========::Events::========* 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, in which Roland is killed.
* 927 - The Saracens are conquered and destroyed Taranto.
* 1040 - King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as Scottish Monarch.
* 1057 - King Mac Bethad is killed in the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
* 1185 - The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
* 1248 - The foundation stone of the Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. Construction eventually completed in 1880.
* 1261 - Michael VIII Palaeologus is crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.
* 1309 - The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island, and rename themselves as the Knights of Rhodes.
* 1461 - The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.
* 1517 - Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.
* 1519 - Panama City, Panama, is founded.
* 1534 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates took initial vows that would lead to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September of 1540.
* 1537 - Asunción, Paraguay, is founded.
* 1540 - Arequipa, Peru, is founded.
* 1549 - Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: July 22, 1549).
* 1599 - Nine Years War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, were sent to relieve Collooney Castle.
* 1636 - The Covenant of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts was first signed.
* 1760 - Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz - Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst von Laudon.
* 1824 - Freed American slaves form Liberia.
* 1843 - The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
* 1843 - Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
* 1863 - The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).
* 1915 - The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.
* 1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw - Poles defeat the Red Army.
* 1942 - World War II: Operation Pedestal - The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island defenses.
* 1944 - World War II: Operation Dragoon - Allied forces land in southern France.
* 1945 - World War II: Victory over Japan Day - Japan surrenders.
* 1945 - World War II: Korean Liberation Day.
* 1947 - India gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth , Jawaharlal Nehru addresses the nation with the Indian Declaration of Independence and takes office as the first Prime Minister of India.
* 1947 - Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor General of Pakistan at Karachi.
* 1948 - The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north.
* 1960 - Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) declares its independence from France.
* 1961 - Keiyo Road is specified to be the first driveway in Japan.
* 1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens.
* 1971 - Bahrain Independence Day.
* 1973 - Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends.
* 1974 - Seoul Subway Line 1 opened, between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station
* 1974 - Turkish invasion of Cyprus continues, and the 37% of the island is now under Turkish control.
* 1977 - The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by The Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" for notation made by a volunteer on the project.
* 1993 - Junko Asari wins the women's marathon in the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, Japan's first major women's athletics victory.
* 1995 - In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel, but drops out in less than a week.
* 1998 - Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, becoming the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles
* 1999 - Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
===========::Birthdays::===========
1195 - Anthony of Padua, Portuguese saint
1769 - Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
1771 - Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (d. 1832)
1785 - Thomas De Quincey, English author
1863 - Alexei Krylov, Russian engineer and mathematician
1892 - Louis, 7th duc de Broglie, French physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1893 - Leslie Comrie, New Zealand astronomer and computing pioneer
1896 - Gerty Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1972 - Ben Affleck, American actor
Romania - Adormirea Maicii Domnului
India – Independence Day (from the United Kingdom, 1947).
Acadie – National Day.
Austria - Maria Himmelfahrt day.
Bangladesh – National Mourning Day
Belgium, Assumption (of Blessed Virgin Mary) day.
Egypt – Flooding of the Nile Day.
France, Assumption Day.
Greece, Dormition ('Falling Asleep' of Virgin Mary.)
Hawaii – Toro Nagashi (Floating Lanterns Ceremony) to commemorate the end of the second world war.
Hindu – Krishna Janmaashtami, also on August 16.
Italy – " Assumption Day. And Ferragosto", remembrance of an ancient Roman holiday in honor of Augustus (Feriae Augusti).
Japan – Day of End of the War / The day which mourns for war dead, and prays for peace "National War-Dead Memorial Ceremony" is performed on that day every year after 1963.
Japan – Dutch Tray
Korea – Gwangbokjeol(Liberation Day).
Ancient Latvia – Māras.
Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein Day.
Poland – Polish Armed Forces Day.
Tuva – Tuva Republic Day, Naadym.
Portugal– Our Lady of Angels Feast, Azores.
Spain- Assumption Day.
Costa Rica– Mother's Day.
