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1st August In History

BY CATEGORY

August 1, the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (214th in case of leap years) marks as an important date in world history. Over time, many significant incidents and events occurred on this date which included battles, uprisings, assassinations, expeditions, natural disasters, and events of political, cultural and scientific significance among others. Some important events that makes this day special includes George, Elector of Hanover, ascending as the King of Great Britain and Ireland, marking the start of the Georgian era in the history of Britain; Joseph Priestley discovering oxygen gas; formation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command; and launching of MTV among others. Let’s have a quick look at the events that took place on August 1.

HISTORICAL EVENTS ON 1st August

1203

Alexios IV Angelos Becomes Co-Emperor Of The Byzantine Empire

Alexios IV Angelos was the son of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelus. He was proclaimed co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire on August 1, 1203, by Isaac II after the latter was pressurised to do so by the forces of the Fourth Crusade.

1960

Islamabad Becomes The Capital City Of Pakistan

Islamabad replaced Karachi as the capital city of Pakistan being declared as the federal capital of the Government of Pakistan.

1800

Politics

The Acts Of Union 1800 Are Passed

The Acts of Union 1800 were passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland. This merged the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to establish the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

1974

Politics

UNFICYP Is Authorised To Create "Green Line" By United Nations Security Council During Cyprus Dispute

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was authorised by the United Nations Security Council to create the "Green Line" that is the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus splitting Cyprus into two zones.

1980

Politics

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Becomes President Of Iceland And The World’s First Democratically Elected Female President

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir received 33.8% of the total vote during the 1980 Icelandic presidential election held in Iceland on June 29, 1980 and assumed office as the 4th President of Iceland on August 1 that year. With this she became the first female president of Iceland as also the world’s first democratically elected female president. She was re-elected thrice and served office till August 1, 1996. Till date she remains the country’s only female president.

30 BC

Wars

Octavian (Later Augustus) Defeats Mark Antony And Enters Alexandria & Takes Its Control

Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony on August 1, 30 BC during the last war of the Roman Republic and entered Alexandria, Egypt. He besieged the city until both Antony and his lover Queen Cleopatra of Egypt committed suicide. Octavian would eventually become Augustus and the first Roman Emperor.

69 Wars

The Revolt Of The Batavi

The Revolt of the Batavi was an uprising against the Roman Empire. It was started by a small Germanic tribe called the Batavi in the Roman province of Germania Inferior (Netherlands). The revolt was led by the Batavian’s hereditary prince Gaius Julius Civilis and carried out between AD 69 and 70 till the rebels were defeated by a huge Roman army under Roman general Quintus Petillius Cerialis. The revolt was suppressed resulting in Roman strategic victory and subjugation of the Batavi.

902 Wars

The Aghlabids Army Captures Taormina

The Muslim conquest of Sicily started in June 827 and ended in August 902 with an Aghlabid victory and Aghlabid conquest of Sicily after the Aghlabids army captured Taormina, the last major Byzantine stronghold on the island of Sicily, on August 1, 902.

1571

Wars

The Port City Of Famagusta Surrenders Ending The Ottoman Conquest Of Cyprus

The Venetian-controlled port city of Famagusta fell on August 1, 1571 amidst exhaustion of ammunition and supplies during the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus eventually concluding the conquest.

1664

Wars

The Battle Of Saint Gotthard

The Battle of Saint Gotthard took place on August 1, 1664 near Szentgotthárd, Vas County, along the modern-day Austro-Hungarian border during the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664). It was fought between the League of the Rhine and the Ottoman Empire. An Austrian army led by Raimondo Montecuccoli defeated the Ottoman forces leading to a victory of the League. The Peace of Vasvár treaty was negotiated, which however was highly favourable to the Ottomans.

