Ophelia near North Carolina

Hurricane Ophelia was a long-lived tropical cyclone, the fifteenth named storm and the eighth hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Classified as a tropical depression on September 6, it moved along a looping course, tending north. It reached hurricane status on September 8, though it repeatedly lost and regained it. The system reached hurricane strength for the fourth time on September 14, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). Ophelia had completed a second loop and was moving northwest toward North Carolina. It mostly remained offshore though its eyewall scraped the coastline for two days. It degraded to tropical storm strength on September 16 as it began accelerating northeast. Ophelia traversed Atlantic Canada before dissipating on September 23 over the Norwegian Sea. With the storm occurring on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, governments were quick to prepare shelters. Three people died as the result of the storm, with another missing. (Full article...)

Round tower at Devenish Island

• ... that the ecclesiastical site at Devenish Island (pictured) was among the first protected monuments in the United Kingdom?
• ... that wrestler Vladimir Popov initially viewed winning a bronze medal at the Olympics as a "failure"?
• ... that the German Empire dispatched six warships to Nicaragua after a marriage dispute led to a shooting and Germany's consul being arrested?
• ... that a Japanese racehorse was named the tourism ambassador of a city in Hokkaido?
• ... that President Paul Kagame pardoned more than five hundred people who had been arrested for abortion in Rwanda?
• ... that Frank W. Lehan invented a search-and-rescue system used in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, but never profited from it?
• ... that the devkit used to develop Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy had to be smuggled into the United States due to export restrictions?
• ... that Achmad Maschut, the mayor of Kediri, gave municipal government jobs to players from the city's football club after they became national champions in 2003?
• ... that the Little Valley Fire prompted the evacuation of 101 horses and one parrot?

Giorgio Armani

• Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani (pictured) dies at the age of 91.
• A derailment on the Ascensor da Glória funicular railway in Lisbon, Portugal, kills 16 people.
• A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 2,200 people dead.
• Samoa United in Faith wins an absolute majority in the general election.

September 6: Defence Day in Pakistan (1965), Ghost Festival in China (2025)

Cal Ripken Jr.

• 1863 – General John S. Marmaduke fatally wounded his Confederate Army colleague Lucius M. Walker in a formal duel in Arkansas.
• 1930 – Argentine president Hipólito Yrigoyen was deposed in a military coup by José Félix Uriburu.
• 1952 – A prototype aircraft crashed at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, England, killing the pilot and test observer on board, and 29 spectators.
• 1995 – Cal Ripken Jr. (pictured) played his 2,131st consecutive Major League Baseball game, breaking the 56-year-old record set by Lou Gehrig.
• 1999 – The Parliament of Singapore relocated from the Old Parliament House to its current meeting place.

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Joseph Francis Shea (September 5, 1925 – February 14, 1999) was an American aerospace engineer and NASA manager. After working for Bell Labs on the radio inertial guidance system of the Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile, he was hired by NASA in 1961. As Deputy Director of NASA's Office of Manned Space Flight, and later as head of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office, Shea led NASA to decide in favor of lunar orbit rendezvous and supporting "all up" testing of the Saturn V rocket. Deeply involved in the investigation of the 1967 Apollo 1 fire, Shea suffered from stress. He was moved to an alternative position in Washington and left NASA shortly afterwards. From 1968 until 1990 he was a senior manager at Raytheon in Lexington, Massachusetts, then worked as an adjunct professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Shea served as a consultant for NASA on the redesign of the International Space Station in 1993, but resigned due to health issues. (Full article...)

Leontyne Price

• ... that the recordings of Leontyne Price (pictured) have been nominated for 25 Grammy Awards and won 13?
• ... that after the Battle of Vrigne-Meuse the identity of the last French soldier killed in World War I was disputed?
• ... that, when Richardson Viano was asked to represent Haiti at the 2022 Winter Olympics, he initially thought it was a joke?
• ... that the concept for the Radar, Coast Defense, Mark I, emerged in 1939 when an experimental radar set saw the splashes from shells falling in the water?
• ... that geologist E. Dale Jackson conducted experiments with Jello to test theories on the formation of the Hawaiian islands?
• ... that the "umbilical cord" panhandle is only about 90 centimetres (35 in) wide at its narrowest point?
• ... that the 2016 Christmas Eve EastEnders episode featured a character returning after 21 years?
• ... that the murder of the former director of Trinidad and Tobago's national museum in 2017 brought attention to crime in the country?
• ... that the leaves of Coprosma foetidissima, when rubbed, produce a smell like rotten cabbage?

Ascensor da Glória

• A derailment on the Ascensor da Glória funicular (pictured) in Lisbon, Portugal, kills 16 people.
• A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 1,400 people dead.
• Samoa United in Faith wins an absolute majority in the 2025 Samoan general election.
• Protests erupt in Indonesia over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.

September 5

El Dorado Fire

• 917 – Liu Yan declared himself emperor, establishing the state of Southern Han at his capital of Panyu (present-day Guangzhou) in southern China.
• 1774 – In response to the British Parliament's enactment of the so-called Intolerable Acts, representatives from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies convened the First Continental Congress at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia.
• 1970 – During the practice session of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit, Jochen Rindt was killed and subsequently became motor racing's only posthumous world champion.
• 1972 – The Palestinian militant group Black September took hostage eleven Israeli athletes and coaches at the Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany; all of the hostages were killed less than 24 hours later.
• 2020 – California wildfires: A pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party ignited the El Dorado Fire (pictured), burning for 71 days and killing one firefighter.

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Formica archboldi queen ant tended to by Polyergus lucidus workers

A parasitic ant is a type of ant that exploits the social structure of another ant species for its own survival and reproduction. The most common types of parasitic ants infiltrate a colony of a closely related species by using pheromones identical to those of the colony's workers to avoid conflict and blend in. The parasite lays eggs alongside existing ones for the host colony's worker ants to raise and nurture. Other parasitic ants transport the host colony's pupae and larvae back to the parasite's colony, where the brood will be raised as their own. The host brood that were transported are unable to differentiate between the parasites and their own colony, and serve as worker ants for the parasites. Some parasites have adapted their anatomy to reflect that of the hosts, allowing them to remain undetected for much of their lifespans. Parasites usually cause harmful effects to the target colony and can inhibit the colony's growth and development. (Full article...)

Aeneas Valley, Washington

• ... that the Great Northern Rail Road almost came to Aeneas (pictured)?
• ... that Frenchman Ernest Grandier was the only white prisoner taken by the Zulu during their 1879 war with Britain?
• ... that a major UK retail CEO criticised the "Not for EU" label as "bureaucratic madness"?
• ... that at his first international competition, runner Bhupendra Silwal started bleeding when he tried to remove tarmac embedded in his feet?
• ... that in the 2024 Salvadoran presidential election, there was a 78 percentage point difference between first and second place?
• ... that NFL player Broc Rutter only received a $279 signing bonus from the San Francisco 49ers?
• ... that the creators of a botanic database for machine learning included three images of leaves from an extinct relative of the rose?
• ... that an airshow at a Bronx airport may have been the inspiration for the first serious artistic work to depict flight by aircraft?
• ... that in 2009, a Japanese man held a wedding ceremony to marry his fictional waifu, with the ceremony broadcast live to over 3,000 viewers?