* 927 - The Saracens are conquered and destroyed Taranto.
* 1040 - King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as Scottish Monarch.
* 1057 - King Mac Bethad is killed in the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
* 1185 - The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
* 1248 - The foundation stone of the Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. Construction eventually completed in 1880.
* 1261 - Michael VIII Palaeologus is crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.
* 1309 - The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island, and rename themselves as the Knights of Rhodes.
* 1461 - The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.
* 1517 - Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.
* 1519 - Panama City, Panama, is founded.
* 1534 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates took initial vows that would lead to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September of 1540.
* 1537 - Asunción, Paraguay, is founded.
* 1540 - Arequipa, Peru, is founded.
* 1549 - Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: July 22, 1549).
* 1599 - Nine Years War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, were sent to relieve Collooney Castle.
* 1636 - The Covenant of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts was first signed.
* 1760 - Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz - Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst von Laudon.
* 1824 - Freed American slaves form Liberia.
* 1843 - The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
* 1843 - Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
* 1863 - The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).
* 1915 - The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.
* 1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw - Poles defeat the Red Army.
* 1942 - World War II: Operation Pedestal - The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island defenses.
* 1944 - World War II: Operation Dragoon - Allied forces land in southern France.
* 1945 - World War II: Victory over Japan Day - Japan surrenders.
* 1945 - World War II: Korean Liberation Day.
* 1947 - India gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth , Jawaharlal Nehru addresses the nation with the Indian Declaration of Independence and takes office as the first Prime Minister of India.
* 1947 - Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor General of Pakistan at Karachi.
* 1948 - The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north.
* 1960 - Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) declares its independence from France.
* 1961 - Keiyo Road is specified to be the first driveway in Japan.
* 1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens.
* 1971 - Bahrain Independence Day.
* 1973 - Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends.
* 1974 - Seoul Subway Line 1 opened, between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station
* 1974 - Turkish invasion of Cyprus continues, and the 37% of the island is now under Turkish control.
* 1977 - The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by The Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" for notation made by a volunteer on the project.
* 1993 - Junko Asari wins the women's marathon in the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, Japan's first major women's athletics victory.
* 1995 - In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel, but drops out in less than a week.
* 1998 - Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, becoming the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles
* 1999 - Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
===========::Birthdays::===========
1195 - Anthony of Padua, Portuguese saint
1769 - Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
1771 - Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (d. 1832)
1785 - Thomas De Quincey, English author
1863 - Alexei Krylov, Russian engineer and mathematician
1892 - Louis, 7th duc de Broglie, French physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1893 - Leslie Comrie, New Zealand astronomer and computing pioneer
1896 - Gerty Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1972 - Ben Affleck, American actor
===========::Holidays::===========
Romania - Adormirea Maicii Domnului
India – Independence Day (from the United Kingdom, 1947).
Acadie – National Day.
Austria - Maria Himmelfahrt day.
Bangladesh – National Mourning Day
Belgium, Assumption (of Blessed Virgin Mary) day.
Egypt – Flooding of the Nile Day.
France, Assumption Day.
Greece, Dormition ('Falling Asleep' of Virgin Mary.)
Hawaii – Toro Nagashi (Floating Lanterns Ceremony) to commemorate the end of the second world war.
Hindu – Krishna Janmaashtami, also on August 16.
Italy – " Assumption Day. And Ferragosto", remembrance of an ancient Roman holiday in honor of Augustus (Feriae Augusti).
Japan – Day of End of the War / The day which mourns for war dead, and prays for peace "National War-Dead Memorial Ceremony" is performed on that day every year after 1963.
Japan – Dutch Tray
Korea – Gwangbokjeol(Liberation Day).
Ancient Latvia – Māras.
Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein Day.
Poland – Polish Armed Forces Day.
Tuva – Tuva Republic Day, Naadym.
Portugal– Our Lady of Angels Feast, Azores.
Spain- Assumption Day.
Costa Rica– Mother's Day.
