|
THE AMERICAN CALENDAR
EACH DATE IS THE ANNIVERSARY
OF A PERSON OR EVENT. IT SIGNIFIES THE DATE OF BIRTH OR IN SOME CASES THE
DATE OF DEATH AS SPECIFIED. |
 |
August |
|
|
| |
Herman
Melville, American writer famous for his novel, Moby Dick, his epic
masterpiece. Not regarded much during his lifetime, Melville now
ranks with the major American novelists and short story writers
of the 19th century and his reputation as a poet is gradually increasing. |
Chief Joseph, leader of
the Nez Perce Indians who led a brilliant but losing struggle against
white encroachments in the Western territories. Joseph won at least
a dozen battles but the federal armies with superior numbers finally
forced the Nez Perce
to surrender. After a
1,500 mile winter trek, 40 miles from the Canadian border, the Nez
Perce were defeated. |
|
Joseph
J. Gurney, American Quaker philanthropist and reformer, was a minister
of the Society of Friends. During his travels of the United States
and the West Indies, Gurney studied the effects of slavery. He presented
to President Martin Van Buren a plan for emancipating slaves and
forbidding
slavery in the new territories.
He used much of his wealth in the spread of Quakerism. |
|
Elisha
Graves Otis, American inventor who installed the first elevator
equipped with an automatic safety brake. Otis demonstrated his automatic
brake at the Crystal Palace in New York in 1854. Otis' safety elevator
contributed to the increased popularity of multistory buildings
after the Civil War. |
Ernie Pyle, American journalist
and war reporter. In 1935 Pyle became a roving reporter for the
Scripps-Howard newspapers. In 1940 he covered the bombing of London,
the U.S. invasion of North Africa and Italy and the
Allied landings in Normandy.
Near Okinawa on April 18, 1945, he was killed by Japanese machine-gun
fire. |
|
Alexander
Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, died on this date at his
home in Nova Scotia. He began working on the telephone in 1875 in
Boston and achieved success on March 10, 1876. Bell obtained a patent
the same year and founded
the American Bell Telephone Company which has been enormously successful.
|
|
The
Battle of Mobile Bay in the American Civil War. The Union attack
was part of the effort to blockade all Southern ports. Union admiral
David Farragut opposed the Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan.
During the attack, Farragut exclaimed, "Damn the torpedoes,
full speed ahead." |
Neil Armstrong, American
astronaut, was the first man to set foot on the moon. Born in Wapakoneta,
Ohio, he became interested in aviation as a child. In 1969 he was
named commander of the first lunar landing mission, Apollo II; the
other astronauts on the flight were Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael
Collins. They landed on the moon
on July 20, 1969. President
Kennedy's dream of landing on the moon in the 1960s was achieved.
|
|
The
Battle of Oriskany was fought in New York near Fort Stanwix between
Rome and Utica. General Nicholas Herkimer with 800 patriots were
ambushed by Chief Joseph Brant and 400 Indians and British Rangers.
Herkimer's stand made it possible for Benedict Arnold and 1,000
troops to arrive and save the fort. |
|
Andy
Warhol, American artist and filmmaker who was a leader in the avant-garde
pop art movement of the early 1960s and a pioneer in commercial
silk-screen reproduction. Using photographs of his subjects, he
had silk-screens made from them in mass quantity in his studio which
he named "the factory." In the 1950s he began to show
his controversial pop art. |
The city of Hiroshima,
Japan, was destroyed by an atomic bomb to hasten the end of World
War II. It had a population of 350,000. During the war it was a
regional army headquarters, a major rail center and producer of
war materials.
More than 71,000 people
were killed and many later died of injuries and from the effects
of radiation. |
|
Nathanael
Greene, American general in the Revolutionary War who was an aide
and confidant to George Washington. In July, 1780, he presided at
the trial of Major John Andre, the British spy, who was hanged.