Indonesian protests

• A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 1,400 people dead.
• Protests (pictured) erupt in Indonesia over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.
• Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra is removed from office by the Constitutional Court for misconduct.
• Targeted strikes by the Israeli Air Force kill several ministers of the Houthi–led government of Yemen, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi.

September 4

Little Rock Central High School

• 1886 – After more than 25 years of fighting against the United States Army and the armed forces of Mexico, Geronimo of the Chiricahua Apache surrendered at Skeleton Canyon in Arizona.
• 1839 – First Opium War: British vessels opened fire on Chinese war junks enforcing a food sales embargo on the British community on the Kowloon Peninsula.
• 1920 – Peasants in and around Križ began a rebellion to protest economic and conscription policies enacted by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
• 1957 – Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African-American students from attending Little Rock Central High School (pictured).
• 2007 – Three terrorists suspected to be part of al-Qaeda were arrested in Germany after planning attacks on Frankfurt Airport and Ramstein Air Base.

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William Arthur Ganfield (September 3, 1873 – October 18, 1940) was an American minister, educator, and academic administrator. He was ordained in 1901 and began his first preaching role later that year in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He became a professor at Carroll College (now Carroll University) in 1905 and taught there until he was elected president of Centre College in 1915. During his six-year term, he helped Centre's enrollment recover from a lull and grew the school's endowment past $1 million for the first time, in part by reinstating ties between the college and the Presbyterian Church. He returned to Carroll as its president in 1921 and oversaw a strengthening of requirements for professors and implementing tenure, pensions and a fixed salary for faculty. Ganfield supported sports at both schools: Centre's football team won a major upset victory over Harvard in 1921, and Carroll's football and basketball teams each won multiple league championships during his term. (Full article...)

The New York Life Building

• ... that when a developer tried to buy Kansas City's New York Life Building (pictured) in the 1990s, it was unclear who owned it?
• ... that, while in exile in Paris, the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis worked with the Chilean ambassador and poet Pablo Neruda on Canto General?
• ... that fistfights broke out at a 1903 meeting of African-American leaders when the appeasement of Southern whites was challenged?
• ... that the 2020 Summer Olympics mascots were chosen by schoolchildren?
• ... that Spotify Pakistan's most streamed artist of 2024 made his cinematic debut the same year to present his album?
• ... that Gaetano di Mauro was the runner-up in a 2017 racing championship despite carrying 80 kg (180 lb) of ballast in his car?
• ... that the basement of the Old Town Hall in Gdańsk was rented by a famous astronomer to store his beers?
• ... that many Muslims in Gaza reportedly celebrate Christmas with the Christian population, despite being officially forbidden to do so since 2020?
• ... that zebros were not zebras?

Indonesian protests

• A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 1,400 people dead.
• Protests (pictured) erupt in Indonesia over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.
• Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra is removed from office by the Constitutional Court for misconduct.
• Targeted strikes by the Israeli Air Force kill several ministers of the Houthi–led government of Yemen, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi.

September 3

Oliver Cromwell

• 863 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Byzantine Empire decisively defeated the Emirate of Melitene at the Battle of Lalakaon, beginning the era of Byzantine ascendancy.
• 1651 – English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell (pictured) won the Battle of Worcester, the final battle of the English Civil War.
• 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The British Army and their Hessian allies defeated an American militia at the Battle of Cooch's Bridge.
• 1936 – The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was founded in Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada.
• 2001 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalists resumed a picket outside a Catholic girls' primary school in the Protestant portion of Ardoyne, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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Joe Walton

During its 1905–06 season, New Brompton F.C., an English football club, competed in the Southern League Division One. The team began the season on 2 September 1905 in poor form; they failed to score in six of their first eight league games and, by midseason, they were near the bottom of the league table. In the new year, the team won three of its first seven Southern League games, but failed to score in eight of the final nine league games. New Brompton finished the season in 17th place out of 18 teams in the division. They also competed in the FA Cup, reaching the second round. The team played a total of 37 league and cup matches, winning 8, drawing 9 and losing 20. Bill Marriott was the club's top goalscorer, with four goals in the Southern League and one in the FA Cup. Joe Walton (pictured) made the most appearances, playing in 36 of the team's 37 games. The highest attendance recorded at Priestfield Road was 5,500 for a game against Portsmouth on 27 January 1906. (Full article...)

Arch of the Philaeni

• ... that the Arch of the Philaeni (pictured) drew parallels between the dictator Benito Mussolini and the Roman emperor Augustus?
• ... that George Lincoln helped draft the document which ended World War II 80 years ago today?
• ... that a music publication apologized after reporting that Ghostholding was the work of a fictional indie rock band?
• ... that Bosnian Olympic runners Islam Ðugum and Kada Delić were both nearly killed by snipers during their training?
• ... that brothers Craig and Scott Hendrickson played gridiron football together in college and professionally?
• ... that Andrea Enisuoh campaigned to retain the name of her local library, honouring Trinidadian writer C. L. R. James?
• ... that Somalia bans abortion in its constitution, one of only three countries to do so?
• ... that Amrom Harry Katz, using aerial photographs of tides, helped to capture Seoul during the Korean War?
• ... that the restaurant Megatron was reported to police as a UFO when it first opened?

Indonesian protests

• A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 800 people dead.
• Protests in Indonesia (pictured) erupt over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.
• Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra is removed from office by the Constitutional Court for misconduct.
• Targeted strikes by the Israeli Air Force kill several ministers of the Houthi–led government of Yemen, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi.

September 2: National Day in Vietnam (1945)

Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender

• 1666 – A large fire began in London's Pudding Lane and burned for five days, destroying St Paul's Cathedral and the homes of 70,000 of the city's 80,000 inhabitants.
• 1885 – White miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming, attacked Chinese-American immigrants, killing at least 28 Chinese miners and causing approximately $150,000 in property damage.
• 1901 – U.S. vice president Theodore Roosevelt first publicly used the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick" at the Minnesota State Fair, describing his philosophy of negotiating peacefully while simultaneously threatening to use military force.
• 1945 – On the deck of the U.S. Navy battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, representatives from the Empire of Japan and the Allied powers signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender (pictured), formally ending World War II.
• 2011 – Bad weather caused a Chilean Air Force aircraft to crash into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 21 people on board.

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Randy Travis (born 1959) is an American country and gospel music singer and songwriter. He has recorded more than 20 studio albums and charted more than 50 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs charts, including 16 that reached the number-one position. Travis's commercial success began in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. His major songs include "On the Other Hand", "Forever and Ever, Amen", "I Told You So", "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart", and "Three Wooden Crosses". Travis is noted as a key figure in the neotraditional country movement, a return to more traditional sounds within the genre following the country pop crossovers of the early 1980s. Since surviving a near-fatal stroke in 2013, which severely limited his singing and speaking ability, he has released archival recordings and made limited public appearances. (Full article...)

