Third Pan-American Games
On August 27, 1959, the third Pan-American Games officially opened in Chicago, Illinois. These were the first Pan-Am Games held in the United States.
Famous Americans
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Lou Gehrig Hits Record 23rd Grand Slam
Stepping up to bat in the first inning with the bases loaded, Lou Gehrig hit the 23rd grand slam of his career on August 20, 1938. The Yankees’ “Iron Horse,” his record went unbroken for 75 years.
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Marquis de Lafayette’s Tour of the US
On August 15, 1824, Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, returned to the United States for the first time in nearly forty years. Now sixty-seven years old, Lafayette was the last surviving major general of the Revolutionary War.
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Babe Ruth Becomes First Player to Hit 500 Home Runs
Hitting the first pitch he saw, Babe Ruth made history on August 11, 1929, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 home runs.
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Birth of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was born August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A leading figure in the pop art movement, he’s considered one of America’s most notable artists of the second half of the 20th century.
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George Washington Carver National Monument Established
On July 14, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt committed $30,000 toward a monument to botanist and inventor George Washington Carver.
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Birth of Calvin Coolidge
Future President John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1872. He would serve as America’s 30th president, taking the office upon the unexpected death of President Warren Harding.
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US Begins Issuing Stamps in the Philippines
On June 30, 1899, the American military government issued its first stamps in the Philippines. Spanish colonization of the Philippines began in 1565 and continued for more than three centuries. In the late 1800s, the people of the Philippines revolted against the atrocities of their Spanish rulers. At the same time, unrest was growing in the Spanish colony of Cuba.
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Dr. Paul Dudley White
Doctor Paul Dudley White was born on June 6, 1886, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Often considered the founder of preventive cardiology, he helped to found the American Heart Association and later served as its president.
