This Day In History

Writer Francis Bret Harte was born on August 25, 1836, in Albany, New York. His stories of California mining camps later brought him national fame and gave eastern readers a vivid, if literary, picture of life in the American West.

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (also known as “The Duke” and “The Big Kahuna”) was born on August 24, 1890, in Haleʻākala, Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii.  Duke was a record-setting Olympic swimmer who helped popularize surfing outside of Hawaii.

On August 23, 1784, an American merchant ship unfurled the Stars and Stripes for the first time in China. The Chinese dubbed it the “Flower Flag,” and its passengers, “flower flag countrymen,” a name that endures today.

On August 22, 1970, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in the American Poet Series. The series honored seven prolific American poets.

Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens was born on June 28, 1577, in Siegen, Nassau-Dillenburg, in the Holy Roman Empire. He would become one of Europe’s most sought-after painters, known not only for dramatic Baroque art, but also for work as a trusted diplomat.

On May 12, 1820, nurse and social reformer Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Her work during the Crimean War made her famous – but she’s best remembered today for her efforts to make health care safer. Her birthday later became a lasting day of recognition for health care, inspiring observances such as International Nurses Day and the original National Hospital Day.

On May 1, 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago, Illinois. For six months, it transformed the city into a global showcase of architecture, invention, culture, and ambition, drawing millions of visitors to one of the largest fairs ever held.

On April 24, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was inaugurated as Pope Benedict XVI, becoming the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church before a crowd of more than 300,000 in St. Peter’s Square. The 78-year-old German theologian — once nicknamed “God’s Rottweiler” for his doctrinal rigor — surprised the world eight years later by becoming the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years.

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment went into effect, granting women’s suffrage. It was a major victory for suffragists following a decades-long fight.

Lee de Forest was born on August 26, 1873, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His inventions made long-distance telephone service, radio broadcasting, television, and many other technologies possible, making him one of the founders of the “electronic age.”

Albert Saperstein was born on August 26, 1906, in Białystok, Russian Empire (present-day Poland). Sabin developed one of the vaccines that helped to nearly eradicate polio worldwide.

On August 26, 1972, the Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, opened in Munich, West Germany.  The first games held in Germany since 1936, they were overshadowed by the “Munich Massacre.”