What do Francis Scott Key, Martin Luther King Jr., and the firing of atomic bombs all have in common? They’re all significant parts of August History. Find out more fun August History facts right here!
Happy birthday to Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779), the author of the Star-Spangled Banner.
August 2, 1876, “Wild Bill” Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota.
August 2, 1923, President Warren G. Harding died in a hotel in San Francisco. His sudden death started many unfounded rumors.
August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt concerning the possibility of atomic weapons.
August 5, 2011, Standard and Poor’s downgraded the United States credit rating from its highest rating of AAA to the lesser AA+ rating. America’s $14 trillion in outstanding debt and ineffective political leadership was stated as the cause.
August 6 and 9, 1945, the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw the first atomic bombs used in warfare.
August 15, 1969, Woodstock began in a field near Yasgur’s Farm at Bethel, New York. The three-day concert featured 24 bands and a crowd of more than 300,000 people.
August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act.
August 18, 1920, women were granted the right to vote when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
August 28, 1963, over 250,000 persons attended a Civil Rights rally that came to be known as The March on Washington. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his now-famous I Have a Dream speech.