This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 30

1965 President Johnson signs Medicare into law On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry Truman was enrolled as Medicare's first beneficiary and received the first... read more

19th CENTURY 1866 The New Orleans Massacre

Art, Literature, and Film History 1966 The Troggs take their signature hit, "Wild Thing," to #1 1999 "The Blair Witch Project" released in theaters

Civil War 1864 Union forces stopped at the Battle of the Crater

Crime 1994 Man charged in murder of Megan Kanka

Inventions & Science 2003 Last classic VW Beetle rolls off the line

Natural Disasters & Environment 1971 Fighter jet collides with passenger plane

Sports 1976 Caitlyn Jenner wins Olympic decathlon

U.S. Presidents 1956 President Eisenhower signs "In God We Trust" into law 1974 Watergate affair approaches climax

U.S. Government 1619 First legislative assembly in America convenes in Jamestown

World War II 1943 Hitler gets news of Italy's imminent defection 1945 USS Indianapolis torpedoed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 31 1975 Labor leader Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing On the morning of July 31, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, is officially reported missing after he failed to return home the previous night. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence... read more American Revolution 1777 Marquis de Lafayette becomes a major-general without pay Natural Disasters & Environment 1715 Hurricane sinks Spanish treasure ships Religion 1556 Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, dies Space Exploration 1964 Ranger 7 photographs moon World War I 1917 Third Battle of Ypres begins in Flanders World War II 1941 Preparations for the Final Solution begin

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 1 1943 Operation Tidal Wave: U.S. forces attempt risky air raid on Axis oil refineries On August 1, 1943, 177 B-24 bombers take off from an Allied base in Libya, bound for the oil-producing city Ploiești, Romania, nicknamed "Hitler's gas station." The daring raid, known as Operation Tidal Wave, resulted in five men being awarded the Medal of Honor—three of them posthumously—but failed... read more 1960s 1961 The first Six Flags opens in Texas Art, Literature, and Film History 1981 MTV launches 1996 George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" debuts BLACK HISTORY 1943 The Harlem Riot of 1943 begins Civil War 1864 Philip Sheridan takes command of Army of the Shenandoah Cold War 1975 Helsinki Final Act signed Crime 1966 An ex-Marine goes on a killing spree at the University of Texas Exploration 1498 Columbus lands in South America Germany 1936 Hitler oversees Berlin Olympics opening ceremony Holocaust 1944 Anne Frank writes her last diary entry Sports 1996 Michael Johnson brings home second gold U.S. Presidents 1972 George W. Bush is suspended from flying with the Air National Guard World War I 1914 First World War erupts World War II 1943 PT-109 sinks; Lieutenant Kennedy is instrumental in saving crew 1944 Warsaw Revolt begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 2 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait On August 2, 1990, at about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq's tiny, oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait's defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed, and those that were not destroyed retreated to Saudi Arabia. The emir of Kuwait, his family, and other government leaders fled to Saudi Arabia,... read more American Revolution 1776 Delegates sign Declaration of Independence Civil War 1865 CSS Shenandoah learns the war is over Cold War 1945 Potsdam Conference concludes Crime 1876 Wild Bill Hickok is murdered 1942 Man murdered near L.A. reservoir Natural Disasters & Environment 1985 Sudden thunderstorm causes plane crash Sports 1992 Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins gold in heptathlon, again U.S. Presidents 1923 President Warren G. Harding dies before scandals break World War I 1917 Mutiny breaks out on German battleship World War II 1934 Hitler becomes dictator of Germany

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 3 1958 Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world's first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then... read more 1970s 1975 Boeing 707 crashes into a mountain near Agadir, Morocco 19th Century 1846 Donner Party encounters first delay Art, Literature, and Film History 1977 "The Spy Who Loved Me" released in theaters 1996 "The Macarena" begins its reign atop the U.S. pop charts 2008 Multimillion-dollar baby photos published Cold War 1948 Chambers accuses Hiss of being a communist spy Crime 1982 Sodomy arrest sparks controversy Exploration 1492 Columbus sets sail Great Britain 1916 Sir Roger Casement hanged Sports 1949 NBA is born U.S. Presidents 1923 Calvin Coolidge takes oath of office after Warren G. Harding's death Vietnam War 1965 TV news shows Marines burning village World War I 1914 Germany and France declare war on each other

