August 3
1958 — Nautilus Submarine Travels Under North Pole
On August 3, 1958, Commander William Anderson took the Nautilus beneath hundreds of feet of Arctic ice, crossing under the North Pole without ever surfacing.
Read more This Day in History America’s story, day by day
Today in History
Every date on the calendar carries a piece of the American story — battles won, documents signed, inventions unveiled, and lives that changed the course of a nation. Stop by each day for the moments that made this date matter.
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Pick a month to walk through its anniversaries, day by day.
August 4
1944 — Anne Frank Captured
On August 4, 1944, the Gestapo found Anne Frank and seven others after 761 days hidden behind a bookcase in Amsterdam. She was 15 and did not survive the war.
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August 5
1957 — “American Bandstand” Goes National
On August 5, 1957, 26-year-old Dick Clark brought the Philadelphia dance show to 67 ABC affiliates, where teens rated records from 35 to 98.
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August 6
1965 — President Johnson Signs Voting Rights Act
Ninety-five years after the Fifteenth Amendment promised the vote, literacy tests and intimidation still blocked the ballot box until Selma's Bloody Sunday forced Congress to act.
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August 7
1782 — George Washington Creates the Purple Heart
On August 7, 1782, Washington created a purple cloth badge for enlisted soldiers, not officers; only three men earned it before it became today's Purple Heart.
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August 10
1939 — “The Wizard of Oz” Movie Premieres in Green Bay, Wisconsin
On August 10, 1939, a 17-year-old Judy Garland introduced "Over the Rainbow," later named the top song of the century, in a Wisconsin theater.
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August 11
1934 — Federal Prisoners Land on Alcatraz
Al Capone arrived in 1934, and over 29 years, 36 men tried 14 times to escape the cold currents of San Francisco Bay.
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August 12
1990 — Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex Discovered
On August 12, 1990, a stranded fossil hunter near Faith, South Dakota, spotted bones in a cliff that became "Sue," the most complete T. rex ever found.
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August 13
1961 — Berlin Is Divided
Overnight on August 13, 1961, East German forces sealed Berlin with barbed wire to stop an exodus that had reached 1,000 people a day, many of them doctors and engineers.
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August 14
1935 — FDR Signs Social Security Act
On August 14, 1935, FDR signed the law creating old-age benefits funded by payroll taxes, born from a Depression that had wiped out the savings of older Americans.
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August 19
The HMS Guerriere Battle - This Day In History
The USS Constitution’s stunning victory over HMS Guerriere in 1812 became a defining moment in U.S. naval history and earned her the name “Old Ironsides.”
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August 20
The Battle of Fallen Timbers - This Day In History
The 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers crushed Native resistance in the Northwest Territory, paving the way for U.S. expansion and the Treaty of Greenville.
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August 21
Hawaii Becomes The 50th State - This Day In History
Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, spurring economic growth, boosting tourism, and affirming its unique multicultural identity.
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August 22
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act - This Day in History
The 1996 PRWORA law reshaped U.S. welfare, replacing AFDC with TANF, emphasizing work, and redefining state and federal roles in social policy.
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August 25
The National Park Service Organic Act - This Day in History
The 1916 Organic Act created the National Park Service, uniting U.S. parks under a single agency to conserve nature and history for future generations.
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August 26
19th Amendment Ratification - This Day in History
The ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920, marked a pivotal moment in U.S. history—granting women the constitutional right to vote.
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August 27
Edwin Drake Struck Oil - This Day in History
On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, launching the modern petroleum industry and transforming global energy forever.
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August 28
March on Washington - This Day in History
On August 28, 1963, over 250,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., to demand civil rights and hear Dr. King’s legendary “I Have a Dream” speech.
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August 29
Hurricane Katrina Made Landfall - This Day in History
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, flooding New Orleans and becoming one of the deadliest, costliest storms in U.S. history.
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Recent additions
The newest pages in the archive, fresh from the editorial desk.
August 14, 1935 · Added Aug 14, 2026
FDR Signs Social Security Act
On August 14, 1935, FDR signed the law creating old-age benefits funded by payroll taxes, born from a Depression that had wiped out the savings of older Americans.
Read moreAugust 13, 1961 · Added Aug 13, 2026
Berlin Is Divided
Overnight on August 13, 1961, East German forces sealed Berlin with barbed wire to stop an exodus that had reached 1,000 people a day, many of them doctors and engineers.
Read moreAugust 12, 1990 · Added Aug 12, 2026
Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex Discovered
On August 12, 1990, a stranded fossil hunter near Faith, South Dakota, spotted bones in a cliff that became "Sue," the most complete T. rex ever found.
Read moreAugust 11, 1934 · Added Aug 11, 2026
Federal Prisoners Land on Alcatraz
Al Capone arrived in 1934, and over 29 years, 36 men tried 14 times to escape the cold currents of San Francisco Bay.
Read moreAugust 10, 1939 · Added Aug 10, 2026
“The Wizard of Oz” Movie Premieres in Green Bay, Wisconsin
On August 10, 1939, a 17-year-old Judy Garland introduced "Over the Rainbow," later named the top song of the century, in a Wisconsin theater.
Read moreAugust 7, 1782 · Added Aug 7, 2026
George Washington Creates the Purple Heart
On August 7, 1782, Washington created a purple cloth badge for enlisted soldiers, not officers; only three men earned it before it became today's Purple Heart.
Read more