)1974 – Norman Kirk , New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1923)
1978 – John Wrathall , Rhodesian accountant and politician, 2nd President of Rhodesia (b. 1913)1979 – Sally Rand , American actress and dancer (b. 1904)1979 – Tiger Smith , English cricketer and coach (b. 1886)
1984 – Audrey Wagner , American baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist (b. 1927)1985 – Frank Macfarlane Burnet , Australian virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)1986 – Elizabeth Coatsworth , American author and poet (b. 1893)1986 – Urho Kekkonen , Finnish journalist, lawyer, and politician, 8th President of Finland (b. 1900)
1986 – Henry Moore , English sculptor and illustrator (b. 1898)
1990 – Nathaniel Clifton , American basketball player and coach (b. 1922)1991 – Cliff Lumsdon , Canadian swimmer and coach (b. 1931)1997 – Dodi Fayed , Egyptian film producer (b. 1955)1997 – Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961)
2000 – Lucille Fletcher , American screenwriter (b. 1912)2000 – Dolores Moore , American baseball player and educator (b. 1932)
2002 – Lionel Hampton , American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1908)2002 – Farhad Mehrad , Persian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist (b. 1944)
2002 – George Porter , English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
2005 – Joseph Rotblat , Polish-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)2006 – Mohamed Abdelwahab , Egyptian footballer (b. 1983)2006 – Tom Delaney , English race car driver and businessman (b. 1911)
2007 – Gay Brewer , American golfer (b. 1932)2007 – Jean Jacques Paradis Canadian general (b. 1928)
2007 – Sulev Vahtre , Estonian historian and academic (b. 1926)
2008 – Ken Campbell , English actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)2008 – Ike Pappas , American journalist (b. 1933)
2008 – Victor Yates , New Zealand rugby player (b. 1939)
2010 – Laurent Fignon , French cyclist (b. 1960)2011 – Wade Belak , Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1976)2012 – Max Bygraves , English actor (b. 1922)2012 – Joe Lewis , American martial artist and actor (b. 1944)
2012 – Carlo Maria Martini , Italian cardinal (b. 1927)
2012 – Kashiram Rana , Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
2012 – John C. Shabaz , American judge and politician (b. 1931)
2012 – Sergey Sokolov , Russian commander and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for The Soviet Union (b. 1911)
2013 – Alan Carrington , English chemist and academic (b. 1934)2013 – David Frost , English journalist and game show host (b. 1939)
2013 – Jimmy Greenhalgh , English footballer and manager (b. 1923)
2013 – Jan Camiel Willems , Belgian mathematician and theorist (b. 1939)
2014 – Bapu , Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1933)2014 – Ștefan Andrei , Romanian politician, 87th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1931)
2014 – Stan Goldberg , American illustrator (b. 1932)
2014 – Carol Vadnais , Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1945)
2015 – Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu , English politician, founded the National Motor Museum (b. 1926)2015 – Tom Scott , American football player (b. 1930)
Holidays and observances External links
Months and days of the year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