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 4 1944 Anne Frank captured Acting on tip from a Dutch informer, the Nazi Gestapo captures 15-year-old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse. The Franks had taken shelter there in 1942 out of fear of deportation to a Nazi concentration camp. They occupied the small space with a... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 2006 "Talladega Nights" released in theaters Civil Rights Movement 1964 Slain civil rights workers found Colonial America 1753 George Washington becomes a Master Mason Crime 1892 Lizzie Borden's parents found dead 2019 Dayton, Ohio shooting becomes second mass shooting in 24-hour period Immigration 1942 U.S. and Mexico sign the Mexican Farm Labor Agreement Sports 1936 Jesse Owens wins long jump—and respect—in Germany 2012 Oscar Pistorius becomes the first amputee runner to compete at the Olympics Westward Expansion 1873 Colonel Custer and 7th Cavalry attacked by the Sioux World War I 1914 U.S. proclaims neutrality in World War I

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 5 1962 Marilyn Monroe is found dead On August 5, 1962, movie actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills, prescribed to treat her depression, were littered around the room. After a brief investigation, Los Ang... read more 19th Century 1858 First transatlantic telegraph cable completed 21st Century 2002 Divers recover U.S.S. Monitor turret Art, Literature, and Film History 1957 "American Bandstand" goes national 1983 "Risky Business" debuts, launches Tom Cruise to stardom Civil War 1864 Union scores a victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay Cold War 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed Crime 1998 Mother charged with smothering her eight children Inventions & Science 1914 First electric traffic signal installed Sports 1976 NBA merges with ABA U.S. Presidents 1861 Abraham Lincoln imposes first federal income tax 1981 Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 air-traffic controllers World War I 1914 German assault on Liege begins first battle of World War I World War II 1944 Hundreds of Jews are freed from forced labor in Warsaw

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 6 1945 American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima On August 6, 1945, the United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000... read more   The Mega-Brands That Built America A new episode of The Mega-Brands That Built America premieres Sunday, August 6 at 9/8c on The HISTORY© Channel. Streams the next day in the HISTORY App. Learn More 19th Century 1890 First execution by electric chair Art, Literature, and Film History 1911 Lucille Ball is born 1928 Andy Warhol is born Civil War 1862 Confederate ship blown up by crew Crime 1902 Mobster Dutch Schultz is born 1930 Joseph Force Crater becomes the missingest man in New York Sports 1926 Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim English Channel 1948 Vicki Draves and Sammy Lee become the first Asian Americans to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. U.S. Presidents 1965 President Johnson signs Voting Rights Act United States Constitution 1787 First draft of Constitution debated Vietnam War 1969 Green Berets are charged with murder INVENTIONS & SCIENCE 1996 Researchers claim to have found signs of Martian life in Antarctic meteorite

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 7 1782 George Washington creates the Purple Heart On August 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the "Badge for Military Merit," a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the... read more 1970s 1974 Philippe Petit walks on a tightrope between the Twin Towers 21st Century 2005 Trapped Russian sub rescued Africa 1998 U.S. embassies in East Africa bombed Inventions & Science 1944 Volkswagen halts production during World War II 1947 Norwegian explorer completes 4,300-mile ocean voyage in wooden raft Latin America 1956 Mysterious explosions in Colombia Space Exploration 1959 The first U.S. satellite to photograph the Earth is launched Sports 1987 Lynne Cox swims into communist territory U.S. Presidents 1990 President George H.W. Bush orders Operation Desert Shield U.S. Politics 1912 Teddy Roosevelt nominated as Bull Moose candidate Vietnam War 1964 Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution World War II 1942 U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 8 1974 Nixon resigns In an evening televised address on August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from ... read more 19th Century 1879 Emiliano Zapata born 21st Century 2008 5-day long Russo-Georgian War begins Art, Literature, and Film History 1986 Spike Lee's first feature, "She's Gotta Have It," premieres 1988 Gangsta rap hits the mainstream with the release of N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" Civil War 1863 Robert E. Lee offers resignation as commander of the Confederate army Religion 1844 Brigham Young chosen to lead Mormon Church Sports 1988 Lights go on at Wrigley U.S. Government 1945 President Truman signs United Nations Charter 2009 Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court World War I 1918 Battle of Amiens World War II 1942 German saboteurs executed in Washington, D.C. 1945 Soviets declare war on Japan; invade Manchuria INVENTIONS & SCIENCE 1975 The term “global warming” appears for the first time

