August 2 National Day

August 2 National Day Calendar with a complete list of holidays on the day August 2nd.

 

 

• ACES AND EIGHTS DAY
• ARKANSAS BACK TO SCHOOL TAX FREE WEEKEND
• NATIONAL ICE CREAM SANDWICH DAY
• INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY
• FILM RELEASE: “2 GUNS”, DEMZEL WASHINGTON, MARK WAHLBERG TRAILER

 

• 338 BC, the MACEDONIAN army of PHILIP II defeated the combined GREEK armies of ATHENS and THEBES at the “BATTLE OF CHAERONEA”.
  

  “BATTLE OF CANNAE”

  216 BC, CARTHIGINIAN-leader HANNIBAL defeated the ROMANS at the “BATTLE OF CANNAE” on the ITALIAN peninsula. 1589, KING HENRY III of FRANCE at 37 was assassinated.

• 1610, on his voyage to NORTH AMERICA, HENRY HUDSON sailed into the bay which would be named after him (HUDSON BAY), and where he would be cast adrift — never to be seen again.

FORMAL SIGNING OF “DECLARATION”

• 1776, in PHILADELPHIA, the CONTINENTAL CONGRESS began the formal signing of the “DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” by 56 of the delegates. Previously on JULY FOURTH, only JOHN HANCOCK had signed the document, “with a great flourish” so “KING GEORGE can read it without spectacles”.
• 1788, painter THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH died at 61.
• 1802, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE became FRANCE’S “COUNSEL FOR LIFE”.
• 1824, FIFTH AVENUE in NEW YORK CITY was opened to traffic.
  “BATTLE OF BAD AXE” 
• 1832, the two-day “BATTLE OF BAD AXE RIVER” in WISCONSIN, the last NATIVE-AMERICAN military stand east of the MISSISSIPPI, ended in INDIAN defeat — terminating the BLACK HAWK WAR.
• 1858, the post offices in BOSTON and NEW YORK CITY installed the nation’s first on-the-street letter boxes. The same day, the EAST INDIA COMPANYtransferred its control of INDIA to the BRITISH crown.
• 1861, UNION and CONFEDERATE troops skirmished at DUG SPRINGS, MISSOURI.
  FIRST TRAVERS STAKES 
• 1864, “KENTUCKY” won the first TRAVERS STAKES at the new racetrack in SARATOGA, NEW YORK. The race was named after WILLIAM TRAVERS, a NEW YORK CITY stockbroker and president of the SARATOGA ASSOCIATION, who owned the winning horse.
• 1865, while being laid by the “SS GREAT EASTERN”, the TRANS-ATLANTIC CABLE severed and was lost.
• 1870, the world’s first tube railway, TOWER SUBWAY, opened under LONDON’S RIVER THAMES.
• 1875, LONDON, ENGLAND, introduced the first roller-skating rink.
  

  1876, in DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA, JACK MCCALL killed JAMES BUTTLER “WILD BILL” HICKOCK. The drifter shot HICKOCK in the back while the latter was playing poker. Legend has it, BILL was holding aces and eights (now called a “dead man’s hand”).

  “WILD BILL” HICKOCK KILLED

• 1880, the BRITISH PARLIAMENT officially adopted GREENWICH MEAN TIME (GMT)
• 1903, the TURKS put down a civilian uprising in MACEDONIA and BULGARIA.
• 1906, the CHICAGO WHITE SOX began a 19-game winning streak — an AMERICAN LEAGUE record — later tied by the 1947 YANKEES.
• 1907, WASHINGTON SENATORS’ pitcher WALTER JOHNSON made his major-league debut, losing to the DETROIT TIGERS, 3-2.
  FIRST LINCOLN PENNY 
• 1909, the first LINCOLN-head pennies were minted.
• 1912, golfer JOHN MCDERMOTT, posting a 294, won the U-S OPEN in BUFFALO, N.Y.
• 1914, in WORLD WAR ONE, IMPERIAL GERMANY seized LUXEMBOURG and issued an ultimatum to BELGIUM. The same day, as GREAT BRITAIN mobilized, the RUSSIAN army invaded EASTERN PRUSSIA; and GERMANY signed a secret treaty with TURKEY.
• 1915, FAMOUS PLAYERS FILM COMPANY released the silent-film drama, “RAGS”, starring MARY PICKFORD.
• 1916, at TARANTO, AUSTRIAN sabotage sunk the “LEONARDO DA VINCI”, an ITALIAN battleship.
  