Alejo Igoa

• ... that Alejo Igoa (pictured) hosts the most-subscribed Spanish-language YouTube channel?
• ... that Swertia japonica was used as an insecticide for clothes during the Edo period?
• ... that Joseph M'Bouroukounda was both an Olympic boxer and an art teacher?
• ... that a dam on Madura Island began construction in 1980, triggered a violent incident in 1993, and only opened in 2016?
• ... that Max-Emmanuel Mader pretended to be deaf and mute when Nazi Germany occupied France so that his accent could not be identified?
• ... that the dedication ceremony for the Cathedral of Christ the King was attended by both the governor of Georgia and an imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan?
• ... that Jordan Howlett went from sleeping in his car to amassing millions of followers on TikTok?
• ... that, in his autobiography, footballer Lê Công Vinh criticised a teammate for not passing the ball to him?
• ... that KING fought and then bought KONG?

Indonesian protests

• Protests in Indonesia (pictured) erupt over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.
• Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra is removed from office by the Constitutional Court for misconduct.
• Targeted strikes by the Israeli Air Force kill several ministers of the Houthi–led government of Yemen, including prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi.
• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.

September 1: Labour Day in Canada and Labor Day in the United States (2025)

Title page of the soprano part book

• 1610 – Claudio Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine (page pictured) was first printed in Venice, dedicated to Pope Paul V.
• 1804 – German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding discovered one of the largest main-belt asteroids, naming it Juno after the Roman goddess.
• 1902 – The first science fiction film, titled A Trip to the Moon and based on From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, was released in France.
• 1937 – The first group of around 172,000 Koreans were deported by Soviet authorities from the Russian Far East to the Kazakh and Uzbek SSRs; around 10 to 25 percent died.
• 2000 – Speakers' Corner, a free speech area in Hong Lim Park in Singapore, was launched.

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Drew Goddard, writer, director and producer

Bad Times at the El Royale is a 2018 American neo-noir, hyperlink, thriller film written, directed, and produced by Drew Goddard (pictured). The film follows six strangers and an employee at the El Royale, a hotel located on the California–Nevada border, on a night in the late 1960s, exploring themes of morality, faith, redemption, and the concepts of right and wrong. Principal photography began on January 29, 2018, with cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, and concluded on April 6. Post-production editing was completed by Lisa Lassek and the musical score was composed by Michael Giacchino. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing $31.8 million against its $32 million production budget. Despite this, critics praised the soundtrack, performances of the cast, and McGarvey's cinematography, although they criticized its pacing, runtime, character beats, and Goddard’s writing. At the 45th Saturn Awards, the film received five nominations and won for Best Thriller Film. (Full article...)

Porcelain snuff bottle, 18th century

• ... that some Chinese snuff bottles (example pictured) were made to look like people?
• ... that boxing rings are square, despite their name?
• ... that as of 2024, fewer than 150 people had ever been diagnosed with Meier-Gorlin syndrome?
• ... that Ann Perkins often taught graduate students at Yale University even though, as a woman, she could not teach undergraduates?
• ... that the prefectural border on Hyōtanjima is only 74 metres (243 ft) long?
• ... that Moira Deeming comes from a family of union leaders and Australian Labor Party members, but is a member of the Liberal Party?
• ... that the spider Rhene hexagon gets its name from the unusual hexagonal shape of one of its principal body parts?
• ... that Matt Koehl stated that Adolf Hitler was "a gift of Almighty Providence"?
• ... that Eritrea's abortion law was based on Ethiopia's, which was based on Switzerland's, which was based on France's?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 31: Independence Day in Malaysia (1957); Romanian Language Day in Moldova and Romania

Ngô Đình Nhu

• 1814 – War of 1812: American militia forces repelled a British Army force at the Battle of Caulk's Field, killing 41 people including British Captain Peter Parker.
• 1876 – Sultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire was deposed after a reign of 93 days on grounds of mental illness.
• 1939 – Nazi forces, posing as Poles, staged an attack against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany, creating an excuse to invade Poland the next day.
• 1959 – A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu (pictured), younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm, failed to kill Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister of Cambodia.
• 2010 – The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British television history, was broadcast.

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Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift (pictured), released on October 24, 2006, by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote or co-wrote all the tracks of the album, based on her experiences as a teenager; its lyrics address love, friendship, and insecurity. Produced by Nathan Chapman, it is a country record with pop and pop rock influences, using acoustic arrangements composed of guitars, banjos, and fiddles. Critics generally praised the earnest teenage feelings portrayed in Taylor Swift, and it spent more weeks on the US Billboard 200 than any other album of the 2000s decade. Among its singles, "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" peaked atop the US Hot Country Songs chart, while "Teardrops on My Guitar" became Swift's first crossover success on the pop charts. Rolling Stone featured it in their 2022 list "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time". (This article is part of a featured topic: Taylor Swift original studio albums.)

Flag of El Salvador

• ... that one of the blue stripes on the flag of El Salvador (pictured) represents the Atlantic Ocean, despite the country not having a coastline on it?
• ... that the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre was established after a 2004 report found that captive bears in Malaysia were largely inadequately cared for?
• ... that Hadiza Bazoum, a former first lady of Niger, has been imprisoned in the Presidential Palace since a 2023 coup d'état?
• ... that the sculpture Against the Tide was inspired by a hand gesture of Michelangelo's Pietà?
• ... that NBA player Chris Mañon said that his role in college was to "make life hell" for the best opposing players?
• ... that Dutch Maid Bakery in Tennessee has survived fire, war, the Great Depression, and the rebranding of its fruitcake?
• ... that Yiddish poet Mikhl Gordon's first collection under his real name was not published until 1889, a year before his death?
• ... that the New Zealand band Sachi gained prominence after throwing a USB demo through the car window of music producer Diplo?
• ... that church chancellor Baldwin and knight Bernard Vacher were sent to tell Pisa and Genoa to stop feuding and fight Muslims together instead, but the Italians would have none of that?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 30: Victory Day in Turkey (1922)

Michael Schumacher

• 1914 – World War I: The Battle of Tannenberg resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russian 2nd Army by the German 8th Army.
• 1959 – Writer and politician Abdul Muis became the first person to be awarded the posthumous title of National Hero of Indonesia.
• 1981 – Iranian president Mohammad-Ali Rajai and prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar were assassinated in a bombing committed by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
• 1984 – Discovery, the third orbiter of NASA's Space Shuttle program, lifted off on its maiden voyage from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
• 1990 – Gulf War: US General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. issued General Order No. 1 prohibiting US troops from consuming alcohol or possessing pornographic material.

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Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville (29 August 1785 – 25 November 1862), was a British society hostess and writer. The younger daughter of Lady Georgiana Spencer and the 5th Duke of Devonshire, she was a member of the wealthy Cavendish and Spencer families. In 1809, Harriet married Granville Leveson-Gower, a diplomat who had been her maternal aunt's lover for seventeen years. During intermittent periods between 1824 and 1841, Granville served as the British ambassador to France, requiring Harriet to perform an array of social duties in Paris that she often found exhausting. A prolific writer of letters, Harriet corresponded with others for most of her life, often describing her observations of those around her. Historians have since found her detailed accounts to be a valuable source of information on life as an ambassadress as well as life in the 19th-century aristocracy. Between 1894 and 1990, four edited collections of Harriet's correspondence were published. (Full article...)

