Premiere of The Wizard of Oz
On August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
This Day in History
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.
Robert E. Lee Attempts to Resign
On August 8, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee penned a letter to Jefferson Davis offering to resign in the wake of his loss at Gettysburg.
Happy Birthday Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio.
America’s First Theme Park
On August 3, 1946, the first themed amusement park in America opened in Santa Claus, Indiana.
First U.S. Semipostal
On July 29, 1998, the USPS issued its first Semipostal stamp to fund breast cancer research.
First International Special Olympics
On July 20, 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver held the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago, Illinois.