The NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.
The skeleton of King Richard III of England (pictured) was discovered under a car park in Leicester.
Mexican drug war: Fifty-two people were killed in an arson attack at a casino in Monterrey, Mexico.
American singer Aaliyah (pictured) and several members of her record company were killed when their overloaded aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in The Bahamas.
The NASA spacecraft Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune and provided definitive proof of the existence of the planet's rings (pictured).
Bruce Springsteen released his commercial breakthrough album, Born to Run.
World War II: Japanese forces attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea.
World War I: During the sack of Louvain in Belgium, German troops burned the town's Catholic university, destroying several medieval manuscripts.
Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, doing so in approximately 21 hours 40 minutes.
Seven Years' War: Prussian forces engaged the Russians at the Battle of Zorndorf in present-day Sarbinowo, Poland.
Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
António Mota and a few companions become the first Europeans to visit Japan.
The Honourable Artillery Company, now the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII.
Philip III became King of France following the death of his father Louis IX during the Eighth Crusade.
George Mouzalon, the regent of the Empire of Nicaea, was assassinated as part of a conspiracy led by nobles under the future emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.
Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2004.
Conflict in Rakhine State (2016–present): One hundred seventy people are killed in at least 26 separate attacks carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, leading to the governments of Myanmar and Malaysia designating the group as a terrorist organisation.
Voyager 1 spacecraft enters interstellar space, becoming the first man-made object to do so.
Fifty-two people are killed during an arson attack caused by members of the drug cartel Los Zetas.
A Filair Let L-410 Turbolet crashes on approach to Bandundu Airport, killing 20.
Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Lazarenko is sentenced to nine years imprisonment for money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion.
Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Florida.
NASA successfully launches the Spitzer Space Telescope into space.
American singer Aaliyah and several members of her entourage are killed as their overloaded aircraft crashes shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport, Bahamas.
Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, is convicted of a shoot-to-kill policy at the Berlin Wall.
Belarus gains its independence from the Soviet Union.
The Battle of Vukovar begins. An 87-day siege of Vukovar by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), supported by various Serb paramilitary forces, between August and November 1991 (during the Croatian War of Independence).
Linus Torvalds announces the first version of what will become Linux.
Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the last planet in the Solar System at the time, due to Pluto being within Neptune's orbit from 1979 to 1999.
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, carrying 54 people, disappears over the Himalayas after takeoff from Gilgit Airport in Pakistan. The aircraft was never found.
Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 crashes near Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport in Auburn, Maine, killing all eight people on board including peace activist and child actress Samantha Smith.
Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Saturn.
Zimbabwe joins the United Nations.
George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party, is assassinated by a former member of his group.
President Jânio Quadros of Brazil resigns after just seven months in power, initiating a political crisis that culminates in a military coup in 1964.
The Games of the XVII Olympiad commence in Rome, Italy.
The world's first publicly marketed instant noodles, Chikin Ramen, are introduced by Taiwanese-Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando.
To avert a threatened strike during the Korean War, President Truman orders Secretary of the Army Frank Pace to seize control of the nation's railroads.
The House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss.
Ten days after World War II ends with Japan announcing its surrender, armed supporters of the Chinese Communist Party kill U.S. intelligence officer John Birch, regarded by some of the American right as the first victim of the Cold War.
The August Revolution ends as Emperor Bảo Đại abdicates, ending the Nguyễn dynasty.
World War II: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
World War II: Second day of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons; a Japanese naval transport convoy headed towards Guadalcanal is turned back by an Allied air attack.
World War II: Battle of Milne Bay: Japanese marines assault Allied airfields at Milne Bay, New Guinea, initiating the Battle of Milne Bay.
World War II: Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran: The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union jointly stage an invasion of the Imperial State of Iran.
World War II: The first Bombing of Berlin by the British Royal Air Force.
The Irish Republican Army carries out the 1939 Coventry bombing in which five civilians were killed.
The United Kingdom and Poland form a military alliance in which the UK promises to defend Poland in case of invasion by a foreign power.
The Diexi earthquake strikes Mao County, Sichuan, China and kills 9,000 people.
Nazi Germany and the Zionist Federation of Germany signed the Haavara Agreement. The agreement was a major factor in breaking the anti-Nazi boycott of 1933 and facilitated Jewish emigration from Germany and into Palestine.
Polish–Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw, which began on August 13, ends with the Red Army's defeat.
The United States National Park Service is created.
World War I: Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary.
World War I: The library of the Catholic University of Leuven is deliberately destroyed by the German Army. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts are lost.