Sibylla crowning Guy as king

• ... that Queen Sibylla agreed to divorce her unpopular husband, Guy, on the condition that she could choose her next husband, only for her to choose Guy again and crown him king (pictured)?
• ... that James Marriott's second album took its name from an incident involving a dog that was left behind during a childhood move?
• ... that singer Tati Penna was considered one of the first feminists on Chilean television?
• ... that in a speech at Howard University, novelist Toni Morrison described fascism as a marketing strategy for power?
• ... that RhonniRose Mantilla produced, directed and created her own musical to showcase her dancing?
• ... that Canadian football player Nigel Williams served two tours of duty during the war in Afghanistan?
• ... that Lego sued Nintendo over their N&B Block toys?
• ... that literary scholar Mitzi Myers tried to rescue her library as it burned in a house fire?
• ... that an 8th-century log of agarwood was enjoyed as incense for more than a millennium by Japanese leaders including Oda Nobunaga and Emperor Meiji?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 29: Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (Catholicism, Anglicanism); Qixi Festival in China (2025)

Daimler Reitwagen replica

• 1475 – France signed the Treaty of Picquigny with England, freeing Louis XI to deal with the threat posed by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
• 1885 – Gottlieb Daimler patented the world's first internal-combustion motorcycle, the Reitwagen (replica pictured).
• 1911 – The last member of the Yahi, known as Ishi, emerged from the wilderness near Oroville, California, to join European American society.
• 1959 – Mona Best opened the Casbah Coffee Club with a performance by the Quarrymen, the precursor of the Beatles.
• 1960 – Air France Flight 343 crashed while attempting to land at Yoff Airport, Dakar, killing all 63 occupants.

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Harry Crerar (1888–1965) was a Canadian Army officer who was the country's senior field commander in the Second World War as the commander of the First Canadian Army in the campaign in North West Europe in 1944–1945. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, he was commissioned in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1909. He saw action in the First World War, for which he was mentioned in despatches and made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order. After the war, he attended the Staff College, Camberley, and the Imperial Defence College. In March 1944, he assumed command of the First Canadian Army, which also contained British, Polish and Czech troops. Under his command, it fought in the Battle of Normandy, cleared the Channel Coast, and liberated the western Netherlands in April 1945. He was promoted to full general on 16 November 1944, becoming the first Canadian officer to hold that rank in the field. (Full article...)

James R. Thompson Center

• ... that the namesake of the James R. Thompson Center (pictured) once called it a "scrap heap"?
• ... that by 2010 Yi Kŭmch'ŏl had written approximately one-fifth of all North Korean science fiction literature?
• ... that members of the Sole Front for Women's Rights staged a hunger strike outside the Mexican president's official residence?
• ... that the Royal Alderney Militia were described as "totally inefficient" and "useless" by two generals in the mid–19th century?
• ... that the voice actress for Marin Kitagawa said that she would get very hungry after recording lines for the role?
• ... that the person who coined the term "Barbenheimer" did not recall writing it?
• ... that medical doctor Jules LaDuron tried to stab someone with a bayonet?
• ... that the Carthaginians faked agreement to a peace deal after a battle to train their surviving forces for the next one?
• ... that Miriam Silverberg's academic career ended with Erotic Grotesque Nonsense?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 28

Replica of Tom Thumb

• 475 – Orestes took control of Ravenna, the capital of the Western Roman Empire, forcing Emperor Julius Nepos to flee.
• 1830 – Tom Thumb (replica pictured), the first American-built steam locomotive, took part in an impromptu race against a horse-drawn car in Maryland.
• 1950 – American tennis player Althea Gibson became the first African-American woman to compete at the U.S. National Championships.
• 1955 – African-American teenager Emmett Till was lynched near Money, Mississippi, for allegedly flirting with a white woman, energizing the nascent American civil rights movement.
• 1973 – Swedish police used gas bombs to end a seven-day hostage situation in Stockholm; the hostages had bonded with their captors during the incident, leading to the term Stockholm syndrome.

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Main entrance to the stadium

Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose, all-seater venue in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, built in 1955. The largest stadium in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, it has a history of use for athletics events, sports, and musical performances. Gateshead Harriers Athletic Club (which includes Jonathan Edwards) have used the site since 1956. At the 1974 "Gateshead Games", Brendan Foster broke the world record in the men's 3,000 metres. It has since hosted the British Grand Prix (2003–2010) and the European Athletics Team Championships in 1989, 2000 and 2013. Five world records have been set at the stadium, including two by pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and a tied 100 metres record by Asafa Powell in 2006. It has been used by Gateshead F.C. and its predecessors since 1973. The stadium was home to the rugby league club Gateshead Thunder during their spell in the Super League, and the replacement Gateshead Thunder club played home games in the main arena until 2015. (Full article...)

Pupusas

• ... that both El Salvador and Honduras claim to be the country of origin of the pupusa (examples pictured)?
• ... that Justin Nsengiyumva was appointed Rwanda's prime minister in the same year that he returned to the country after more than 15 years?
• ... that, before air conditioning, a company in the U.S. chocolate industry made confections at night to sell the next morning?
• ... that Julia Hagen plays a cello made by Francesco Ruggeri in 1684?
• ... that the ban on abortion in the Republic of the Congo is unchanged from a law from 1810?
• ... that sprinter George Short first started training at the age of 17, then competed in the Olympics two years later?
• ... that the former luxury passenger liner HMS Worcestershire carried reinforcements across the English Channel on the day after D-Day?
• ... that Alberic II of Spoleto appointed five popes and fathered another?
• ... that the submarine Dmitry Donskoy has a gym, a swimming pool, a sauna, and an aviary?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 27: Independence Day in Moldova (1991)

Chief Black Hawk

• 1776 – British forces led by William Howe defeated the Continental Army under George Washington at the Battle of Long Island, the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War.
• 1810 – Napoleonic Wars: The French Navy defeated the Royal Navy, preventing them from capturing the harbour of Grand Port on Mauritius.
• 1832 – Black Hawk (pictured), the leader of the Sauk tribe of Native Americans, surrendered to U.S. authorities to end the Black Hawk War.
• 1979 – The Troubles: the IRA ambushed and killed 18 British soldiers near Warrenpoint, and assassinated Lord Mountbatten on his boat at Mullaghmore.
• 1990 – American musician Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of the most influential guitarists in the revival of blues in the 1980s, was killed in a helicopter crash.

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1830 depiction of Zhao Chongguo

Zhao Chongguo (137 BCE – 52 BCE) was a Chinese military commander and official during the Western Han dynasty. Emperor Wu, impressed by Zhao's military service, promoted him, and he served as chief of staff for the supreme head of cavalry units. In 74 BCE, Zhao collaborated with the political leader Huo Guang to depose the newly enthroned emperor Liu He in favor of Emperor Xuan. For this, he was appointed Marquis of Yingping and promoted to general of the rear. He volunteered to lead a campaign against the Qiang people in 62 BCE. Joined by his son, he persuaded the Qiang to defect to the Han cause. Zhao rejected proposals by his fellow generals and the Emperor to continue offensive operations, believing that a protracted occupation would subdue the Qiang through attrition. He was able to implement a policy of tuntian (farming garrisons) in spite of imperial opposition. This gained him acclaim and influenced later tacticians. He retired in 60 BCE after his son caused a scandal. (Full article...)

