What Happened on Aug 19

Augustus, First Emperor of Rome, Dies

Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit. Read more

Enea Piccolomini (Pius II) elected Pope

Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Latin Aeneas Sylvius; October 18, 1405 – August 14, 1464) was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death... Read more

Native Americans Attack Lancaster in Plymouth Colony

The war quickly spread, and soon involved the Podunk and Nipmuck tribes. During the summer of 1675 the Native Americans attacked at Middleborough... Read more

Battle of Paulus Hook

At four o'clock on the afternoon of August 8, 1779, Major Henry Lee, with four hundred infantry and a troop of dismounted dragoons started from New... Read more

Invasion of Minorca

Work soon began on gun emplacements to besiege St. Philip's Castle, the most important being at La Mola, on the opposite side of the harbor mouth,... Read more

Battle of Blue Licks

The Kentuckians reached the Licking River on the morning of August 19, near a spring and salt lick known as the Lower Blue Licks. On the other side... Read more

Major General Robert Ross And Rear Admiral George Cockburn Land At Benedict, Maryland

On August 19, 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops under the command of Major General Robert Ross and Rear Admiral George Cockburn landed... Read more

Battle of Contreras

The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during the August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the... Read more

New York Herald Reports on the Discovery of Gold in California

The gold mine discovered in December last, on the South branch of the American fork, in a range of low hills forming the base of the Sierra Nevada,... Read more

Orville Wright Born

Orville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1871. The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 –... Read more

Battle and Destruction of Louvain (Leuven) Belgium

A brave stand was made in front of Louvain, on August 19, by the right wing of the Belgian army, acting as a rear guard, while the center fell back... Read more

Afghanistan Gains Independence from the United Kingdom

Afghan Independence Day is celebrated in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919. The treaty granted independence... Read more

Frank McCourt Born

Francis "Frank" McCourt (19 August 1930 - 19 July 2009) was an Irish-American teacher and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, best known as the author... Read more

First All-American Soap Box Derby is Held

In the wake of the first car races, local kid auto races took place in the US at a very early stage. In 1914 the motion picture Kid Auto Races at... Read more

Sinyavin Offensive/Operation Nordlicht

Operation Northern Light (German: Unternehmen Nordlicht) and the Sinyavin Offensive refers to two near simultaneous military operations by planned... Read more

Bill Clinton is Born

Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III, in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who... Read more

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) First Airs Saturday Morning Television Shows For Children

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by... Read more

1953 coup d'etat in Iran

The 1953 Iranian coup d’état deposed the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq. The United States'... Read more

Launch of Sputnik 5

Korabl-Sputnik-2 (Spaceship Satellite-2), also known as Sputnik 5, was launched on August 19, 1960. On board were the dogs Belka ( Squirrel) and... Read more

FDA Approves Prometheus Labs' Zyloprim

Treating gout. It is used to treat high uric acid levels in the blood or urine caused by certain types of cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to... Read more

"Memories Of Underdevelopment" Is Released

Memories of Underdevelopment (Spanish: Memorias del Subdesarrollo) is a seminal 1968 Latin American film from Cuba. Directed by Tomás Gutiérrez... Read more

"Alice's Restaurant" Is Released

Alice's Restaurant is a 1969 movie adapted from a song by Arlo Guthrie. The song is Guthrie's most famous work, a talking blues based on a true... Read more

Ronald Reagan Addresses Kansas City Convention Delegates

February 24: Ford squeaks by Reagan in the New Hampshire primary. February 27: 11 of 12 former chairs of the Republican National Committee... Read more

Fire Consumes Saudia Flight 163 on Taxiway

Saudia Flight 163 was a scheduled passenger flight of Saudia that caught fire at Riyadh's International Airport (now the Riyadh Air Base) after a... Read more

FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Tenormin

Tenormin is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and... Read more