The Kuomintang is founded for the first time in Peking.
Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Liaoyang begins.
Kitasato Shibasaburō discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet.
France and Viet Nam sign the Treaty of Huế, recognizing a French protectorate over Annam and Tonkin.
Captain Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim across the English Channel, traveling from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 21 hours and 45 minutes.
The first Great Moon Hoax article is published in The New York Sun, announcing the discovery of life and civilization on the Moon.
The Belgian Revolution begins.
The Thirty-Three Orientals declare the independence of Uruguay from Brazil.
American fur trapper Hugh Glass is mauled by a grizzly bear while on an expedition in South Dakota.
War of 1812: On the second day of the Burning of Washington, British troops torch the Library of Congress, United States Treasury, Department of War, and other public buildings.
Seven Years' War: Frederick II of Prussia defeats the Russian army at the Battle of Zorndorf.
Portuguese forces are defeated by the Kingdom of Kandy at the Battle of Randeniwela in Sri Lanka.
Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
War of the Portuguese Succession: Spanish victory at the Battle of Alcântara brings about the Iberian Union.
António Mota and a few companions become the first Europeans to visit Japan.
The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed.
Philip III, although suffering from dysentery, becomes King of France following the death of his father Louis IX, during the Eighth Crusade. His uncle, Charles I of Naples, is forced to begin peace negotiations with Muhammad I al-Mustansir, Hafsid Sultan of Tunis.
Regent George Mouzalon and his brothers are killed during a coup headed by the aristocratic faction under Michael VIII Palaiologos, paving the way for its leader to ultimately usurp the throne of the Empire of Nicaea.
The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Archbishop of Utrecht.
Emperor Constantine V humiliates nineteen high-ranking officials, after discovering a plot against him. He executes the leaders, Constantine Podopagouros and his brother Strategios.
Evann Girault, French-Nigerien sabre fencer
Rebeka Jančová, Slovak alpine ski racer
Nicki Nicole, Argentine rapper and singer-songwriter
China Anne McClain, American actress and singer
Ong Seong-wu, South Korean singer and actor
Dowoon, South Korean musician
Edmunds Augstkalns, Latvian ice hockey player
Caris LeVert, American basketball player
Miyabi Natsuyaki, Japanese singer and actress
Ricardo Rodriguez, Swiss footballer
Max Muncy, American baseball player
Hiram Mier, Mexican footballer
Angela Park, Brazilian-American golfer
Giga Chikadze, Georgian mixed martial artist and kickboxer
Stacey Farber, Canadian actress
Velimir Jovanović, Serbian footballer
Blake Lively, American model and actress
Amy Macdonald, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
Justin Upton, American baseball player
Adam Warren, American baseball player
James Wesolowski, Australian footballer
Rodney Ferguson, American footballer
Florian Mohr, German footballer
Anya Monzikova, Russian-American model and actress
James Rossiter, English race car driver
Jung Jung-suk, South Korean footballer (died 2011)
Nick Schultz, Canadian ice hockey player
Rachel Bilson, American actress
Jan-Berrie Burger, Namibian cricketer
Camille Pin, French tennis player
Marlon Harewood, English footballer
Philipp Mißfelder, German historian and politician (died 2015)
Deanna Nolan, American basketball player
Kel Mitchell, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
Robert Mohr, German rugby player
Masumi Asano, Japanese voice actress and producer
Andy McDonald, Canadian ice hockey player
Jonathan Togo, American actor
Damon Jones, American basketball player and coach
Javed Qadeer, Pakistani cricketer and coach
Alexander Skarsgård, Swedish actor
Brad Drew, Australian rugby league player
Petria Thomas, Australian swimmer and coach
Eric Millegan, American actor
Pablo Ozuna, Dominican baseball player
Fatih Akın, German director, producer, and screenwriter
Marvin Harrison, American football player
Jason Death, Australian rugby league player
Nathan Page, Australian actor
Doug Glanville, American baseball player and sportscaster
Debbie Graham, American tennis player
Robert Horry, American basketball player and sportscaster
Adrian Lam, Papua New Guinean-Australian rugby league player and coach
Sille Lundquist, Danish model and fashion model (died 2018)
Jo Dee Messina, American singer-songwriter
Claudia Schiffer, German model and fashion designer
Olga Konkova, Norwegian-Russian pianist and composer
Cameron Mathison, Canadian actor and television personality
Catriona Matthew, Scottish golfer
Vivek Razdan, Indian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster
David Alan Basche, American actor