Zhou Bingde with her uncle Zhou Enlai, Premier of China

• ... that Zhou Bingde, despite being the niece of the premier of China (both pictured), refused to use her family status for protection during the Cultural Revolution?
• ... that the video game Danan: The Jungle Fighter allows the player to summon either an armadillo, an eagle, or a chimpanzee for help?
• ... that, when the dying Patriarch Stephen was asked by his king how he was, he replied: "Sire, I am faring as you desire"?
• ... that actor Paul Nicholls made a surprise return on EastEnders after a 27-year absence?
• ... that it took more than two decades to complete the decorations to the Boston Central Library after it opened to the public?
• ... that Nina Negri was one of only two people to exhibit engravings at the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme?
• ... that the name of Diaphoretickes, a group containing a huge diversity of organisms including plants and kelps, is derived from a Greek word meaning diverse?
• ... that Kathleen Romoli became an anthropologist after witnessing the exploitation of natural resources while promoting a mining company?
• ... that a reviewer found the children's novel The Cat Mummy "really quite disturbing"?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 26: Heroes' Day in Namibia; Women's Equality Day in the United States

Eruption of Krakatoa

• 1346 – Hundred Years' War: At the Battle of Crécy, English forces established the military supremacy of English longbows over the French combination of crossbows and armoured knights.
• 1883 – A massive eruption (pictured) destroyed the island of Krakatoa, Indonesia, ejecting so much volcanic ash that average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) over the next year.
• 1955 – Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and international film awards.
• 1970 – Betty Friedan and the National Organization for Women organized the Women's Strike for Equality in New York City, in which 50,000 women protested the continuing lack of gender equality.
• 2015 – Two American journalists were murdered on live television while conducting an interview in Moneta, Virginia.

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Bruce Springsteen

Born to Run is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen (pictured), released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co-produced by Springsteen with Mike Appel and Jon Landau, the album marked Springsteen's effort to break into the mainstream and create a commercially successful album. Sessions took place in New York between January 1974 and July 1975. The album incorporates a Wall of Sound production with musical styles such as rock and roll and R&B. Its character-driven lyrics describe individuals who feel trapped and fantasize about escaping to a better life. Born to Run was a commercial success, reaching number three in the U.S., and received highly positive reviews. It became Springsteen's breakthrough album. Over the following decades, the album has become widely regarded as a masterpiece and one of Springsteen's best records. (Full article...)

Warming stripes illustrating global warming since 1850

• ... that the exhibition Pirouette: Turning Points in Design at the Museum of Modern Art includes a data graphic (pictured) that was compared to a Morris Louis painting?
• ... that Hollywood makeup artist Bernadine Anderson supported herself in college by doing makeup on corpses?
• ... that around 700,000 calls were made using 5 Calls to members of the US Congress in one week?
• ... that Javier Gómez was the president of Valencia CF for 48 hours in June 2009?
• ... that in 1915 Prahran became one of the first railway stations in Victoria to be provided with automatic signalling?
• ... that Dercy Furtado advocated for the rights of Brazilian women to work at night?
• ... that the village of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home plans to turn it into a historic site?
• ... that sprinter Saidur Rahman Dawn first ran on a synthetic athletics track at the age of 19?
• ... that Shadow the Hedgehog's love for Latinas in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was borne from Sonic fandom shitposting?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• The United Nations–backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirms a famine in the Gaza Governorate, Palestine.
• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August 25

Galileo Galilei

• 1270 – Philip III became King of France following the death of his father Louis IX during the Eighth Crusade.
• 1609 – Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
• 1875 – Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, doing so in approximately 21 hours 40 minutes.
• 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea.
• 2012 – The skeleton of King Richard III of England was discovered under a car park in Leicester.

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Joss Whedon, creator of Satsu

Satsu is a fictional character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics. She first appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight No. 1 (2007), a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy Summers is a slayer, a fighter of supernatural foes. Satsu is activated as a slayer, trained by Buffy, and falls in love with her. They have sex together twice before Satsu returns to Japan. In later storylines, Satsu struggles to move on from Buffy, fights demonically-possessed stuffed animals, and briefly reappears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten. Satsu was developed by Buffy's creator Joss Whedon (pictured) and artist Georges Jeanty. Critics, fans, and industry insiders had a mixed response to Satsu's sexual relationship with Buffy. Academics have analyzed the unequal power dynamic between Satsu and Buffy, compared the representations of their sexuality, and discussed the depiction of Satsu's race and ethnicity. (Full article...)

Andrey Zaliznyak

• ... that Andrey Zaliznyak (pictured) invented self-contained linguistic problems that require no prior knowledge of the language to solve?
• ... that soccer games were still played at Marquette Stadium while it was being demolished?
• ... that Frederick E. Bakutis, then the US Navy commander in Antarctica, remarked in 1965 that it would "remain the womanless white continent of peace"?
• ... that the supreme state organ of power of a communist state holds unified power unless it constrains itself through a constitution and laws?
• ... that the abilities of a Jujutsu Kaisen character were based on a traditional method of inflicting curses?
• ... that Alca Electronics was liquidated after being sued by Sega for copying a game, even though their major distributor was one of Sega's founders?
• ... that Respati Ardi was announced as a candidate in a 2024 election a day before the registration deadline?
• ... that the creator of Reddit's cringe culture community originally intended it to foster empathy for awkward people, not to mock them?
• ... that actress Jessica Ellis has a phobia of ears?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in the Guzara District, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.

August 24: Feast day of Saint Bartholomew (Western Christianity); Independence Day in Ukraine (1991)

Jokhang Temple

• 1456 – The oldest known version of the Gutenberg Bible, the first major book produced on a printing press, was completed.
• 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Near present-day Aurora, Indiana, American Indians led by Joseph Brant killed or captured all members of a Pennsylvania militia.
• 1857 – The New York City branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Co. collapsed following widespread embezzlement, leading to a severe recession that caused about 5,000 businesses to fail.
• 1941 – Adolf Hitler ordered the suspension of the T4 euthanasia program of the mentally ill and disabled, although killings continued in secret for the remainder of World War II.
• 1966 – Cultural Revolution: Red Guards vandalised the Jokhang (depicted), the holiest Buddhist temple in Tibet.

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White chocolate is a chocolate made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids. It is ivory in color as it does not contain the non-fat components of cocoa (cocoa solids). Of the three traditional types of chocolate (the others being milk and dark), white chocolate is the least popular; its taste and texture are divisive. White chocolate is sold in a variety of forms and it is common for manufacturers to pair white chocolate with other flavors. White chocolate is made industrially in a five-step process. The ingredients are mixed to form a paste; the paste is refined, reducing the particle size to a powder; then agitated for several hours (known as conching); further processing standardizes its viscosity and taste; and the chocolate is tempered by heating, cooling and then reheating. White chocolate was first sold commercially in tablet form in 1936 by the Swiss company Nestlé. It was not until the 1980s that white chocolate became popular in the United States. (Full article...)