  “CHARM SCHOOL” OPENED

  1920, the play “THE CHARM SCHOOL” opened at the BIJOU THEATRE in NEW YORK for a run of 88 performances. 1921, ITALIAN opera-star ENRICO CARUSO died at 48 in NAPLES. 1922, inventor-physicist ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL died at 75. The same day, a typhoon killed about 60,000 in coastal CHINA.

  

  HARDING DIED  
• 1923, PRESIDENT WARREN HARDING died at 57 at the PALACE HOTEL in SAN FRANCISCO.
• 1927, one-term president CALVIN COOLIDGE announced, “I do not choose to run for president in 1928.”
• 1931, ALBERT EINSTEIN urged all scientists not to accept military work.
• 1934, GERMAN military-leader and statesman PAUL VON HINDENBURG died at 86. The same day, ADOLF HITLER became GERMANY’S commander in chief.
• 1936, at the BERLIN OLYMPICS, AMERICAN track-star JESSE OWENS set a world record for the 100-yard dash. The same day, early-aviator LOUIS BLEROIT died at 64.
• 1938, a yellow baseball was tested in a BROOKLYN DODGERS-ST. LOUIS CARDINALS game.
  

  1939, in a letter to PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, ALBERT EINSTEIN and LEO SZILÁRD stressed the need for the UNITED STATES to be the first nation to construct a nuclear weapon.

  “NUCLEAR” LETTER TO ROOSEVELT

  
  PT-109 RAMMED AND SUNK 

• 1943, a JAPANESE destroyer rammed, and sunk, JOHN F. KENNEDY’S “PT-109” (AUDIO) off the SOLOMON ISLANDS. The future president rescued fellow crew members by guiding them to shore.
  

  “CATHERINE WAS GREAT” OPENED

  1944, the MIKE TODD production, “CATHERINE WAS GREAT”, written by and starring MAE WEST, opened at the SHUBERT THEATRE in NEW YORK for a run of 191 performances.

• Also in 1944, TURKEY broke diplomatic relations with NAZI GERMANY.
• 1958, JOHNNY CASH (“DRUMS”) signed a lucrative contract with COLUMBIA. The same day, IRAQ and JORDAN dissolved their short-lived ARAB FEDERATION.
• 1959, golfer BOB ROSBURG, firing a 277, won the PGA CHAMPIONSHIP in MINNEAPOLIS. The same day in baseball, WILLIE MCCOVEY hit the first of his 521 major-league home runs.
• 1961, the BEATLES (“MONEY”) began a stint as house band at LIVERPOOL’S CAVERN CLUB.
• 1963, the submarines “USS SKATE” and “USS SEADRAGON” rendezvoused beneath the ice at the NORTH POLE. The same day in CHICAGO at the 30TH NFL ALL-STAR GAME, the COLLEGE ALL-STARS defeated the GREEN BAY PACKERS, 20-17; and guitarist ERIC CLAPTON left the ROOSTER to form CASEY JONES AND THE ENGINEERS (“TALL GIRL”).FIRST GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT 
• 1964, NORTH VIETNAM reportedly fired on the “USS MADDOX”, an AMERICAN destroyer in the GULF OF TONKIN. The same day, a race riot broke out in JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY; and the KINKS (“DEDICATED FOLLOWER OF FASHION”) opened for the BEATLES (“TILL THERE WAS YOU”) at GAUMONT CINEMA in EXETER, ENGLAND.
• 1965, UNIVERSAL released the spy-film “THE IPCRESS FILE”, starring MICHAEL CAINE, NIGEL GREEN, GUY DOLEMAN, SUE LLOYD, and GORDON JACKSON.
• 1966, the MONKEES recorded “(I’M NOT YOUR) STEPPING STONE”“IN THE HEAT OF
  THE NIGHT” RELEASED 
• 1967, UNITED ARTISTS released the film “IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT”, starring SIDNEY POITIER, ROD STEIGER, WARREN OATES, LEE GRANT, and LARRY GATES. The same day, the LOS ANGELES RAMS beat NEW ORLEANS, 77-16, in the SAINTS’ first pre-season game.
• 1968, in CHICAGO, the GREEN BAY PACKERS beat the COLLEGE ALL-STARS, 34-17, in the NFL ALL-STAR GAME. The same day, JEANNIE C. RILEYrecorded her hit, “HARPER VALLEY P-T-A”.
• 1969, PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON made a state visit to ROMANIA. The same day, BADFINGER recorded the PAUL MCCARTNEY song, “COME AND GET IT”for the BEATLES’ APPLE RECORDS.
• 1970, in baseball, the BALTIMORE ORIOLES won their 23rd-straignt victory over the KANSAS CITY ROYALS, 10-8.
• 1972, BRIAN COLE, bass player with the ASSOCIATION (“ALONG COMES MARY:), died at 29 from a drug overdose.
  

