The younger Henry is elected by the Bavarian nobles as the new duke of Bavaria after the death of his father, Henry II Duke of Bavaria called the Wrangler or the Quarrelsome. Henry was elected and anointed King of Germany on June 7, 1002, after his cousin Emperor Otto III died; King of Italy on May 15, 1004 and Holy Roman Emperor on February 14,1014. He became known as Henry the Saint.
View Historical Events by Day:
What Happened Today in History on August 28
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on August 28th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
Note: Sources for the historical content shown, include research and reviews of relevant Online History Resources or printed material. When possible, we show a link to a source which provides additional or unique perspective about the event.
We do our best to provide accurate information but would appreciate being notified if any incorrect information is found. You may do so by using our Feedback link.
The University of St. Andrews in Scotland is chartered by a papal bull from Avignon Pope Benedict XIII.
King Afonso V of Portugal dies, and his son, John II, becomes king.
The Siege of Toulon begins. It was a French Revolutionary War engagement where young artillery officer Napoleon Bonaparte helped French forces drive out British and royalist forces from the key naval base of Toulon, a port on the south coast of France.
Following Napoleon's strategic capture of key forts overlooking the harbor, the British fleet was bombarded and forced to evacuate, leading to the French retaking the city on December 19, 1793. This victory was a critical turning point, marking the beginning of Napoleon's rise to military prominence and a significant defeat for the British who were force to evacuate.
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 is passed and slavery is abolished throughout the British Empire, including in the British colonies of the Caribbean and North America effective on August 1, 1834.
The act outlawed the ownership of people, initially replacing it with a system of "apprenticeship" for formerly enslaved individuals and required the British government to purchase the freedom of enslaved people, which compensated their former owners. This compensation was substantial and represented a significant financial cost to the British government. This apprenticeship period concluded in 1838 when full emancipation was finally achieved.
_-_Cetshwayo,_King_of_the_Zulus_(d._1884)_-_RCIN_407424_-_Royal_Collection%20-%20PD%20-%20R%20.jpg?auto=format,compress&fit=clip&max-w=1600)
Zulu King Cetshwayo, the last king of the independent Zulu nation was captured by the British during the Zulu war and taken into custody. Two years later he was allowed to travel to London and met Queen Victoria. He was permitted to return to South Africa to rule a portion of the former Zulu kingdom in 1883. More
Emmett Till, a 14-year old African American from the south side of Chicago, is kidnapped and brutally murdered while visiting his relatives in Money, Mississippi, by Roy Bryant, and brother-in-law, J.W. Milam.
Till had gone to the Bryant store in with his cousins, and reportedly may have whistled at Carolyn Bryant, Roy's wife. Till's body was dumped in the Tallahatchie River. In September 1955 an all-white jury found Bryant and Milam not guilty of Till's murder. Protected against double jeopardy, the two men publicly admitted in a 1956 interview with Look magazine that they had tortured and murdered Till, selling the story of how they did it for $4,000 (equivalent to $50,000 in 2025). Till's murder became a catalyst for the next phase of the civil rights movement. Eight years later on this date, Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during a Civil rights march on Washington.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Over 250,000 persons attended the Civil Rights rally in Washington, D.C. More
August 26 - 29
Major protests take place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The protests .in part fueled by opposition to the Vietnam War and the assassination of Robert Kennedy, culminated in the so-called Battle of Michigan Avenue, a violent confrontation between demonstrators and police.
The event was among the most tense and confrontational political conventions in American history, and became notorious for the televised heavy-handed police tactics. Dissatisfaction with the convention led to major changes in the rules governing delegate selection, helping bring about the modern primary election system. More
The Ray Brothers’ family home in Arcadia, Florida burns down. It was almost certainly a case of arson fueled by fear and ignorance. The three boys- Ricky, Robert and Randy- were born with hemophilia and were 10, 9 and 8 at the time. They had been diagnosed positive with HIV in 1986 and were not allowed to attend school following their positive test results.
Their home was burned to the ground a week after a court ruled the following year that they had every legal right to attend. The Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Program act was enacted by the Health and Human Services Department on November 23, 2001 More