Cynodon gibbus

• ... that the original type specimen of the fish species Cynodon gibbus (example pictured) may have been destroyed in a bombing raid?
• ... that Marty Norton, after leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1925, was imprisoned in at least eight different years and escaped jail twice?
• ... that three Indonesian presidents have reportedly fallen victim to the "Kediri curse"?
• ... that Marc Mac made his early projects deliberately "faceless" to sidestep racism?
• ... that autocratic legalism allows leaders to use the law to undermine liberal democracy while appearing to uphold it?
• ... that Samuel S. Mayerberg was targeted in a drive-by shooting in 1932 for criticizing political boss Tom Pendergast?
• ... that, after Ustrzyki Górne was burnt down and depopulated following World War II, a students' club from Warsaw played the most important role in its reconstruction?
• ... that Marcel Schwerzmann, before becoming a Swiss cantonal council member, finished second in a transatlantic boat race from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia?
• ... that traditional methods of abortion in Niger often favor the color red?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran kills at least 79 people in the Guzara District, Afghanistan.
• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.

August 23: Black Ribbon Day

Natascha Kampusch

• 1305 – William Wallace, a leader of Scottish resistance against England during the Wars of Scottish Independence, was hanged, drawn and quartered.
• 1775 – King George III issued a proclamation that declared elements of the American colonies of Great Britain to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion".
• 1960 – Congo Crisis: In order to stop the secession of South Kasai from the Republic of Congo, Armée Nationale Congolaise forces launched an invasion of South Kasai.
• 2006 – Natascha Kampusch (pictured), who had been abducted at the age of ten in Vienna, escaped from her captor's house in Strasshof an der Nordbahn after more than eight years in captivity.
• 2011 – A 5.8 M_W earthquake struck the Piedmont region of Virginia, and was felt by more people than any other quake in U.S. history.

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Dua Lipa

"Dance the Night" is a song by Dua Lipa (pictured) from the soundtrack to the 2023 fantasy comedy film Barbie. Lipa co-wrote the song with songwriter Caroline Ailin and its producers Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson. A disco, disco-pop, and synth-pop song with influences of dance-pop, it was inspired by a dance sequence in the film and is about always appearing perfect externally. Music critics overwhelmingly compared the sound of "Dance the Night" to Lipa's album Future Nostalgia (2020), which was viewed positively by some while others were disappointed. The song was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media. It reached number one in several countries, including the UK, and received multi-platinum certifications in others. The music video intersperses Lipa performing choreography with clips from a disco party in the film. The song was included as the primary musical motif in the film, and she performed it for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024. (Full article...)

Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat

• ... that Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat (pictured), Malaysia's first female chief justice, was dubbed "the only man in the Federal Court"?
• ... that Taylor Swift wrote a song that a critic considered to be a "piece of Ethel Kennedy fanfiction"?
• ... that Native American Ted Towendolly pioneered a fly-fishing technique that was independently reinvented in Europe fifty years later?
• ... that the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol once bought several firearms that it could not use?
• ... that cyclist Alexandra Yeung raced with one hand during the final 20 kilometres (12 miles) of a race in the Himalayas, and still finished in second place?
• ... that the Perth Panthers, a Scotland-based ice hockey team, were composed mainly of Americans and Canadians?
• ... that Undefeated's previous bassist was replaced by Lis Dunckel, who did not know how to play bass?
• ... that The Old Man and the Sea was one of Saddam Hussein's favourite books?
• ... that Baldwin, the first archbishop of Caesarea, allegedly confessed to faking a divine sign by carving a cross into his forehead?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 22: Madras Day in Chennai, India (1639)

America's Cup

• 1485 – At the Battle of Bosworth Field, Lancastrian forces under Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated Yorkist forces under Richard III of England, decisively ending the Wars of the Roses.
• 1711 – Queen Anne's War: A British attempt to attack Quebec failed when eight ships wrecked on the St. Lawrence River.
• 1851 – The yacht America won the race for the Cup of One Hundred Sovereigns (trophy pictured), later renamed the America's Cup, near the Isle of Wight, England.
• 1985 – A fire broke out on British Airtours Flight 28M at Manchester Airport, causing 55 deaths mostly due to smoke inhalation, and leading to changes to make aircraft evacuation more effective.
• 2003 – Roy Moore, Alabama's chief justice, was suspended after refusing to comply with a U.S. federal court order to remove a rock inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the lobby of the Supreme Court of Alabama building.

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Flower of the blue passionfruit

Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants. Typically they are structured in four circular levels around the end of a stalk. These include: sepals, modified leaves that support the flower; petals, often designed to attract pollinators; male parts, where pollen is presented; and female parts, where pollen is received and its movement is facilitated to the egg. Pollen, produced in the male sex cells, is transported between the male and female parts of flowers in pollination. Pollen movement may be caused by animals or factors such as wind or water. After pollination, the female part of the flower forms a fruit, and the other floral structures die. The fruit protects the seed and aids in its dispersal. Flowers first evolved between 150 and 190 million years ago, in the Jurassic. Plants with flowers dominate the majority of the world's ecosystems, and themselves range from tiny orchids and major crop plants to large trees. (Full article...)

Lizzie the elephant pulling a cart

• ... that Thos. W. Ward Ltd. used camels and an elephant named Lizzie (pictured) to replace horses during World War I?
• ... that Rendon Labador was invited by the Philippine National Police to lead a 93-day fitness program, but his involvement ended abruptly after just a few days?
• ... that Indonesia's current state apparatus minister, Rini Widyantini, was appointed as spokesperson in a coffee morning event?
• ... that Frank Page built roads in France during World War I and was put in charge of North Carolina's highway system after the war?
• ... that "New York City" has been described as a "stupidly fun B-side"?
• ... that American football player Willie Culpepper said that he was fined for dropping a pass in practice?
• ... that "Je te laisserai des mots" was the first French-language song to reach one billion streams on Spotify?
• ... that Caquetá Department, despite its high Human Development Index score, had a 44.8% poverty rate in 2021?
• ... that a New Zealand dairy co-operative adjusted their collection schedule so that Andy Oliver could go to bed on time?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 21

Xá Lợi Pagoda, raided by South Vietnamese special forces

• 1717 – Austro-Turkish War: Austrian troops under Prince Eugene of Savoy captured the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire.
• 1808 – Peninsular War: British and Portuguese forces put an end to the first French invasion of Portugal at the Battle of Vimeiro.
• 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army lost the Battle of the Tenaru, the first of its three major land offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign.
• 1963 – South Vietnamese special forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, the brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, raided and vandalised Buddhist pagodas (one pictured) across the country, arresting thousands and leaving hundreds dead.
• 2015 – Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris confronted and subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting.

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Rose Cleveland (1846–1918) was the acting first lady of the United States from 1885 to 1886, during the first presidency of her brother, Grover Cleveland, until his wedding with Frances Folsom in 1886. Receiving an advanced education in her youth, Rose Cleveland rejected traditional gender norms and worked in literary and academic positions. She used the role of first lady as a platform for her support of women's suffrage. After leaving the White House, Cleveland authored several fiction and nonfiction works, many relating to women's rights. She was editor of a literary magazine, and continued teaching and lecturing. She met Evangeline Marrs Simpson in 1889, and the two became romantic partners, interrupted for several years by Simpson's marriage to Henry Benjamin Whipple. After reuniting, they moved to Italy in 1910. There, Cleveland spent her final years aiding refugees during World War I and cared for Spanish flu patients before contracting the disease herself and dying in 1918. (Full article...)

