What Happened in August?

Ukraine declares its independence from the Soviet Union, leading to its dissolution later that year. It Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia. Ukraine borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast and Russia to the east and northeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian and its 2025 estimated population is  32.9 Million.

Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, declares its independence from the Soviet Union. Moldova s a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of 33,843 km2 (13,067 sq mi) and a population of 2.38 million.  Expand +

Kyrgyzstan declares independence from the Soviet Union and a democratic government is established as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and it gained full independence In 1992. Kyrgyzstan joined the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). On 5 May 1993, following the adoption of a new constitution, the official name changed from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Kyrgyz Republic. Its 2025 population is estimated to be 7.3 million.

An Air France Concorde flight originating in New York circles the globe in a record-breaking 31 hours, 27 minutes, and 49 seconds, achieving nearly twice the speed of sound. The flight, with refueling stops in several cities, broke both westbound and eastbound world records for round-the-world flights on the Concorde.

The U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania are bombed with truck bombs. The terrorist attacks killed 224 people, among them, 12 Americans, and wounded more than 4,500. 

United States President Clinton orders cruise missile strikes against suspected Al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation for the 1998 embassy bombings In response to the US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. The strikes targeted training camps in Afghanistan and the al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Sudan, which the US believed was producing chemical weapons for al-Qaeda. More

The catastrophic magnitude 7.6 Izmit earthquake struck the Kocaeli Province of Turkey, causing extensive damage and approximately 17,000 deaths. Named for the quake’s proximity to the northwestern city of İzmit, It is widely remembered as one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern Turkish history. More

The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sinks to the bottom of the Barents Sea while on a naval exercise inside the Arctic Circle. The entire 118-strong crew perished According to the Russian navy, it had not been carrying nuclear warheads. The cause of the disaster remains unknown although it was attributed to an accidental torpedo explosion. The wreck was brought up from the seabed by a Dutch salvage team more than a year after the accident. More

The turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor is lifted out of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Hatteras N.C. The historic warship sank on December 31 1862 during a storm as it was being towed around Cape Hatteras on its way to Beaufort, North Carolina, to join a fleet being assembled for an attack on Charleston. Many of the sailors were rescued, but 16 of its crew members perished, More

A major power blackout affects parts of the northeastern and midwestern United States, as well as Ontario, Canada, leaving millions without electricity. More 

The Summer Games of the XXVIII Olympiad open in Athens, Greece. It was an Internaional multi-sport event which lasted until August 29th. Athens had hosted the first modern Summer Games in 1896. There were 10,625 athletes competing from 201 countries. 

Hurricane Katrina , a devastating Category 5 hurricane causes immense destruction along the U.S. Gulf Coast, particularly in New Orleans; causing catastrophic flooding after the city's levee system fails, submerging roughly 80% of the city. The storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, led to over 1,800 deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands. The damage was estimated at over $160 billion, making it the most costly U.S. hurricane at the time. More

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefines the definition of a planet, resulting in the demotion of Pluto to the status of a "dwarf planet."

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics takes place, marking the first time China hosts the Olympic Games.

NASA's Juno spacecraft launches on a mission to study the planet Jupiter

Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency downgrades the United States debt from its highest rating of AAA to a lesser AA+ rating, marking the first-ever decline of credit worthiness for the U.S. The agency cited America’s $14 trillion outstanding debt and an ineffective political leadership 5o address the debt reduction. This downgraded rating remains in effect as of August 5, 2025

The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparks protests and civil unrest, leading to a national conversation on racial tensions and police violence in the United States.

The Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showcasing athletes from around the world.

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, remains seated while other players stand for the National Anthem played before the preseason game, rather than stand as is customary. He continued to sit during the rendition of the anthem for the third preseason games but advise from a former NFL player and Green Beret convinced Kaepernick to kneel, rather than sit, out of respect for members of the military.  Expand +

A total solar eclipse, visible across a large portion of the United States, captivates millions of people. The total solar eclipse was visible within a band that spanned the contiguous United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. It was also visible as a partial solar eclipse from as far north as Nunavut in northern Canada to as far south as northern South America. In northwestern Europe and Africa, it was partially visible in the late evening. In northeastern Asia, it was partially visible at sunrise.