1759

Wars

The Battle Of Minden

The Battle of Minden took place on August 1, 1759 in Minden, Minden-Ravensberg, Prussia, during the Seven Years' War. The conflict saw an Anglo-German army led by Field Marshal Ferdinand of Brunswick securing an Anglo-German victory defeating a French army under Marshal of France, Marquis de Contades. The battle is counted among the number of events that constituted the Annus Mirabilis of 1759. Some units of the British Army commemorates this day as a regimental anniversary called the Minden Day.

1798

Wars

The Battle Of The Nile Begins

The Battle of the Nile also referred as the Battle of Aboukir Bay took place at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the Nile Delta of Egypt as part of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was a major naval conflict between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic that started on August 1, 1798 and ended with a decisive British victory on August 3 that year.

1801

Wars

The Action Of 1 August 1801

The Action of 1 August 1801 took place off the coast of modern-day Libya during the First Barbary War. It was a single-ship action that saw the American schooner USS Enterprise capturing the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli resulting in an American victory.

1894

Wars

The First Sino-Japanese War Is Officially Declared Between China And Japan

The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between China’s Qing dynasty and the Empire of Japan over Joseon Korea. The war was officially declared between China and Japan on August 1, 1894.

1914

Wars

Germany Declares War On Russia At The Outset Of The First World War

The assassination of heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary led directly to First World War. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia which the latter rejected partially. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia. While Russia backed Serbia, Germany declared war on the Russian Empire on August 1, 1914 in support of Austria-Hungary.

1927

Wars

The Nanchang Uprising

The Nanchang Uprising that took place on August 1, 1927, was the first significant engagement of the Chinese Civil War. It witnessed a conflict between Nationalist Party of China (Kuomintang) and the Communist Party of China. It was started by the Chinese Communists in response to the Shanghai massacre of 1927 that was carried out by conservative factions in the Kuomintang and the military forces of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek on April 12 that year. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was founded during the Nanchang uprising and thus August 1 is commemorated as the anniversary of the founding of the PLA.

1943

Wars

Operation Tidal Wave

Bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya and Southern Italy carried out the strategic bombing mission called Operation Tidal Wave on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on August 1, 1943 during the Second World War. The operation, also referred as "Black Sunday”, was undertaken to destroy Romanian oil fields to deny petroleum based fuel to the Axis powers.

1944

Wars

The Warsaw Uprising Begins

The Warsaw Uprising was started in Warsaw, Poland by the Polish underground resistance on August 1, 1944 during the Second World War. Considered a major operation of the war, the uprising was started as part of a nationwide Operation Tempest. The Home Army led the uprising to liberate Warsaw from Nazi German occupation.

1946

Wars

Andrey Vlasov And Other Leaders Of The Russian Liberation Army Are Hanged In Moscow

The Russian Liberation Army (ROA) was primarily composed of Russian prisoners of war. The army was led by Russian Red Army general Andrey Vlasov, who defected to Nazi Germany after being captured by the Germans. The ROA collaborated with Nazi Germany in German occupied Soviet Union and fought under German command during the Second World War. Vlasov and several other leaders of the ROA were tried and hanged for treason in Moscow, Soviet Union on August 1, 1946.

1993

Disasters & Natural Calamities

Levee Breaks Near Columbia, Illinois During The Great Mississippi And Missouri Rivers Flood Of 1993

One of the most costly and devastating floods that occurred in the US was the Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 that lasted from April to October 1993. The flood reached its peak when levee broke near Columbia, Illinois, on August 1, 1993, flooding 47,000 acres of land. The towns of Valmeyer and Fults in Illinois were inundated.

1936

Sports

Adolf Hitler Opens The 1936 Summer Olympics In Berlin, Germany

The opening ceremony of the 1936 Summer Olympics was held at the Berlin Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany on August 1, 1936. The ceremony was presided over by the chancellor of Germany Adolf Hitler.

1965

Literature & Entertainment

Frank Herbert Publishes The Novel ‘Dune’

American author Frank Herbert published the science fiction novel titled ‘Dune’ on August 1, 1965. It emerged as the world's best-selling sci-fi novel in 2003.

