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''Knowing the past, we can make wise
choices for a brighter, and more positive future.''
| 30 BC | Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, commits suicide. | |
| 1099 | At the Battle of Ascalon 1,000 Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, route an Egyptian relief column heading for Jerusalem, which had already fallen to the Crusaders. | |
| 1687 | At the Battle of Mohacs, Hungary, Charles of Lorraine defeats the Turks. | |
| 1762 | The British capture Cuba from Spain after a two month siege. | |
| 1791 | Black slaves on the island of Santo Domingo rise up against their white masters. | |
| 1812 | British commander the Duke of Wellington occupies Madrid, Spain, forcing out Joseph Bonaparte. | |
| 1863 | Confederate raider William Quantrill leads a massacre of 150 men and boys in Lawrence, Kansas. | |
| 1864 | After a week of heavy raiding, the Confederate cruiser Tallahassee claims six Union ships captured. | |
| 1896 | Gold is discovered near Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. After word reaches the United States in June of 1897, thousands of Americans head to the Klondike to seek their fortunes. | |
| 1898 | The Spanish American War officially ends after three months and 22 days of hostilities. | |
| 1908 | Henry Ford's first Model T rolls off the assembly line. | |
| 1922 | The home of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C. is dedicated as a memorial. | |
| 1935 | President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill. | |
| 1941 | French Marshal Henri Philippe Petain announces full French collaboration with Nazi Germany. | |
| 1961 | The erection of the Berlin Wall begins, preventing access between East and West Germany. | |
| 1969 | American installations at Quan-Loi, Vietnam, come under Viet Cong attack. | |
| 1972 | As U.S. troops leave Vietnam, B-52's make their largest strike of the war. | |
| 1977 | Steven Biko, leader of the black consciousness movement in South Africa, is arrested. | |
| 1977 | Space shuttle Enterprise makes its first free flight and landing. | |
| 1978 | Tel al-Zaatar massacre at Palestinian refuge camp during Lebanese Civil War. | |
| 1979 | Massive book burnings by press censors begin in Iran. | |
| 1981 | Computer giant IBM introduces its first personal computer. | |
| 1985 | Highest in-flight death toll as 520 die when Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes into Mount Takamagahara. | |
| 1992 | The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is concluded between the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating the world's wealthiest trade bloc. | |
| 2000 | Russian Navy submarine K-141 Kursk explodes and sinks with all hands during military exercises in the Barents Sea. | |
| 2005 | An LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) sniper mortally wounds Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, at the minister's home. | |
| 2012 |
Summer Olympics come to a close in London.
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Born on August 12
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| 1762 | George IV, named Prince Regent in 1810 when his father, George III, is declared insane. | |
| 1774 | Robert Southey, English poet laureate (1813-1843). | |
| 1781 | Robert Mills, architect and engineer whose designs include the Washington Monument, the National Portrait Gallery and the U.S. Treasury Building. | |
| 1859 | Katherine Bates, composer of "America the Beautiful." | |
| 1881 | Cecil B. DeMille, American film director, producer and screenwriter, famous for epic productions. | |
| 1889 | Zerna Sharp, creator and co-author, with William S. Gray, of the Dick and Jane reading primer series. | |
| 1911 | Cantinflas, Mexican circus clown, acrobat and actor. | |
| 1925 | Norris and Ross McWhirter, wrote and updated Guinness Book of World Records, 1955–1975; following Ross' assassination by the IRA, Norris continued writing and updating the Guinness Book until 1985. | |
| 1927 | Ralph Waite, actor (The Waltons, Roots). | |
| 1927 | Porter Wagoner, country singer, TV show host. | |
| 1929 | Buck Owens, country singer, a leader in establishing the "Bakersfield Sound.". | |
| 1936 | Vice-Admiral John Poindexter, Security Adviser to Pres. Ronald Reagan (Dec 1985–Nov 1986); convicted on 5 felonies arising from the Iran/Contra affair, but the convictions were overturned on appeal. | |
| 1937 | Walter Dean Myers, award-winning author of books for young readers (Hoops, The Scorpion). | |
| 1939 | George Hamilton, Golden Globe-winning actor (Crime & Punishment, USA), producer (Love at First Bite). | |
| 1954 | Pat Metheny, multiple-award winning jazz guitarist, including unprecedented 7 Grammys for 7 consecutive recordings. | |
MUCH MORE HISTORY
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