Yuri Mitsui, Japanese actress, model, and race car driver
Stuart Murdoch, Scottish singer-songwriter
Spider One, American singer-songwriter and producer
Rachael Ray, American chef, author, and television host
Takeshi Ueda, Japanese singer-songwriter and bass player
Tom Hollander, English actor
Jeff Tweedy, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
Albert Belle, American baseball player
Robert Maschio, American actor
Derek Sherinian, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
Terminator X, American hip-hop DJ
Cornelius Bennett, American football player
Tim Cain, American video game designer
Sanjeev Sharma, Indian cricketer and coach
Mia Zapata, American singer (died 1993)
Azmin Ali, Malaysian mathematician and politician
Maxim Kontsevich, Russian-American mathematician and academic
Blair Underwood, American actor
Miro Cerar, Slovenian lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Slovenia
Shock G, American rapper and producer (died 2021)
Tiina Intelmann, Estonian lawyer and diplomat
Taslima Nasrin, Bangladeshi author
Theresa Andrews, American competition swimmer and Olympic champion
Vivian Campbell, Northern Irish rock guitarist and songwriter
Michael Zorc, German footballer
Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Dave Tippett, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Ally Walker, American actress
Joanne Whalley, English actress
Ashley Crow, American actress
David Mabuza, South African politician, 8th Deputy President of South Africa (died 2025)
Georg Zellhofer, Austrian footballer and manager
Ian Falconer, American author and illustrator (died 2023)
Steve Levy, American lawyer and politician
Bernardo Rezende, Brazilian volleyball coach and player
Lane Smith, American author and illustrator
Ruth Ann Swenson, American soprano and actress
Tim Burton, American director, producer, and screenwriter
Christian LeBlanc, American actor
Sikander Bakht, Pakistani cricketer and sportscaster
Simon McBurney, English actor and director
Frank Serratore, American ice hockey player and coach
Matt Aitken, English songwriter and record producer
Takeshi Okada, Japanese footballer, coach, and manager
Henri Toivonen, Finnish race car driver (died 1986)
John McGeoch, Scottish guitarist (died 2004)
Gerd Müller, German businessman and politician
Elvis Costello, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, Scottish lawyer and politician, First Minister of Scotland
Kurban Berdyev, Turkmen footballer and manager
Geoff Downes, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
Duleep Mendis, Sri Lankan cricketer and coach
Rob Halford, English heavy metal singer-songwriter
Bill Handel, Brazilian-American lawyer and radio host
Willy DeVille, American singer and songwriter (died 2009)
Charles Fambrough, American bassist, composer, and producer (died 2011)
Martin Amis, British novelist (died 2023)
Rijkman Groenink, Dutch banker and academic
John Savage, American actor and producer
Gene Simmons, Israeli-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
Ledward Kaapana, American singer and guitarist
Nicholas A. Peppas, Greek chemist and biologist
Michael Kaluta, American author and illustrator
Keith Tippett, British jazz pianist and composer (died 2020)
Rollie Fingers, American baseball player
Charles Ghigna, American poet and author
Charlie Sanders, American football player and sportscaster (died 2015)
Daniel Hulet, Belgian cartoonist (died 2011)
Hannah Louise Shearer, American screenwriter and producer
Conrad Black, Canadian historian and author
Jacques Demers, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and politician
Anthony Heald, American actor
Andrew Longmore, British lawyer and judge
Nathan Deal, American lawyer, and politician, 82nd Governor of Georgia
Pat Ingoldsby, Irish poet and television presenter (died 2025)
Ivan Koloff, Canadian wrestler (died 2017)
Mario Corso, Italian footballer and coach (died 2020)
Ludwig Müller, German footballer (died 2021)
Wilhelm von Homburg, German boxer and actor (died 2004)
John Badham, English-American actor, director, and producer
Marshall Brickman, Brazilian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2024)
David Canary, American actor (died 2015)
Frederick Forsyth, English journalist and author (died 2025)
Jimmy Hannan, Australian television host and singer (died 2019)
Virginia Euwer Wolff, American author
Giridharilal Kedia, Indian businessman, founded the Image Institute of Technology & Management (died 2009)
Charles Wright, American poet
Lise Bacon, Canadian judge and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec
Eddie Ilarde, Filipino journalist and politician (died 2020)
Patrick F. McManus, American journalist and author (died 2018)
Wayne Shorter, American saxophonist and composer (died 2023)
Tom Skerritt, American actor
Anatoly Kartashov, Soviet aviator and cosmonaut (died 2005)
Regis Philbin, American actor and television host (died 2020)
Sean Connery, Scottish actor and producer (died 2020)