1981

Literature & Entertainment

MTV Is Launched

American cable channel MTV was officially launched on August 1, 1981. The first music video that was aired on the channel at 12:01 a.m. same day was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by The Buggles.

1998

Literature & Entertainment

Muslim Medics Is Established In Imperial College London

Muslim Medics was established in Imperial College London on August 1, 1998. It has evolved as a large student-led society in the Imperial College London and provides social and academic support to medical students of all backgrounds.

527 Trivia

Justinian I Becomes The Sole Sovereign Of The Byzantine Empire

Justinian I ruled as Co- Emperor of the Byzantine Empire with his uncle and adoptive father Justin I since April 1, 527 after Justin's health began to decline. Following Justin’s death on August 1, 527, Justinian I emerged as the sole sovereign of the Byzantine Empire.

607 Trivia

Empress Suiko Appoints Ono No Imoko As An Official Envoy (Kenzuishi) To The Sui Court

Empress Suiko, the 33rd monarch of Japan, appointed Japanese politician and diplomat Ono no Imoko as an official envoy (Kenzuishi) to the Sui court in China on August 1, 607. According to Japanese calendar the date was July 3, 607.

1469

Trivia

Louis XI Of France Establishes The Order Of Saint Michael

The French dynastic order of chivalry called the Order of Saint Michael was founded by King of France Louis XI in Amboise on August 1, 1469.

1714

Trivia

George, Elector Of Hanover, Ascends As The King Of Great Britain And Ireland

George, Elector of Hanover, became the first member of the House of Hanover to ascend as the King of Great Britain and Ireland. This marked the start of the Georgian era in the history of Britain.

1834

Trivia

The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 Comes Into Force In The British Empire

The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 received the Royal Assent on August 28, 1833 and came into force on August 1, 1834 thus abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire.

1842

Trivia

The Lombard Street Riot Begins

A three-day race riot began on August 1, 1842, on Lombard Street (between Fifth and Eighth streets) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.

1849

Trivia

The Joven Daniel Incident

The brigantine Joven Daniel of the Chilean Navy wrecked off the coast of Araucanía. As the wreckage occurred in the territory that was outside the control of Chilean government, allegations did the rounds that local Mapuche tribes looted and murdered the survivors of the ship and kidnapped one of them called Elisa Bravo.

1855

Trivia

The First Ascent Of Monte Rosa

First ascent of the mountain massif Monte Rosa situated in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps was done by John Birkbeck, Charles Hudson, Ulrich Lauener, Edward Stephenson, Matthäus and Johannes Zumtaugwald, and Christopher and James Smyth on August 1, 1855.

1876

Trivia

Colorado Gets Admission To The Union As The 38th US State

The then US President Ulysses S. Grant signed Proclamation 230 on August 1, 1876, admitting the Territory of Colorado to the Union as the 38th US state.

1907

Trivia

The Brownsea Island Scout Camp Is Founded

The Brownsea Island Scout camp was founded on August 1, 1907 and began on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England same day as a camping event for boys. The event took place from August 1 to 8 that year and marked as the origin of the worldwide Scout movement.

1911

Trivia

Harriet Quimby Takes Her Pilot's Test And Emerges As The First Woman To Earn A Pilot's License In The US

Harriet Quimby developed interest in aviation in 1910 and on August 1 the following year, she took her pilot's test. She was awarded a US pilot's certificate by the social club called Aero Club of America and with this she became the first woman in the US to gain a pilot's license.

1950

Trivia

Guam Is Organized As A US Commonwealth

The then President of the US, Harry S. Truman, signed the Guam Organic Act which re-designated the Guam island as an organized, unincorporated territory of the US.

1957

Trivia

The North American Aerospace Defense Command Is Formed

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).was formed by the United States and Canada on August 1, 1957.

1960

Trivia

The Republic Of Dahomey Gains Its Full Independence From France

France granted autonomy to the Republic of Dahomey (later renamed Benin) in 1958 and full independence on August 1, 1960. August 1 is celebrated in Benin annually as its Independence Day and is observed as a national holiday.