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 9 1974 Gerald Ford becomes president after Richard Nixon resigns In accordance with his statement of resignation the previous evening, Richard M. Nixon officially ends his term as the 37th president of the United States at noon on August 9, 1974. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raise... read more 21st Century 2010 JetBlue flight attendant quits job via escape slide 2014 Michael Brown is killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri Ancient Rome 378 Romans routed at Adrianople Art, Literature, and Film History 1854 Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is published 1995 Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia dies Crime 1969 Charles Manson cult kills five, including actress Sharon Tate Native American History 1877 Nez Perce fight Battle of the Big Hole Sports 1936 Jesse Owens wins 4th gold medal 1988 The Great One gets traded World War II 1945 Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 10 1977 Son of Sam serial killer is arrested On August 10, 1977, 24-year-old postal employee David Berkowitz is arrested and charged with being the “Son of Sam,” the serial killer who terrorized New York City for more than a year, killing six young people and wounding seven others with a .44-caliber revolver. ... read more 19th Century 1846 Smithsonian Institution created American Revolution 1776 London learns of American independence Art, Literature, and Film History 1793 Louvre Museum opens 1912 Virginia and Leonard Woolf marry 1937 First-ever electric guitar patent awarded to the Electro String Corporation 1984 "Red Dawn," first PG-13 movie, is released Inventions & Science 1978 Fatal Ford Pinto crash in Indiana Natural Disasters & Environment 2003 Temperatures in UK top 100 F for first time during European heat wave Sports 1981 Pete Rose sets National League hits record World War II 1945 Japan accepts Potsdam terms, agrees to unconditional surrender

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 11 1934 Federal prisoners land on Alcatraz A group of federal prisoners classified as "most dangerous" arrives at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop situated 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay, on August 11, 1934. The convicts—the first civilian prisoners to be housed in the new high-security penitentiary—joined a few dozen milita... read more 1960s 1965 Watts Rebellion begins Art, Literature, and Film History 1973 Hip hop is born at a birthday party in the Bronx 1973 "American Graffiti" opens 2014 Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams dies at 63 Civil War 1864 Confederate general Jubal Early abandons Winchester, Virginia Cold War 1984 Reagan jokes about bombing Russia Crime 1980 Carol Bundy confesses her connection to the "Sunset Slayer" Middle East 1952 Hussein succeeds to Jordanian throne Vietnam War 1972 Last U.S. ground combat unit departs South Vietnam Westward Expansion 1806 Meriwether Lewis is shot in the leg World War I 1919 Weimar Constitution adopted in Germany World War II 1943 Germans begin to evacuate Sicily

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 12 1990 Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex discovered On August 12, 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovers three huge bones jutting out of a cliff near Faith, South Dakota. They turn out to be part of the largest-ever Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered, a 65 million-year-old specimen dubbed Sue, after its discoverer. Amazingly, Sue's s... read more 19th Century 1898 Armistice ends the Spanish-American War American Revolution 1776 General Washington anticipates British blockade of New York Ancient Egypt 30 B.C. Cleopatra dies by suicide Art, Literature, and Film History 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" movie premieres in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 1964 James Bond creator Ian Fleming dies 2014 Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall dies Colonial America 1676 King Philip's War ends Crime 1964 Great Train robber escapes from prison Natural Disasters & Environment 1985 JAL flight 123 crashes into Mount Otsuka 2000 Russian sub, the "Kursk," sinks with 118 onboard Sports 1973 American golfer Jack Nicklaus sets title record World War II 1938