In the Southern campaign he was successful against the British commander
Lord Cornwallis and the British forces. |
|
Ralph
Bunche, American political scientist, government official and United
Nations official. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for
his work as UN mediator in the Palestine conflict between Israel
and the Arab nations. He was the UN secretary-general's personal
representative in the Congo to maintain law and order. He was elected
to a number of offices: on the board of directives of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He died in New
York City on December 9, 1971. |
The Battle of Guadacanal
in World War II, the U.S. Marines received air cover from planes
that took off from three carriers, the Wasp, the Saratoga and the
Enterprise,
all commanded by Rear
Admiral Frank Fletcher. The Marines hoped to seize an airport the
Japanese are building. |
|
Nelson
Miles, American soldier who began his military career in the Civil
War. By 1865 he had fought in every important battle of the Army
of the Potomac. He was wounded four times and won the Medal of Honor.
His greatest victories were against the Indians of the West under
Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo and Chief Joseph. |
Arthur Joseph Goldberg,
U.S. lawyer and associate justice of the Supreme Court, 1962-65.
He served as Secretary of Labor before being appointed to the Supreme
Court by President Kennedy. He later resigned to become ambassador
to the United Nations 1965-68. |
White-robed Ku Klux Klansmen,
more than 40,000 strong, paraded through the streets of the nation's
capital.
It was the largest display
of the Ku Klux Klant's power in history witnessed by 200,000 spectators,
many of them astonished by its numbers. |
|
Nagasaki,
Japan, near the end of World War II, was the site of the second
atomic bomb dropped by the U.S. forces.
The attack killed 73,884
people and destroyed 47% of the city. After the war the city was
quickly rebuilt and its industries expanded. |
|
Herbert
Hoover, 31st president of the United States. He was a member of
the Quakers. He gained prominence in four major careers: engineering,
international relief work, government and politics and reform of
government bureaucracy.
His presidency was dominated
by the Great Depression and proved a bitter disappointment. |
|
Benjamin
Tillman, American agrarian spokesman and political leader who served
South Carolina as governor and U.S. senator. For promising to "stick
my pitchfork" through President Cleveland's ribs, he gained
the nick-name "Pitchfork Ben." Tillman is remembered for
a strident fear of blacks and lectured across the country to disfranchised
African-Americans. |
|
Gifford
Pinchot, U.S. forester and public official who headed what became
the federal forest service and co-founded Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive
Party. He was twice elected governor of Pennsylvania serving from
1923 to 1927 and from 1931 to 1935. He sought stronger regulation
of public utilities. |
Alex
Haley, American writer and the author of Roots: The Saga of An American
Family, a novel based on the history of his own family which he
traced to his own origins in Africa. He transcribed the Autobiography
of Malcolm X and then worked ten years in research of his family
background. He wrote Roots which won a special Pulitzer Prize.
The book was made into
a television series which attracted 130 million viewers. |
|
James
Brady, American financier, supersalesman and bon vivant who possessed
an impressive collection of diamonds and was known as "Diamond
Jim." He was engaged in the railroad business in selling railroad
equipment and the manufacture of steel railroad cars. He had amassed
a great fortune and displayed his diamond rings. He was very generous
and gave out $l00 bills. |
|
Cecil
B. DeMille, American motion picture producer and director considered
the model of the Hollywood film mogul. His 70 films reflected changing
American tastes and values, and he was particularly noted for his
multimillion dollar spectacles. In 1912 DeMille joined Samuel Goldwyn
in forming a studio; and eventually grew into Paramount Pictures.
