Birth of Bret Harte
Writer Francis Bret Harte was born on August 25, 1836, in Albany, New York.
American History
Birth of Meriwether Lewis
Explorer, soldier, and politician Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Premiere of The Wizard of Oz
On August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Social Security Act of 1935
On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law.
Death of Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock, the artist known as “Jack the Dripper,” died on August 11, 1956, in Springs, New York
Battle of Wilson’s Creek
On August 10, 1861, the first major battle in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Civil War was fought in Missouri.
Happy Birthday Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Spanish Found First Mission in California
On July 16, 1769, Franciscan friar Junipero Serra founded California’s first Catholic mission.
Happy Birthday, George Cohan!
The father of American musical comedy, George Michael Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, in Providence, Rhode Island. The son of traveling Vaudeville performers, Cohan joined his parents on stage when he was just a baby. Cohan learned to dance and sing shortly after learning to walk and talk. Along with his parents and sister, the family toured under the name The Four Cohans, with George writing skits and songs in his teens.