On This Day In History
7 August 1711. The first race meeting was held at Ascot. The course was established by Queen Anne, and has been associated with the Royal Family ever since, highlighted by the annual prestigious June flat race meetings (painting is of Royal Ascot in 1825). pic.twitter.com/WIADanI9SH
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1782. US President, George Washington, created the “Badge of Military Merit” for soldiers wounded in battle. It is later renamed the “Purple Heart”. pic.twitter.com/IbQCibvQfW
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1876. Mata Hari was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. She was a Dutch exotic dancer, convicted of being a spy for Germany during the “Great War” and executed. Despite admitting, under interrogation, she was paid to work as a German spy, some historians are unconvinced. pic.twitter.com/i96yycLoHM
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1948. US athlete, Alice Coachman, became the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal by winning the Women’s High Jump Final at the 1948 London Olympic Games. pic.twitter.com/7c7gb4OcIu
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1957. Comedy legend, Oliver Hardy (pictured, right), died (aged 65). He was one half of the famous Laurel and Hardy double act, which lasted from 1927 to 1955. He appeared with his comedy partner, Stan Laurel, in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles. pic.twitter.com/LeeQd9UWpj
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
On 7 August 1963. Jackie Kennedy gave birth to Patrick Kennedy, the 3rd child of her marriage to JFK, but 39 hours later, the baby died of heart failure. This untimely death inspired further research into infant respiratory distress syndrome, which saved the lives of millions. pic.twitter.com/ImBamkqnGt
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1974. French stuntman, Philippe Petit, walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, New York City. The feat was unauthorised by the owners of the buildings. In 2008, Man on Wire, a documentary about Petit’s walk between the towers was released. pic.twitter.com/3OeVaAdu0T
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
7 August 1987. American swimmer, Lynne Cox, became the first person to swim between the United States and the Soviet Union, crossing the Bering Strait from Little Diomede Island in Alaska to Big Diomede in the Soviet Union. pic.twitter.com/DmqomzCT9z
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 7, 2022
Remembering Billie Burke
August 7, 1884 ~ May 14, 1970
THE WIZARD OF OZ's Glinda#TCMParty pic.twitter.com/xAIhtT0lxh— Nina L. Diamond (@ninatypewriter) August 7, 2022
Remembering Peter Jennings, @ABC anchor and reporter.
July 29, 1938 ~ August 7, 2005 pic.twitter.com/ZUH59xDHg4— Nina L. Diamond (@ninatypewriter) August 7, 2022
August 8th
1509 Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, marking the beginning of the regeneration of the Vijayanagara Empire in Southern India
1609 Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope
1786 US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America
1925 1st national march of Ku Klux Klan (between 25,000 and 40,000 marchers) in Washington, D.C.
1945 USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea
1974 US President Richard Nixon announces he will resign at 12pm the next day
1988 Ceasefire between Iran & Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war
This day 26 years ago – 8 August 1992 – Michael Carruth became the first Olympic gold medal winner for Ireland in 36 years when he beat Juan Hernández Sierra of Cuba, taking the boxing welterweight title.
Carruth was promoted to Sergeant in the Irish Army in recognition. pic.twitter.com/anmaQM7Qb2
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) August 8, 2018
#OTD in 1928, Gladys Bentley recorded tracks for Okeh Records. A lesbian, black 'cross dressing' blues singer of the Harlem Renaissance, Bentley's life and music challenged gender stereotypes in the 1920s and brought her much persecution. https://t.co/dzHhl1uypv pic.twitter.com/aeRBngyjtx
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) August 8, 2020
On this day in 2016, 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed's family filed a lawsuit against the city of Irving, Texas, after he was racially profiled and arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/MYoskO1dUh
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) August 8, 2022
8 August 1899. The refrigerator was first patented by Albert Marshall of Brockton, Massachusetts, USA, it had an automatic motor cut-off in case it was needed, and a means for automatically regulating the water used for cooling the refrigerator. pic.twitter.com/3YeABQee0T
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 8, 2022
8 August 1929. The famous German airship, Graf Zeppelin, began a round-the-world flight. It was completed in 5 stages in 3 weeks, beginning and ending in Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA. pic.twitter.com/CSvClq29Lu
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 8, 2022
8 August 1974. US President, Richard Nixon, announced in a special national TV broadcast that he would resign at 12 noon on the following day. His resignation was due to his involvement in the cover up of the Watergate scandal. pic.twitter.com/atgJp4tpL9
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 8, 2022
8 August 2004. Canadian born Hollywood legend, Fay Wray, died (aged 96). She’s best remembered for starring as Ann Darrow in the original 1933 film, King Kong. Her acting career spanned nearly six decades but her most noteworthy roles were mostly in horror films. pic.twitter.com/bUEhypxOEQ
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 8, 2022
8 August 2017. Country and Western singing legend, Glen Campbell, died (aged 81), after what his family described as “a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease”. His most famous hits were: Galveston, Wichita Lineman, Southern Nights and Rhinestone Cowboy. pic.twitter.com/3u07yMDU4k
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) August 8, 2022