Some of his outstanding pictures are: The Ten Commandments; King
of Kings; The Sign of the Cross; The Buccaneer; Union Pacific; and
the Greatest Show on Earth. |
The first Model T Ford
rolled off the Ford Motor Company assembly line in Detroit. Ford
says it is easy to maintain which has been nicknamed the "Tin
Lizzy." It can be bought for $850,
so that millions of Americans
can afford them. The Model T represents a milestone for Ford. |
|
Annie
Oakley, American markswoman who in 1885 joined Buffalo Bill's Wild
West Show in Louisville. Her marksmanship with rifle and shotgun
brought her worldwide fame. She did remarkable feats by hitting
coins and playing cards tossed in the air at 90 feet. The musical
Annie Get Your Gun by Herbert and Dorothy Fields with score by Irving
Berlin is based on her life. |
Ben Hogan, American golfer,
was involved in a serious automobile accident with a Greyhound bus
but survived to establish one of the greatest tournament records
of all time. Among 61 victories, he won nine major titles.
He won four U.S. open
championships. He always fought back with.determination which was
the trademark of his career. |
|
The
Atlantic Charter was a statement of principles formulated in World
War II by President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston
Churchill. The charter resulted from a series of conferences between
the two leaders aboard the U.S.S. Augusta off Newfoundland. The
Charter was employed effectively as a propaganda weapon against
the Axis powers. |
William Randolph Hearst
died in Beverly Hills, California. He was a flamboyant news tycoon.
He established a vast publishing empire with earthy mass appeal
news coverage and shrieking typography. He was not afraid to espouse
unpopular
causes even at great cost
in money and popularity. He built numerous mansions "castles"
containping priceless collections of art. |
|
Elvis
Presley died and millions of fans mourned for the singer they called
"The King." He was one of America's most dynamic and
successful pop musicians
of the last 20 years. He had stunning triumphs in the 1950s and
1960s. He was the idol of teenagers. |
|
The
Battle of Bennington was fought in Vermont. General John Stark led
2600 untrained Continental militia in the American Revolution. He
routed the British and Hessians sent by General John Burgoyne to
capture supplies at Bennington. The American victory exposed the
left flank of Burgoyne's army which was moving from Canada down
the Hudson River Valley. |
Amos Alonzo Stagg, American
football coach who was acclaimed as the game's "grand old man."
During 41 seasons at the University of Chicago, he won seven Big
Ten championships. He was a leader in formulating the
modern rules of football
and developing the T-formation and the forward pass. He died at
the age of 102. |
|
David
Crockett, American frontiersman, was born in eastern Tennessee.
He served in the Creek War under General Andrew Jackson. He was
known widely as a bear hunter and his humorous campaign speeches
elected him to office He served as a Whig in the U.S. Congress.
In January, 1836, he led a band of Tennessee volunteers ready to
help the Texans gain independence from Mexico. He was one of the
180 defenders of the Alamo; all perished and Crockett was among
the dead. Already a folk hero he became a legendary figure in Texas. |
Harry
Lloyd Hopkins, American government administrator during the New
Deal program and an aide to President Roosevelt during World War
II. He was in charge of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration
for the unemployed.
He strongly influenced
reform enactment including the WPA and the PWA. He died in New York
City on January 29, 1946. |
|
Virginia
Dare, the first child of English parents born in the New World.
She lived in the Roanoke Island, Virginia Colony, now in North Carolina.
She was the granddaughter of John White, governor sent out by Sir
Walter Raleigh. White sailed back to England for supplies. On his
return to America in 1591, no trace of the settlers could be found.
resumably, all had been killed by the Indians. |
|
Meriwether
Lewis, American explorer who led the first U.S. expedition to the
Pacific Ocean. With William Clark, they left St. Louis in May, 1804
and returned in 1806. They gave Americans their first clear incentive
to push the frontier to the Pacific. |
|
Charles
F. Adams, American diplomat whose statesmanship was in the, family
tradition of his father, President John Quincy Adams and his grandfather,
John Adams. He was sent by President Lincoln to England to hold
Great Britain to a strict neutrality during the Civil War. |
Marshall Field, American
merchant who pioneered modern retail merchandizing. His managerial
skill and reputation for fair dealing made Marshall Field &
Company in Chicago the world's largest retail store.
