Gabon independence day, officially the Gabonese Republic recognizing the end of French colonial rule. This day is a national holiday marked by festivities, parades, and cultural events throughout the country.
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What Happened in August?
Conquests, crusades, and victories. Explore pivotal historical events that took place in August. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Senegal formally withdraws from the Mali Federation and declares independence. The Republic of Senegal was formally proclaimed on September 5, 1960, with Léopold Sédar Senghor as president (head of state) and Mamadou. Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4th commemorating Senegal's independence from French colonial rule, which was achieved on April 4, 1960. The 2024 population of Senegal was approximately 18.9 Million. More
East Germany begins to seal off around Berlin. First, a wire barrier was constructed and a few days later the wire was replaced by a six-foot-high, 96-mile-long wall of concrete blocks. It hoped this measure would put an end to the mass exodus to Berlin. More
Nelson Mandela, Apartheid opponent, was arrested by security police in South Africa. He was tried and sentenced to five years in prison. In 1964, he was retried for sabotage , high treason and conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life in prison.
A worldwide campaign to free him began in the 1980s and resulted in his release on February 11, 1990, at age 71 after 27 years in prison. In 1993, Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with South Africa's President F.W. de Klerk for their peaceful efforts to bring a nonracial democracy to South Africa. In April 1994, black South Africans voted for the first time in an election that brought Mandela the presidency of South Africa. More
Jamaica achieves independence after centuries of British and Spanish rule. Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean, after Cuba and the island of Hispaniola (Home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Jamaica is located about 145 km (78 mi) south of Cuba, 191 km (103 mi) west of Hispaniola and 215 km (116 mi) southeast of the Cayman Islands. Jamaica 2024 population was reported to be over 2.8 million people; Its capital and largest city is Kingston.
Charles de Gaulle survives an assassination attempt in Paris when he and his wife narrowly escaped from an organized machine gun ambush while traveling in their Citroën DS limousine. The attack was arranged by Colonel Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry of the Organisation armée secrète (OAS) who had targeted him in retaliation for his Algerian initiatives. Reportedly, there had been at least 30 assassination attempts against de Gaulle throughout his lifetime.
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, gains its independence from Great Britain. At midnight on 30th August, 1962, the British flag was lowered and the Trinidad and Tobago flag was raised for the first time. Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation near Venezuela. Its capital city is Port of Spain.
Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation near Venezuela. Its capital city is Port of Spain. Trinidad and Tobago is located 6 nautical miles northeast off the coast of Venezuela, 70 nautical miles south of Grenada, and 155 nautical miles southwest of Barbados. As of 1924, Its population as reported to be over 1.5M.
The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. After Senate approval, the treaty that went into effect on October 10, 1963, banned nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. More
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
The hotline between Washington and Moscow came into operation 10 months after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The first implementation used Teletype equipment. It changed to fax machines in 1986 and in 2008 to a secure computer link over which secured messages are exchanged. More
Jim Kuhn, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The Gulf of Tonkin incident begins as the USS Maddox engages North Vietnamese torpedo boats leading to increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. On August 7,The U.S. Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson authority "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."
The bodies of three lynched civil rights workers (James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman) were found in Neshoba County, Mississippi. They had been tortured and murdered by the KKK with help from the deputy sheriff near Philadelphia. M in .after disappearing more than a month before. More
The U.S. Congress approves the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson authority "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."
The resolution followed the Gulf of Tonkin incident where the USS Maddox engaged North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later a second attacked was reported but it is now believed not to be factual. The Resolution lead to increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. More
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act suspended literacy, knowledge and character tests which were designed to keep African Americans from voting in the South. It also authorized the appointment of Federal voting examiners and barred discriminatory poll taxes. Congress renewed the in 1975, 1984 and 1991.
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, gains its independence from Malaysia following a period of political and racial tensions within the short-lived Malaysia federation . The separation was formalized through the Independence of Singapore Agreement, declaring Singapore an independent and sovereign nation.
Singapore is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory is off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It borders the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor along with the State of Johor in Malaysia to the north. Map Singapore's 2024 population was estimated to be over 6 Million.
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1965, August 11 – 16
Six days of riots began in the Watts area of Los Angeles, triggered by an incident between a white member of the California Highway Patrol and an African American motorist. Thirty-four deaths were reported and more than 3,000 people arrested. Damage to property was estimated at $40 million.
The U.S. Senate confirms the appointment of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court on August 30, 1967. Marshall became the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. More
The Soviet Union led Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia on August 20, 1968, to crack down on reformist trends in Prague. Although the Soviet Union's action successfully halted the pace of reform in Czechoslovakia, it had unintended consequences for the unity of the communist bloc. 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
Hurricane Camille made landfall late in the evening along the Mississippi Gulf Coast near Waveland, MS. Camille is one of only four Category 5 hurricanes ever to make landfall in the continental United States. The combination of winds, surges, and rainfalls caused 256 deaths (143 on the Gulf Coast and 113 in the Virginia floods) and $1.421 billion in damage. Three deaths were reported in Cuba. More