1961

Trivia

The Joint Chiefs Of Staff (JCS) Published Directive 5105.21, "Defense Intelligence Agency"

In February 1961, US Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara under President John F. Kennedy appraised his decision of establishing the nation's first centralized military espionage organization, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). McNamara ordered the creation of DIA and accordingly the JCS published Directive 5105.21, "Defense Intelligence Agency" on August 1, that year. Operations of the DIA began on October 1, same year.

1964

Trivia

Belgian Congo Adopts Its Present-Day Name, The Democratic Republic Of The Congo (DRC)

Belgian Congo adopted the name Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on August 1, 1964.

1968

Trivia

Coronation Ceremony Of Hassanal Bolkiah Is Held

Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on October 5, 1967, following voluntary abdication of his father Omar Ali Saifuddien III from the throne. Hassanal coronation ceremony was held on August 1, 1968.

1971

Trivia

The Concert For Bangladesh

Two benefit concerts, collectively referred as ‘The Concert for Bangladesh’ were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on August 1, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The shows were organised by legendary former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar in pursuit of raising worldwide awareness as also relief funds for refugees from East Pakistan.

1980

Trivia

The Buttevant Rail Disaster

The 10:00 am Dublin (Heuston) to Cork (Kent) express train carrying around 230 bank holiday passengers met with an accident at Buttevant Railway Station in County Cork, Ireland on August 1, 1980. The train crash resulted in injury of 70 people and death of 18 and is counted among the worst rail disasters that occurred in Ireland.

1984

Trivia

Commercial Peat-Cutters Finds Remains Of Lindow Man

The preserved bog body of a man, called Lindow Man as also Lindow II and Pete Marsh was found by commercial peat-cutters in a peat bog at Lindow Moss near Wilmslow in Cheshire, North West England on August 1, 1984.

1988

Trivia

The Inglis Barracks Bombing

The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out the Inglis Barracks bombing on the British Army barracks called Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill, London, England on August 1, 1988. Large parts of the barracks were destroyed due to the attack which caused death of one soldier and injury of nine others.

2004

Trivia

The Ycuá Bolaños Supermarket Fire

A fire broke at the Ycuá Bolaños V supermarket in Asunción, Paraguay, on August 1, 2004. The incident caused death of 396 people and injury of 500 others.

2007

Trivia

The I-35W Mississippi River Bridge Collapses

The eight-lane, steel truss arch I-35W Mississippi River bridge that was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and spanned the Mississippi River collapsed on August 1, 2007. The catastrophic failure occurred during the evening rush hour and resulted in death of 13 people and injury of 145 others.

2008

Trivia

Operation Of The Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway Begins

Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway, the high-speed rail in China, which runs 117 km line between Beijing and Tianjin began its operation on August 1, 2008, marking it as the fastest conventional train service in the world at that time.

2008

Trivia

The 2008 K2 Disaster

K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, witnessed the worst single accident in its mountaineering history when 11 mountaineers from international expeditions died on the mountain and 3 others got seriously injured on August 1, 2008.

1498

Inventions & Discoveries

Christopher Columbus Visits Present-Day Venezuela

Italian explorer and colonizer Christopher Columbus visited what is now Venezuela on August 1, 1498 during his third voyage to the Americas. With this he became the first European to visit the place.

1774

Inventions & Discoveries

Joseph Priestley Discovers Oxygen Gas

English chemist and scientist Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas on this day isolating it in its gaseous state. This corroborates with Swedish Pomeranian and German pharmaceutical chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele’s discovery of the element in 1772.

1893

Inventions & Discoveries

Henry Perky Receives Patent For Machine For Preparing Cereals For Food

In 1890, inventor, promoter, lawyer and businessman Henry Perky invented shredded wheat cereal in Denver, Colorado. He founded the Cereal Machine Company as well. On August 1, 1893, he was granted the U.S. Patent 502,378 for a machine for preparing cereals for food.