I Business affairs completely
absorbed his energies. He had a thorough grasp of detail. Late in
life he developed an interest in philanthropy. |
|
Seth
Thomas, American clock manufacturer whose skill in business organization
and production techniques helped change the American clock industry
from small-scale craftsmanship to mass production. In 1853 he established
the Seth Thomas Clock Company capitalized at $75,OOO. His son expanded
the growth of the business. |
|
August
19, 1870 Bernard Baruch, American financier, philanthropist and
public official. He was a multimillionaire and chief adviser to
presidents. He was a Wall Street tycoon, a Wilsonian idealist, a
reluctant New Dealer and an Eisenhower "Democrat." Some
of his celebrated friendships included Francis Cardinal Spellman,
showman Billy Rose, Diamond Jim Brady, John F. Kennedy and Winston
Churchill. He died in New York City on June 20, 1965. |
|
August
19, 1902 Ogden Nash, American poet who is especially noted for his
humorous and satirical verse. In 1930 his first poem was accepted
for publication by the New Yorker. He published 19 books of poetry.
Nash collaborated with others such as S.J. Perelman and Kurt Weill. |
|
Bill
Shoemaker, nicknamed "the Shoe" was an American jockey
who won more Thoroughbred races than any other rider. He won the
Kentucky Derby four times. He seldom weighed more than 100 pounds.
Falls in 1968 and 1969 put him out of action but he recovered to
break Eddie Arcaro's record. |
William J. Clinton, was
born in Hope, Arkansas and 42nd president of the United States.
Bill Clinton studied at Oxford and graduated from Yale University
Law School. He taught law at the University of Arkansas.
He was Attorney General
at Arkansas and the state's governor before staging a successful
campaign for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination and the
White House. |
|
Oliver
Hazard Perry, American naval officer as commander of the flagship
Niagara during the War of 1812 when he defeated the British at the
Battle of Lake Erie. Perry's battle report to General William Harrison
contained the immortal words, "We have met the enemy and they
are ours." |
|
Benjamin
Harrison, 23rd president of the United States who was born in North
Bend, Ohio. He died on March 13, 1901, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
He was the grandson of William H. Harrison, 9th president of the
U.S. He was elected over Grover Cleveland in probably the most corrupt
presidential campaign. Compared with strong appealing leaders like
Jackson, Lincoln and the Roosevelts, Harrison was greater as a man
than as a president. |
Edgar Guest, American
writer who was employed by the Detroit Press. His verses were so
popular that he was given a column of his own. His work was syndicated
in hundreds of newspapers which included quantities of folksy verse
on friendship, humility, the joys of motherhood and the virtues
of honest labor and plain living.
Critics dismissed his
writings as banal, saccharine and monotomous but his annual income
was over $100,000. |
|
Thomas
Garrett, American abolitionist who defying what he deemed immoral
law, aided the escape of 3,000 runaway slaves over a 40-year period.
His home in Wilmington, Delaware was a refuge for fugitives. The
state of Maryland offered a $10,000 reward for his arrest. |
|
James
Bowie, American adventurer who was killed as a defender of the Alamo.
He had gained a reputation for riding alligators, hunting bears,
and roping and taming wild horses. The Bowie knife was designed
according to his specifications and became very popular on the Western
frontier. |
|
William
"Count" Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey where he
learned jazz piano technique from "Fats" Waller. After
playing in several bands, he formed his own band in 1935. After
playing for a time in Chicago, the band made its first recording
in 1937. His band was known for its strong rhythm section and for
a succession of fine soloists. His greatest hit was One O'Clock
Jump. He died in Hollywood, Florida on April 26, 1984. |
Wilt
Chamberlain, American basketball player who broke many scoring records
and is ranked among the greatest players of all time. standing over
7 feet tall, he was named "Wilt the Stilt." At the University
of Kansas in the first game of his varsity career he scored 52 points.