Male Orthetrum japonicum dragonfly

• ... that Orthetrum japonicum (pictured) was one of the first species of Japanese dragonfly to be recognized and described by Europeans?
• ... that Graham Crowley's painting Spider with Mushroom Soup uses a jagged tin can to evoke the image of vagina dentata?
• ... that Jacqueline Wilson wrote Rent a Bridesmaid (2016) to reflect the "current craze" for weddings?
• ... that an NAACP chapter successfully protested the appointment of an African bishop to a role at Dartmouth College?
• ... that many reviewers described the Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer as an odd pairing, but their 2024 co-headling concert tour received generally positive reviews?
• ... that American MILF porn star Serenity Cox was a nurse for fifteen years?
• ... that the 1926 book The New Household sought to elevate housework to the status of serious professional labor?
• ... that Hans Ephraimson-Abt began advocating for better support for families of aviation-accident victims after his daughter's death on Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983?
• ... that the Green Bay Packers' victory in the 1997 NFC Championship Game was the third straight year in which they beat the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 20

Bus on the O-Bahn Busway

• 1710 – War of the Spanish Succession: A Spanish Bourbon army commanded by the Marquis de Bay was soundly defeated by a multinational army led by the Austrian commander Guido Starhemberg.
• 1920 – The American Professional Football Association, a predecessor of the National Football League, was founded.
• 1988 – Fires in the United States' Yellowstone National Park ravaged more than 150,000 acres (610 km²) on the single worst day of the conflagration.
• 1989 – The final stage of the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide, South Australia, was finished, completing at the time the world's longest and fastest guided busway, with buses (example pictured) travelling 12 km (7.5 mi) at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).
• 2018 – Silent Sam, a Confederate monument on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was toppled by protestors.

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Holotype skull of Proceratosaurus, side-on view

Proceratosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic in what is now England. The holotype and only known specimen (pictured) consists of a mostly complete skull with an accompanying lower jaw and a hyoid bone, found near Minchinhampton, a town in Gloucestershire. It was originally described as a species of Megalosaurus, M. bradleyi, in 1910, but was moved to its own genus in 1926. The genus was named after a supposed close relationship with Ceratosaurus, later shown to be erroneous, due to the presence of an incomplete cranial crest considered to resemble Ceratosaurus's nasal horn. Proceratosaurus is now considered to be one of the oldest members of Tyrannosauroidea (the broader group that includes the tyrannosaurids, including Tyrannosaurus). During the Bathonian age when Proceratosaurus lived, Britain and the rest of Western Europe formed a subtropical island archipelago, with contemporary dinosaurs including stegosaurs, Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus. (Full article...)

Stabbing of Hugh II of Jaffa

• ... that Queen Melisende was so infuriated by her husband's treatment of Count Hugh II of Jaffa (attack pictured), her cousin and alleged lover, that her husband feared for his own life?
• ... that recent coups in Sudan, Mali, Tunisia and Niger have been described as "coupvolutions"?
• ... that Ardian Wicaksono adopted an orangutan during his posting as consul general in Hamburg?
• ... that a house in Jackson, Mississippi, was named in reference to an Ayn Rand novel, whose main character was reportedly based on the house's architect?
• ... that Rusiate Rogoyawa saw snow for the first time in 1982 and competed at the Winter Olympics six years later?
• ... that it took 14 years for the city of San Antonio to get a public radio station?
• ... that Broadway musical composer Jacques Presburg led a popular jazz orchestra in Berlin prior to his 1943 death in Auschwitz?
• ... that the first Spark by Hilton hotel was a converted Days Inn?
• ... that Samoa Samoa was from American Samoa?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 19: Afghan Independence Day

Bersey electric cab

• 1725 – J. S. Bach led the first performance of Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137, a cantata setting the unchanged text of Neander's hymn.
• 1745 – Bonnie Prince Charlie raised the Jacobite standard at Glenfinnan, Scotland, in an attempt to regain the British throne for his father, beginning the Jacobite rising of 1745.
• 1897 – The Bersey Electric Cab (pictured) entered service as the first electric taxi in London.
• 1920 – Russian Civil War: Peasants in Tambov Governorate began a rebellion against the Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia.
• 2005 – Thunderstorms in southern Ontario, Canada, spawned at least three tornadoes that caused over C$500 million in damage.

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Coat of arms of Malta

Maltese nationality law is primarily governed by the Maltese Citizenship Act, which came into force on 21 September 1964. All persons born in Malta between 21 September 1964 and 1 August 1989 automatically received citizenship at birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country since that date receive Maltese citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents was a Maltese citizen or was born in Malta. Foreign nationals may become Maltese citizens by naturalisation after meeting a minimum residence requirement (usually five years). Malta is a member state of the European Union, and all Maltese nationals are European Union citizens. Maltese citizens are also Commonwealth citizens under British law. (Full article...)

Stuttgart small kitchen

• ... that the Munich kitchen was developed because the Stuttgart kitchen (example pictured) did not allow a housewife to look after her children?
• ... that football manager Juan Álvarez was nicknamed the "king without a crown" after his team lost a championship due to the away goals rule?
• ... that an estimated three-quarters of New Zealand's population saw Elizabeth II during her 1953–1954 tour of the country?
• ... that Thomas Lincoln Tally, considered the pioneer movie-theater exhibitor of Los Angeles in 1916, is credited with coining the term "moving picture"?
• ... that a line delivered by Pelé in the 1980 movie Os Trombadinhas went viral as a meme in Brazil?
• ... that Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander the Great's empire after his death, was nominated as king with great support, but he hesitated to accept the role?
• ... that Magical Girl Witch Trials received full voice acting after crowdfunding raised more than 30 times the original goal?
• ... that Greek Revival buildings like Edgewood were unknown to most people in the surrounding area when they were built?
• ... that toy designer Shunsaku Tamiya was placed under government surveillance for speaking to Soviets about their tanks?

Miguel Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 18

Royal Australian Air Force helicopter in Vietnam

• 1783 – A meteor procession blazed across the night sky over Great Britain.
• 1891 – A hurricane struck the Caribbean island of Martinique, killing about 700 people, injuring at least 1,000 others, and causing severe damage.
• 1920 – The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage in the country.
• 1966 – Vietnam War: Members of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment were surrounded by a much larger Viet Cong unit at the Battle of Long Tan (helicopter pictured), but held them off for several hours until reinforcements arrived.
• 2008 – Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf resigned under pressure from a movement to impeach him.

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Fight for the bridge during the battle of Preston

The battle of Preston took place on 17 August 1648. It was part of the Second English Civil War, which began with a series of mutinies and Royalist uprisings. The Scots raised an army under the command of James, Duke of Hamilton, which marched into England to support King Charles I. It combined with English Royalists and continued south some 24,000 strong. Oliver Cromwell concentrated 9,000 Parliamentarians in north Yorkshire and fell on the flank of the much larger Royalist army. Not anticipating this reckless assault, Hamilton was caught with his army dispersed. A blocking force of Royalist infantry was outflanked after a ferocious hour-long fight. A second round of prolonged infantry hand-to-hand fighting took place for control of the bridge south of Preston (pictured); the Parliamentarians fought their way across as night fell. In total 1,000 Royalists were killed and 4,000 captured; Parliamentary casualties were low. (This article is part of a featured topic: Scottish invasion of England (1648).)

