| 1303 |
|
The War of Vespers in Sicily ends with an
agreement between Charles of Valois, who invaded the country, and
Frederick, the ruler of Sicily. |
| 1756 |
|
The British at Fort William Henry, New York, surrender to Louis Montcalm of France. |
| 1802 |
|
Captain Merriwether Lewis leaves Pittsburgh to meet up with Captain William Clark and begin their trek to the Pacific Ocean. |
| 1864 |
|
At the Democratic convention in Chicago, General George B. McClellan is nominated for president. |
| 1919 |
|
The Communist Labor Party is founded in Chicago, with the motto, "Workers of the world unite!" |
| 1928 |
|
Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera opens in Berlin. |
| 1940 |
|
Joseph Avenol steps down as Secretary-General of the League of Nations. |
| 1942 |
|
The British army under General Bernard Law Montgomery defeats Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps in the Battle of Alam Halfa in Egypt. |
| 1944 |
|
The British Eighth Army penetrates the German Gothic Line in Italy. |
| 1949 |
|
Six of the 16 surviving Union veterans of
the Civil War attend the last-ever encampment of the Grand Army of the
Republic, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. |
| 1951 |
|
The 1st Marine Division begins its attack on Bloody Ridge in Korea. The four-day battle results in 2,700 Marine casualties. |
| 1961 |
|
A concrete wall replaces the barbed wire fence that separates East and West Germany, it will be called the Berlin wall. |
| 1965 |
|
US Congress creates Department of Housing & Urban Development. |
| 1968 |
|
The Dasht-e Bayaz 7.3 earthquake in NE Iran completely destroys five villages and severely damages six others. |
| 1970 |
|
Lonnie McLucas convicted of torturing and
murdering fellow Black Panther Party member Alex Rackley in the first of
the New Haven Black Panther Trials. |
| 1980 |
|
Polish government forced to sign Gdansk Agreement allowing creation of the trade union Solidarity. |
| 1985 |
|
Police capture Richard Ramirez, dubbed the
"Night Stalker" for a string of gruesome murders that stretched from
Mission Viejo to San Francisco, Cal. |
| 1986 |
|
A Russian cargo ship collides with cruise ship Admiral Nakhimov, killing 398. |
| 1987 |
|
Longest mine strike in South Africa’s history ends, after 11 people were killed, 500 injured and 400 arrested. |
| 1990 |
|
East and West Germany sign the Treaty of Unification (Einigungsvertrag) to join their legal and political systems. |
| 1990 |
|
Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. become
first father and son to play on same team simultaneously in professional
baseball (Seattle Mariners). |
| 1994 |
|
Last Russian troops leave Estonia and Latvia. |
| 1994 |
|
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announces a
"complete cessation of military operations," opening the way to a
political settlement in Ireland for the first time in a quarter of a
century. |
| 1997 |
|
Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a Paris
car crash along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul
while fleeing paparazzi. |
| 1997 |
|
New York Yankees retire Don Mattingly’s #23 (first baseman, coach, manager). |
| 2006 |
|
Edvard Munch’s famed painting The Scream recovered by Norwegian police. The artwork had been stolen on Aug. 22, 2004. |
|
Born on August 31 |
| 1811 |
|
Théophile Gautier, French poet, novelist and author of Art for Art’s Sake. |
| 1870 |
|
Maria Montessori, educator and founder of the Montessori schools. |
| 1885 |
|
Duboise Heyward, novelist, poet and dramatist best know for Porgy which was the basis for the opera Porgy and Bess. |
| 1899 |
|
Lynn Riggs, writer, her book Green Grow the Lilacs was adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein to become Oklahoma. |
| 1903 |
|
Arthur Godfrey, radio and television personality. |
| 1905 |
|
Sanford Meisner, influential acting teacher. |
| 1907 |
|
Wiliam Shawn, longtime editor of The New Yorker. |
| 1908 |
|
Wiliam Saroyan, author and playwright (The Human Comedy). |
| 1918 |
|
Alan Jay Lerner, playwright and lyricist (Brigadoon, Camelot). |
| 1918 |
|
Daniel Schorr, journalist. |
| 1935 |
|
Eldridge Cleaver, political activist and author of Soul on Fire. |
| 1936 |
|
Marva Collins, innovative educator who started Chicago’s one-room school, Westside Preparatory. |
| 1945 |
|
Van Morrison, Irish singer, songwriter. |
| 1945 |
|
Itzhak Perlman, violinist. |
| 1948 |
|
Lowell Ganz, screenwriter, (A League of Their Own) director, producer, actor. |
| 1949 |
|
Richard Gere, actor (Pretty Woman, An Officer and a Gentleman). |
| 1970 |
|
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Gibson, singer,
songwriter, record producer, actress; youngest artist ever to write,
produce and perform a Billboard #1 single ("Foolish Beat"). |
| 1970 |
|
Queen Rania of Jordan (nee Rania al Yassin), wife of King Abdullah II. |