  1973, future hall-of-famer GEORGE BRETT picked up his first major-league hit. 1974, funeral services were held in HOLLYWOOD for MAMA CASS ELLIOT (“MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC”). 1975, “ONE OF THESE NIGHTS” by the EAGLES crested atop the nation’s pop-singles charts.

  BRETT’S FIRST HIT

• Also in 1975, BILLY MARTIN first became manager of the NEW YORK YANKEES; and temperatures reached 104 degrees FAHRENHEIT in PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, and 107 degrees FAHRENHEIT in NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS — both state records.
• 1976, film-director FRITZ LANG died at 85.
• 1978, comedienne TOTI FIELDS died at 48.
  

  MUNSON KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

  1979, the NEW YORK YANKEES’ THURMAN MUNSON, 32, was killed in the crash of his private plane at CANTON, OHIO, airport.

  Also in 1979, “GILDA RADNER, LIVE FROM NEW YORK” opened at the WINTER GARDEN THEATRE in NEW YORK for a run of 51 performances. 1982, actors JOHN MALKOVITCH and GLENNE HEADLEY married. 1984, CHARLES SHULTZ’ “PEANUTS” became the first comic strip to appear in 2,000 newspapers.

  “GILDA RADNER..” OPENED

• Also in 1984, UNIVERSAL released RON HOWARD’S film, “PARENTHOOD”, starring STEVE MARTIN, MARY STEENBURGEN, DIANNE WIEST, JASON ROBARDS, RICK MORANIS, TOM HULCE, MARTHA PLIMPTON, and KEANU REEVES.
  

  DALLAS AIR CRASH

  1985, 135 died when a DELTA “LOCKHEED L-1011” crashed, while landing at DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIRPORT in TEXAS. The aircraft crashed while on final approach, after encountering severe wind shear.

• 1987, in VANCOUVER, CANADA, GERMANY won the 25TH FEDERATION CUP, defeating the UNITED STATES tennis entry, 2-1. The same day, singer BILLY JOEL (“RIVER OF DREAMS”) performed at a concert in LENINGRAD, RUSSIA.
• 1989, NASA confirmed that “VOYAGER TWO” had discovered three more of NEPTUNE’S moons.
  

  1990, IRAQI troops and tanks invaded the oil-rich emirate of KUWAIT. The same day, NEW YORK YANKEES’ rookie KEVIN MAAS hit his tenth home run in just 77 trips to the plate. 1991, singer RICK JAMES (“GIVE IT TO ME, BABY”) was arrested on sexual-torture charges.

  IRAQI INVASION

• 1992, the play “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” closed at the BROOKS ATKINSON THEATRE in NEW YORK after a run of 159 performances. The same day, the NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME in COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK, inducted TOM SEAVER, ROLLY FINGERS, HAL NEWHOUSER, and umpire BILL MCGOWAN.
• 1993, PETER ANGELOS and WILLIAM DEWITT purchased the BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
• 1994, CONGRESS began hearings on the “WHITEWATER” scandal. The same day, a mine explosion in GUANGXI, CHINA, killed over 120 miners.
• 1998, the film-thriller “PAYBACK”, starring MEL GIBSON, finished shooting. The same day, ventriloquist SHARI LEWIS died at 65 in LOS ANGELES.
  

  “SIXTH SENSE” RELEASED

  1999, HOLLYWOOD PICTURES released the film-drama “THE SIXTH SENSE”, starring BRUCE WILLIS, HALEY JOEL OSMENT, TONI COLLETTE, and OLIVIA WILLIAMS. The same day in INDIA, a train wreck killed 286 people. 2000, in PHILADELPHIA, the REPUBLICANS nominated TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH as their party’s presidential candidate.

• 2002, BUENA VISTA PICTURES released the film-drama “SIGNS”, starring MEL GIBSON, JOAQUIN PHOENIX, and RORY CULKIN.
• 2003, confronted by a civil war, PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR of LIBERIA agreed to resign.
• 2005, AIR FRANCE “FLIGHT 358” rumbled off a runway at TORONTO’S PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, wrecking the plane but with no loss of life among the 309 on board.
• 2007, following the collapse of the I-35W MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE in MINNEAPOLIS, the DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ordered the immediate inspection of all truss bridges in the UNITED STATES.
• 2012, singer-songwriter JIMMY JONES (“HANDY MAN”) died at 75 in ABERDEEN, NORTH CAROLINA.

 

To see a complete list of other National days in the month of August check out this article August National Days Calendar.