Browse Historical Events by Month:
Conquests, crusades, and victories. Explore pivotal historical events that took place in August. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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President George Washington leads a militia force of 12,950 men towards Western Pennsylvania to subdue the Whiskey Rebellion, warning locals "not to abet, aid, or comfort the Insurgents aforesaid, as they will answer the contrary at their peril." More
President George Washington signs the Jay’s Treaty on August 14, 1795,- The treaty was formally named the "Treaty of Amity Commerce and Navigation between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America,"
The treaty had been initially negotiated and signed on November 19, 1794 by John Jay, an important Federalist and close political ally of George Washington and pprovisionally ratified by Congress on June 24 1995. The treaty proved unpopular with the American public but did accomplish the goal of maintaining peace between the two nations and preserving U.S. neutrality. More
The British fleet under Admiral Horatio Nelson defeats the French fleet on August 1, 1798, off the Egyptian coast at the Battle of the Nile during the French Revolutionary Wars.
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The battle of Vimeiro, part of the Peninsular Wars takes place near the village of Vimeiro near Lisbon, between Britain and France. British General Arthur Wellesley defeated French General Andoche Junot's forces. General Wellesley later became the Duke of Wellington. More
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, Independence Day - Celebration of the first Ecuadorian patriot uprising against Spanish rule and original proclamation of independence. The movement failed and the leaders of the movement were executed. On 1822 Ecuador won independence from Spain as part of the confederation of Gran Colombia on the decisive Battle of Pichincha.
The confederation of Gran Colombia was comprised of what is now the countries of Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. On May 13, 1830, Ecuador seceded and became a separate independent republic. Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contains the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific ocean about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi) west of the mainland. The country's capital is Quito and its largest city is Guayaquil. Ecuador population in 2023 was 17.5 Million.
The Creek War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Jackson, on August 9, 1814 with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation ceding over 22 million acres of their land in present-day Alabama and Georgia to the United States.
During the War of 1812, British forces capture Washington, D.C. and burn down the White House, the Capitol, and other public buildings along with a number of private homes. The burning was in retaliation for the earlier American burning of York (Toronto).
Shortly before the arrival of the British forces, an iconic portrait of George Washington is removed from the White House walls, to prevent it being looted by British troops. First lady, Dolley Madison is credited for saving the portrait. The portrait was actually a copy of Gilbert Stuart's original. President Madison served the rest of his term residing at the city’s Octagon House. It was not until 1817 that the newly elected president James Monroe moved back into the reconstructed building.
Missouri is admitted into the Union becoming the 24th State
Spain recognizes Mexico independence with the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba. Mexico, officially the United Mexican States is located in North America. It borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Mexico has a population exceeding 130 million. Its capital and largest city is Mexico City which ranks among the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. More
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, declares its Independence from Spain. Located in central South America, Bolivia has diverse geography, and climates, including large Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, warm valleys and high-altitude Andean plateaus. The constitutional capital and the seat of the judiciary is Sucre and the seat of the executive and legislative government is La Paz. Bolivia is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest, and Peru to the west. The largest city and principal industrial center is Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Its 2024 census reported a population of over 11 Million.
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, declares its Independence from the Empire of Brazil and union with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. The independence was recognized on August 27, 1828.
Uruguay is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. Uruguay covers an area of approximately 176,215 square kilometers (68,037 sq mi). It has a population of almost 3.5 million people, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.
Nat Turner's slave rebellion begins in Southampton County, Virginia on the night of August 21, 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia. Nat Turner was a black Baptist preacher who believed he was divinely chosen to lead his people to freedom.
The rebellion targeted white slaveholding families and resulted in the deaths of about 55 white people. The uprising was eventually suppressed by armed white men,. Many enslaved people were killed or arrested afterwards and Virginia went on to enact stricter laws to control the enslaved population.
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.
"The Great Moon Hoax” is published in the New York Sun - A series of six articles starting on August 25, about the supposed discovery of life and civilization on the Moon and allegedly reprinted from The Edinburgh Courant.
The discoveries were falsely attributed to Sir John Herschel and his fictitious companion Andrew Grant. The articles were never retracted but on September 16, 1835, The Sun, a penny press newspapers which received much of its income from advertisements admitted the articles were in fact fabricated but had been intended as satire. Some believed The Sun's circulation increased dramatically because of the hoax and remained greater than before, helping to establish The Sun as a successful paper. More
Slavery is abolished in Jamaica where it had been introduced in 1509.
The United States Exploring Expedition under the command of US Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes departs from from Hampton Roads for the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica. It was a significant scientific and exploratory voyage that took place from 1838 to 1842.
The expedition with the aim of exploring and surveying the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands, with a focus on scientific discovery and establishing a U.S. presence in the region. The expedition had many firsts including the US first formal entry into Puget Sound water.
The Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing) is signed on August 29, 1842, ending the First Opium War between Britain and China.(1839–1842) It forced China to cede Hong Kong, open five ports to foreign trade, pay a massive indemnity, abolish the Canton System and forced China to accept a "fair and reasonable" tariff on British goods.
Brigham Young is chosen to lead the Mormon Church. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,(LDS) More
The act establishing the Smithsonian Institution for "the Increase and Diffusion of Knowledge among Men," is passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk. The Institution was founded with funds from the Englishman James Smithson (1765–1829) according to his wishes “under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” A bequest to a country that he had never visited. The Smithsonian Institution is now the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. More
The first recorded coordinated use of balloons in warfare for an aerial attack takes place during the First Italian War of Independence by the Austrian imperial forces against the Italian city of Vienna as Austria deploys approximately 200 paper hot air balloons, each carrying a 20-to-30-pound bomb, designed to be dropped over the besieged city via a time fuse.
The majority of the balloons were launched from land, but some were also dispatched from the side-wheel steamer SMS Vulcano, which served as a balloon carrier. Most of the balloons missed their target due to changes in wind direction with few landing in the city and some drifting back over Austrian lines and the launching ship. More