For seven years he led the NBA in scoring averaging 39.6 points
per game.
On March 2, 1962, he scored
100 points in a 169-147 Philadelphia win over the New York Knickerbockers.
|
|
Dorothy
Parker, American writer noted for her sharp wit and perceptive short
stories. Her often sardonic verse includes,
Enough Rope, and Not So
Deep as a Well and her short stories of social satire include Laments
For the Living and Here Lies. |
|
Jonathan
Wainwright, American army officer who served in World War I with
the 82nd National Army Division in France and the Third Army in
Germany. In March, 1942, he succeeded General Douglas MacArthur
as Philippine commander. He was forced to surrender Corregidor to
the Japanese. He was liberated from a Manchurian prison camp. He
was on the battleship Missouri for the surrender of Japan. |
Rudolph Valentino, died
on this day and countless women throughout the nation are sobbing
next to their radios. The actor, thrilling them for the last five
years with films like Blood and Sand;
The Young Rajah; and Cobra
was only 31 years old. Son of the Sheik was Valentino's last film.
|
|
Theodore
Parker, American Unitarian clergyman and social reformer who gave
great help to the antislavery cause. He was a leader in the committee
of vigilance, received runaway slaves, fought against their surrender
and aided their escape.
He presented his appeal
for the abolition of slavery in preaching and writing. |
|
Allan
Pinkerton, American sleuth who founded a major U.S. detective agency.
It specialized in railway theft cases, stopped an assassination
plot against President Lincoln in Baltimore, Maryland, assisted
the Union armies in the Civil War and broke up a gang called the
Molly Maguires. |
|
Bret
Harte, American writer who won international fame and wrote poems
and stories about California. Although he produced fiction about
other regions, he wrote constantly for thirty years for popular
magazines. He is known for short stories: The Luck of Roaring Camp;
The Outcasts of Poker Flat, and Tennessee's Partner. |
|
Leonard
Bernstein, American conductor and composer of symphonic music, musicals,
ballets and operas. He studied music with Fritz Reiner. In 1943
he was called upon to substitute for Bruno Walter. The enthusiastic
response made his reputation. In 1957 he was conductor of the New
York Philharmonic. His greatest success came in the 1950s. His compositions
are numerous; he died in New York City on October 14, 1990. |
George C. Wallace, political
leader whose election four times as governor of Alabama made him
an important political figure on the national scene. He opposed
civil rights for blacks and the legislation protecting their rights.
On May 15, 1972 while running for president,
he was shot by Arthur
Bremer and paralyzed for life. He continued to be reelected as governor
until 1987. |
|
John
Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, was born
near Bel Air, Maryland. During the Civil War his sympathies were
violently for the South. On the night of April 14, 1865, Booth's
derringer pierced the president's brain. Leaping from the presidential
box at Ford's Theater, Booth fell to the stage and broke his left
leg. He died later in a tobacco barn when surrounded by federal
officers. |
|
Albert
B. Sabin, American virologist who developed an oral vaccine against
poliomyelitis. It protects not only against paralyzation (as with
the Salk vaccine) but also infection and provides longer immunity.
|
|
American
women win the right to vote. An 81-year struggle ended quietly with
the signing of a proclamation giving American women the right to
vote by the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Agitation for
suffrage dates back to 1839. Susan B. Anthony was the leader in
the crusade. |
Geraldine
Ferraro, American political leader who was the first woman to be
nominated for vice president of a major political party. In 1984
presidential candidate Walter Mondale surprised most political observers
when he announced his choice of Ferraro as running mate before the
National
Democratic Convention.