Iblis guarding the divine garden

• ... that the dispute over the fundamental nature of the leader of the devils in Islam (pictured) dates back to the religion's formative stages?
• ... that 223 East 25th Street was auctioned off in 1973, triggering a bidding war that drove the price up ninefold?
• ... that Sudanese politician Mohammed Hassan al-Ta'ishi is the prime minister of a government that opposes a council on which he once served?
• ... that the teams of five countries set seven national records during a women's 4 × 400 metres relay event in 2024?
• ... that Pope Leo XIV planned to attend Tolentine College, but it closed before he could enroll?
• ... that Tomoya Machino ate five pounds (2.3 kg) of rice daily for a year to put on the necessary weight to be an American football lineman?
• ... that a hermit lived at the hermitage and chapel of Saint-Thibaut until 1968?
• ... that eight poems to the 6th-century Brittonic king Urien Rheged may be among the oldest works of vernacular literature in post-classical Europe?
• ... that the Strong Court had a weak leader?

Jim Lovell

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell (pictured), the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 17: Independence Day in Indonesia (1945)

Pike Place Market

• 986 – Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: The Bulgarians defeated Byzantine forces at the Battle of the Gates of Trajan near present-day Ihtiman, with Emperor Basil II barely escaping.
• 1560 – The Scottish Reformation Parliament approved a Protestant confession of faith, initiating the Scottish Reformation and disestablishing Catholicism as the national religion.
• 1907 – Pike Place Market (pictured), one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the U.S. and a popular tourist attraction, opened in Seattle, Washington.
• 1950 – Korean War: Forty-two American prisoners of war were massacred by the Korean People's Army on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea.
• 2008 – Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, setting the record for the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single games.

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Kitty Marion (1871–1944) was an activist who advocated for women's suffrage and birth control. Born in Germany, she immigrated to England in 1886 when she was 15 years old. She sang in music halls throughout Britain and became known in the industry for bringing attention to the sexism and sexual assaults that were common in the business. Marion was a prominent member of the British suffrage movement. She began her advocacy by selling copies of the newspaper Votes for Women, then progressed to militant protests, including riots, bombing and arson attacks; she was imprisoned several times for arson and bombing. On the outbreak of World War I, she left Britain for the United States. She joined the American birth control movement, and spent 13 years campaigning on street corners, selling the magazine Birth Control Review. Marion was arrested several times for distributing birth control information in violation of anti-obscenity laws. She died in New York in 1944. (Full article...)

Okanogan fameflower blooms

• ... that according to a 1994 paper, the Okanogan fameflower (pictured) spent the last ice age in a glacial refugium?
• ... that swimmer Yu Zidi qualified for the World Aquatics Championships at just twelve years old?
• ... that a community vote allowed players of the "wholesome" city-building game The Wandering Village to feed their villagers to a giant beast?
• ... that Olympic silver medallist Eduard von Lütcken captured a Russian general before being killed in an early action of the First World War?
• ... that 4chan users found a Burger King restaurant based on a photo of someone standing on lettuce within 15 minutes of its posting?
• ... that Lindsay de Sausmarez was elected head of government of Guernsey only a few days after deciding to run for the position?
• ... that a French abortion ban in Mali dating from 1920 was in place until 2002?
• ... that Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Company employees participated in a walkout that precipitated the 1919 Seattle General Strike?
• ... that, according to tradition, after Saint Vidal was martyred, his body was separated into pieces but reassembled itself three times?

Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a declaration to formalize a future peace treaty, ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

August 16

Elvis Presley

• 1513 – War of the League of Cambrai: English and Imperial forces defeated French cavalry, forcing them to retreat.
• 1900 – Second Boer War: A 10,000-strong column of soldiers led by Lord Kitchener broke a 13-day siege of a small garrison.
• 1920 – The British parliament's Blind Persons Act received royal assent, becoming the first first disability-specific legislation to be passed anywhere in the world.
• 1977 – American singer and actor Elvis Presley (pictured) was found dead in his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
• 2015 – Suicide bombers assassinated Pakistani politician Shuja Khanzada and killed at least 21 others at his home in Attock District.

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The Rani of Jhansi (died 1858) was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After the death of the raja of Jhansi in 1853, the British East India Company, the overlord of Jhansi, refused to acknowledge his young wife—the Rani—as regent. They instead annexed Jhansi, ignoring her vigorous protests. In May 1857, the Indian troops at Jhansi joined the ongoing rebellion and massacred the town's British residents; the Rani's complicity in the killing remains uncertain. She took control of Jhansi and attempted to rule peacefully, but the British decided to consider her an enemy and attacked Jhansi in March and April 1858. The Rani escaped on horseback and continued to fight, before dying in battle near Gwalior Fort. Her story and legend became closely associated with Hindu mythology, Indian nationalism and the developing independence movement. She remains revered in most of modern India, and has been extensively depicted in artwork, cinema, and literature. (Full article...)

Caricature of Elizabeth Gunning

• ... that Elizabeth Gunning (caricature pictured) was the subject of a pamphlet war about forged love letters, and used her notoriety to market her first novel?
• ... that part of the Bolton Percy hoard was discovered by schoolboys?
• ... that Jake Larson went viral on TikTok for discussing his experiences of World War II?
• ... that the Mesola red deer survived only in a single woodland in Italy until 2023?
• ... that a university building designed in 1952 was built in 2020, needing only minor adjustments to meet building codes?
• ... that sportsman Nándor Dáni competed in athletics, cycling, rowing, and speed skating during his career?
• ... that government-owned grocery stores in the United States include city-owned supermarkets and military commissaries?
• ... that more than 200 British warships assembled for a fleet review just days before the start of the First World War?
• ... that Victor Hall, who died twice in 1986, is still alive?

Uribe Turbay

• Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (pictured), a pre-candidate in the 2026 presidential election, dies two months after being shot.
• American astronaut Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, dies at the age of 97.
• A helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, kills eight people on board including ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
• In cycling, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot wins the Tour de France Femmes.

August 15: Independence Day in India (1947); National Liberation Day of Korea (1945)

Fort Dearborn

• 1018 – Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles captured and blinded Ibatzes of Bulgaria by means of a ruse, ending the last resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.
• 1461 – Byzantine–Ottoman wars: The Empire of Trebizond, the longest-surviving Byzantine successor state, was conquered by Ottoman forces following a month-long siege.
• 1812 – War of 1812: Potawatomi warriors ambushed a United States Army convoy after it had evacuated Fort Dearborn (site pictured), in present-day Chicago, and razed the fort.
• 1963 – President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.
• 2005 – The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia was signed, ending more than 28 years of fighting.

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Mandell Creighton (1843–1901) was a British historian and clergyman. He studied at the University of Oxford, then became a don in 1866. He was appointed the first occupant of the Dixie Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge in 1884. The following year, he also was engaged as the founding editor of The English Historical Review, the first English-language academic journal in its field. In these posts, he helped to establish history as an independent academic discipline in England. Creighton was a parish priest of the Church of England who rose to be Bishop of London from 1897 and, but for his death, was thought likely to become Archbishop of Canterbury. His moderation and practicality drew praise from Queen Victoria. He was firm in asserting that public figures should be judged for their public acts, not private ones. He believed that the Church of England was uniquely shaped by its particular English circumstances, and he saw it as the soul of the nation. (Full article...)