Scottish actor, producer
English singer-songwriter, producer
Israeli/American singer-songwriter, bass player, producer, actor,
American director, producer, screenwriter
Russian Tsar
Scottish economist, historian, philosopher
German philosopher
English scientist
American pilot, engineer, astronaut, first person to walk on the moon
Mongolian Emperor
NASA’s Voyager 1 marked a major milestone for humankind as it became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space. Launched on September 5, 1977, it progressed beyond the heliosphere — the part of space that is under the influence of our Sun. The spacecraft also has the distinguished honor for taking the first overview image of the solar system in February 1990. Presently, Voyager 1 stands as the most distant man-made object in space.
Michael Schumacher, the celebrated German race car champion, kicked off his eventful Formula One career at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. Although he didn't clinch a victory in the debut race, he later achieved an impressively high tally of 91 Formula One Grand Prix race wins.
The crusade to liberate Paris from Nazi control, which persisted from 1940, commenced on August 19, 1944, and culminated on this day. The resistance comprised of French revolutionists, backed by the American Armed Forces led by General George Patton. Despite Hitler’s orders to raze Paris, the Nazis offered minimal resistance. General Dietrich Von Choltitz, the Nazi Commander of Paris, surrendered to the French and American troops. On August 26, General Charles de Gaulle entered Paris, heading a liberation march on the Champs d’Elysees, and announced the Provisional Government of the French Republic.
The New York-based newspaper, The Sun, started a series of publications that orated the finding of a civilization on the Moon.
Uruguay declared independence from the Brazilian Empire that constituted current Brazil and Uruguay, and had announced its separation from Portugal in 1822. However, the Empire didn't acknowledge Uruguay's independence until August 1928, due to the Treaty of Montevideo.
Galileo Galilei, the prominent Italian astronomer, marked an important day in history by demonstrating his first telescope to lawmakers in Venice.
On this day, hundreds of French colonist arrived in Louisiana, marking the birth of New Orleans.
Captain James Cook embarks from Plymouth, England, on his first expedition aboard the Endeavour, aimed for the Pacific Ocean. This voyage marked a pivotal point in the world’s naval history.
In a breakthrough moment for medical science, Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague. He later published his findings in The Lancet.
In response to escalating tension, the UN Security Council sanctioned military action against Iraq in 1990.
In a landmark event in the field of computer science, Linux was born when Linus Torvalds announced his ambitious project to create a new computer operating system via an email.