Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, is launched. Two months later, it would enable live coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Syncom 3 was a significant milestone in the history of space exploration and satellite technology. Launched by NASA on August 19, 1964, Syncom 3 was the world’s first geostationary communication satellite. It was part of the Syncom series, which were the first communications satellites placed in geostationary orbit, meaning they remained fixed relative to a point on the Earth’s surface, enabling continuous communication with a specific area.

Purpose: Syncom 3 was designed to provide television broadcast capabilities, particularly to cover the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, which was one of its first major uses. It also had the capacity for telephone and other communication services.

Geostationary Orbit: Syncom 3 was positioned over the equator at 180 degrees longitude, directly over the International Date Line. Being in geostationary orbit meant that it orbited the Earth at the same rate as the Earth’s rotation, allowing it to stay in a fixed position relative to the Earth’s surface.

Technology: The satellite was equipped with a transponder capable of transmitting television signals and other communication data. Its successful operation demonstrated the feasibility of using geostationary satellites for global communications.

Impact: Syncom 3 played a critical role in advancing satellite communication technology. Its success paved the way for the development of more sophisticated communication satellites, leading to the modern global communications network.

Design: Syncom 3 was cylindrical, with a diameter of about 71 centimeters (28 inches) and a height of 39 centimeters (15 inches). It weighed 142 kilograms (about 313 pounds) at launch.

In Iran, the Cinema Rex fire causes more than 400 deaths.

The 1978 Cinema Rex fire in Iran was a tragic incident where a cinema in Abadan was set ablaze, leading to over 400 deaths. It is believed to be a politically motivated act that exacerbated tensions before the Iranian Revolution.

The First Sioux War begins when United States Army soldiers kill Lakota chief Conquering Bear and in return are massacred.

A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others.

August Revolution: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The First Sioux War begins when United States Army soldiers kill Lakota chief Conquering Bear and in return are massacred.

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The first car race takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On this day in 19 August 1909, the first race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, now the home of the world’s most famous motor racing competition, the Indianapolis 500.

Built on 328 acres of farmland five miles northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana, the speedway was started by local businessmen as a testing facility for Indiana’s growing automobile industry. The idea was that occasional races at the track would pit cars from different manufacturers against each other. After seeing what these cars could do, spectators would presumably head down to the showroom of their choice to get a closer look.

The rectangular two-and-a-half-mile track linked four turns, each exactly 440 yards from start to finish, by two long and two short straight sections. In that first five-mile race on August 19, 1909, 12,000 spectators watched Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer win with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The track’s surface of crushed rock and tar proved a disaster, breaking up in a number of places and causing the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics and two spectators.

The surface was soon replaced with 3.2 million paving bricks, laid in a bed of sand and fixed with mortar. Dubbed “The Brickyard,” the speedway reopened in December 1909. In 1911, low attendance led the track’s owners to make a crucial decision: Instead of shorter races, they resolved to focus on a single, longer event each year, for a much larger prize. That May 30 marked the debut of the Indy 500–a grueling 500-mile race that was an immediate hit with audiences and drew press attention from all over the country. Driver Ray Haroun won the purse of $14,250, with an average speed of 74.59 mph and a total time of 6 hours and 42 minutes.

Since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has been held every year, with the exception of 1917-18 and 1942-45, when the United States was involved in the two world wars. With an average crowd of 400,000, the Indy 500 is the best-attended event in U.S. sports. In 1936, asphalt was used for the first time to cover the rougher parts of the track, and by 1941 most of the track was paved. The last of the speedway’s original bricks were covered in 1961, except for a three-foot line of bricks left exposed at the start-finish line as a nostalgic reminder of the track’s history.

The first Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio.