British forces under General William Howe defeat the Americans under General George Washington in The Battle of Long Island.
26 August 1920
The 19th amendment to United States Constitution comes into affect. It gives women the right to vote.
25 August 1945
Possible start of the Cold War. Ten days after World War II ends with Japan announcing its surrender, armed supporters of the Communist Party of…
24 August 79
The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae are buried as Mount Vesuvius erupts.
23 August 1939
Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty.
21 August 1689
The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland between Jacobite clans and government forces.
20 August 1988
A cease-fire is agreed after almost eight years of conflict in the Iran-Iraq war.
19 August 1692
Five people are executed in the Witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts after being convicted of witchcraft.
18 August 1976
The “axe murder incident” in the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjeom kills two US soldiers.