In 1993 she was appointed to the U.S. delegation to the U.S. Commission
on Human Rights. |
|
The
Battle of Long Island was fought in Brooklyn, NY. Aiming at a decisive
victory, British General Howe landed 32,000 regulars and Hessians
at the entrance of New York Harbor. Opposing them Washington had
only 19,000 poorly trained men. Howe launched a three-pronged attack
and routed the Americans losing 2,000 killed and captured. The crushing
defeat opened Manhattan to an easy invasion and forced Washington's
army to retreat north. |
|
Samuel
Goldwyn, American motion picture producer who in a career spanning
more than 50 years, maintained his position as an independent maker
of quality films. In contrast to usual Hollywood practices, he worked
slowly and meticulously on a few films each year which he personally
supervised. |
|
Lyndon
B. Johnson, 36th president of the United States following the assassination
of President John Kennedy. He is noted for his 'War on Poverty'
at home and for the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965. His administration
sent massive military support to South Vietnam. Popular discontent
with his political manner and his foreign policy in Vietnam made
itself felt. He decided not to run in 1968 for a second term. |
Frank
Leahy, American football coach who in eleven years at the University
of Notre Dame won 87 games, tied nine and lost eleven. He produced
six undefeated teams and four national champions. He enjoyed enviable
success but a personality
marked by exaggerated
politeness and stilted diction made him controversial. |
|
Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton, American Roman Catholic religious leader who
was the first native-born North American to be canonized.
She founded the first
American community of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de
Paul. Her feast day is January 4. |
|
Henry
Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals. In 1843 he inherited a fortune and travelled in Europe
and the East for several years. Horrified at the cruelty to animals
while in Russia, Bergh then returned to the U.S. after the Civil
War and in 1866 obtained a state charter for ASPCA. He continued
to promote his organization with branch societies and securing laws
against cruelty to animals. |
|
The
Second Battle of Bull Run climaxed General Robert E. Lee's most
brilliant campaign, one of the great battles in military history.
It was perfect teamwork between Lee and his brilliant subordinate
General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. The federal forces under General
John Pope proved inadequate and dilatory tactics on his part failed
to unite Union armies. The Federal government had entered the darkest
hour of the war. |
Charles
F. Kettering, American engineer and prolific inventor. He perfected
the first electric starting ignition and lighting system for automobiles.
In 1919 he became director of General Motors Corporation. He was
in charge of General Motors Research Laboratories. Kettering was
awarded 185 patents including safety glass, four-wheel brakes, antiknock
gasoline,
and many other inventions
for the automobile. In 1945 he co-founded the Sloan-Kettering Institute
for Cancer Research. |
|
Stephen
W. Kearny, U.S. military leader, officer in the War of 1812 and
the Mexican War and governor of California. He led an expedition
to Mexico and captured Vera Cruz and Mexico City. He was in constant
conflict with U.S. authorities in the early republic of California. |
|
Huey
P. Long, American political leader who won wide support from workers
and farmers in his campaigns. Ruthless and ambitious, Long built
a powerful organization in Louisiana but his dream of the presidency
was ended by an assassin. He controlled all the branches of the
state government. He was shot by Dr. Carl A. Weiss, one of Long's
enemies. |
|
Roy
Wilkins, American civil rights leader who was named administrator
of the NAACP in 1950. Under his leadership the NACCP reached a strength
of 500.000 members in 2,000 branches. A shrewd political strategist,
he consistently pursued a policy designed to produce economic and
civil rights gains for blacks without alienating the white power
structure. He was considered one of the most powerful and respected
civil rights leaders in America. |
Ted Williams. American
baseball player who ranks as one of the foremost hitters in the
major leagues. In 1941 he batted 406 which was never equaled by
any other player. Williams long noted as "the kid" was
a colorful, quick-tempered perfectionist. He delighted his followers
with his batting feat and was
preoccupied with his specialty
of hitting with a smooth perfect swing. |
|
West
Virginia was admitted to the Union during the Civil War. The partition
of Virginia resulted when it left the union in 1861. It became the
35th state after Congress approved its Constitution.
The western counties remained
loyal to the North and sent troop in the war. |
|
|