On This Day In History
2 August 1976. Legendary Austrian film director, Fritz Lang, died (aged 85). He’s best known for the classic Weimar German silent films, Metropolis and M. He went into exile in the USA after Hitler came to power, and carved out a successful career in Hollywood. pic.twitter.com/oZVAdzdhIj
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 2, 2022
2 August 1990. Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded the oil-rich country of Kuwait. Iraq’s subsequent refusal to withdraw from Kuwait led to military intervention by a UN authorised coalition of forces led by the USA. pic.twitter.com/1lpM1In4N0
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 2, 2022
2 August 1997. Acclaimed novelist, William Burroughs, died (aged 83) He was one of the most influential novelists of the “Beat Generation”. His novels include: Junkie, Naked Lunch, The Nova Trilogy (1961–1964), Cities of the Red Night and The Place of Dead Roads. pic.twitter.com/NKgScFb4YE
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 2, 2022
August 3rd
1492 Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first voyage with three ships, Santa María, Pinta and Niña from Palos de la Frontera, Spain for the "Indies"
1596 David Fabricius discovers light variation of Mira (1st variable star)
1914 Germany invades Belgium and declares war on France, beginning World War I
1934 Adolf Hitler merges the offices of German Chancellor and President, declaring himself "Führer" (leader)
1972 US Senate ratifies the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union to limit the use of missile systems capable of defending against missile-delivered nuclear weapons
Did You Know?
First known letter sent from North America by John Rut while at St. John's, Newfoundland
Today in History in 1527
Would You Believe?
MLB umpire Tim Hurst instigates a riot by spitting in the face of A's 2nd baseman Eddie Collins who had questioned a call; 2 weeks later Hurst banned for life
Today in History in 1909
Corless declined to attend a reception with the Pope, choosing 'to stand with the babies'. Her report was handed over by Katherine Zappone, an Irish minister. The laundries remained in use until 1996 [sic] https://t.co/bR7fwoLd2k.
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) August 3, 2022
On this day in 1919, five days of white mob violence targeting Black migrants in Chicago ended, leaving 38 dead, hundreds injured, and over 1,000 Black families homeless. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/zziCOw6Tzs
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) August 3, 2022
3 August 1792. Richard Arkwright, a key figure in the British Industrial Revolution, died (aged 59). He was central to the development of the spinning frame, known as the water frame, and was the first to develop factories housing mechanised spinning operations. pic.twitter.com/gkYfrGL4a4
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1856. London was divided into postal districts to speed up the delivery of letters. The General Post Office (GPO), under Sir Rowland Hill, produced perfectly circular district areas with the post office at St. Martin's Le Grand at its centre. pic.twitter.com/CPOenFjcRC
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1916. Sir Roger Casement (aged 51), the Irish nationalist supporter, was hanged in London for treason, due to his role as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising. He had won acclaim after exposing the illegal practice of slavery in the Congo and parts of South America. pic.twitter.com/rN3N9xjBtU
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1926. The first manually operated electric 3-colour traffic lights in Britain were installed at Piccadilly Circus, London. Automatic traffic lights were not operative until November 1927 and were first used in Wolverhampton. pic.twitter.com/RUe4PvKvkC
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1936. American sprinter, Jesse Owens, won the 100 metres at the Berlin Olympics. It was the first of 4 Gold Medals he won at the Berlin Games. He was credited with “single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy”. pic.twitter.com/n3Rn50DmTd
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1958. The American nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus, became the first vessel to complete an undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and travelled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. pic.twitter.com/RZE09uBD3p
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1963. Dr Stephen Ward (aged 50), was found dead in his London home. He was awaiting the verdict in his trial for “living off immoral earnings” gained from Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, who both lived with him as lodgers. All were part of the “Profumo Scandal”. pic.twitter.com/ZIRi1JY3oy
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 1966. Comedy stand up legend, Lenny Bruce, died (aged 40). He was renowned for his open, freestyle and critical form of comedy which contained satire, politics, religion, sex and vulgarity. He was deeply influential in the evolution of stand up comedy. pic.twitter.com/oRkrOI9Sbs
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 2008. Russian novelist and dissident, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, died (aged 89). He was an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and Communism and helped to raise global awareness of the brutal Soviet Gulag forced-labor camp system. pic.twitter.com/vsyQDEHPYP
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
3 August 2021. Elaine Thompson-Herah became the first woman to win the 100-200 metres "double-double". The Jamaican sprinter took gold in both the 100 metres and and 200 metres races in the Tokyo Olympics, repeating her 2 wins in the same contests at the 2016 Rio Olympics. pic.twitter.com/lWa0dOSfhK
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 3, 2022
August 4th
1558 1st printing of Zohar (Jewish Kabbalah)
1821 Russian Antarctic Expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen returns to Kronshtadt after becoming the 1st to circumnavigate Antarctica
1942 1st train with Jews departs Mechelen Belgium to Auschwitz
1944 Anne Frank arrested in Amsterdam by German Security Police (Grüne Polizei) following a tip-off from an informer who was never identified
1993 Rwandian Hutus and Tutsis sign peace treaty in Arusha, Tanzania
Did You Know?
Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Pérignon's invention of Champagne
Today in History in 1693
Would You Believe?
There's nothing. August 4th may be feeling a bit brackish about that...
This day 101 years ago - 4 August 1918 - a series of matches organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) were played across Ireland, protesting a recent ban on “assemblies in public places” announced by British Army General Frederick Shaw.
It was known as 'Gaelic Sunday'. pic.twitter.com/wtwFoJQSk6
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) August 4, 2019