Events on Aug 24
- 0079Mt Vesuvius erupts, buries Pompeii and Herculaneum, 15,000 die
- 0410Rome overrun by Visigoths, symbolized fall of Western Roman Empire
- 1215Pope Innocent III declares Magna Carta invalid
- 1217Battle at South Foreland: English fleet beats France
- 13496,000 Jews, blamed for the Plague, are killed in Mainz
- 1349Jews of Cologne Germany set themselves on fire to avoid baptism
- 1391Jews of Palma Majorca massacred
- 1511Portugese troops under Afonso the Albuquerque occupy Malakka
- 1516Battle at Aleppo: Turks beat Syria
- 1542Conquistador Francisco de Orellana returns to Spain
- 1561Willem of Orange marries Duchess Anna of Saxon
- 1572King Charles IX orders massacre of thousands of French Protestants
- 16081st English convoy lands at Surat India
- 1658Battle at Grevelingen: English fleet beats Spanish
- 1662Act of Uniformity requires English to accept book of Common Prayer
- 1682Duke James of York gives Delaware to William Penn
- 1690Job Charnock founds Calcutta India
- 1704Sea battle at Malaga
- 1751Thomas Colley executed in England for drowning supposed witch
- 1787Wolfgang A Mozart completes his viola sonata in A, K526
- 1814British forces captured Washington, DC, and burned down many landmarks
- 1828Dutch army takes Fort Du Bus in New Guinea
- 1831John Henslow asks Charles Darwin to travel with him on HMS Beagle
- 1833HMS Beagle reaches Bahia Blanca, Argentina
- 1847Charlotte Bronte finishes manuscript of "Jane Eyre"
- 18531st potato chips prepared by Chef George Crum (Saratoga Springs NY)
- 1854National emigration convention meets in Cleveland
- 1858Richmond "Daily Dispatch" reports 90 blacks arrested for learning
- 1869Cornelius Swarthout patents waffle iron
- 1876Riot abolishes fairs in Amsterdam, 2 killed
Born on Aug 24
- 1113Geoffrey Plantagenet: France -- Conquered Normandy
- 1210Floris IV: Count of Holland
- 1531Ercole Bottrigari: Composer
- 1579John Amner: Composer
- 1591Robert Herrick: England, United Kingdom -- Poet (Gather ye rosebuds)
- 1669Alessandro Marcello: Composer
- 1683Meinrad Spiess: Composer
- 1712Cornelis Douwes: Dutch mathematician / astronomer
- 1725Johann Balthasar Kehl: Composer
- 1733David Traugott Nicolai: Composer
- 1759Wilbur Wilberforce: England, United Kingdom -- Crusaded against slavery
- 1772Willem I Frederik: Grand Duke of Luxembourg / King of the Netherlands (1814-40)
- 1787James Weddell: Ostend, England -- Antarctic explorer (Weddell Sea)
- 1808Benjamin Grubb Humphreys: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
- 1808Thomas Fenwick Drayton: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1891
- 1816Daniel Gooch: Laid 1st successful transatlantic cables
- 1820Jacopo Tomadini: Composer
- 1821Emmanuele Muzio: Composer
- 1827Walter Husted Stevens: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1867
- 1828George Hume "Maryland" Steuart: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
- 1837Theodore Dubois: Composer
- 1839Eduard Napravnik: Composer
- 1842Edouard J A Agneessens: Flemish painter (Slave Market)
- 1854Nikolay Vladimirovich Scherbachov: Composer
- 1856Felix Mottl: Composer
- 1865Ferdinand I VAM: King of Romania
- 1872Max Beerbohm: England, United Kingdom -- Caricaturist / writer / wit (Saturday Review)
- 1879Rentaro Taki: Composer
- 1880Joshua L Cowen: Inventor (electric train)
- 1880Miles W L Killearn of Killearn: Scotish Baron / diplomat
Died on Aug 24
- 1103Magnus III Berbein [Blootbeen]: King of Norway (1093-1103)
- 1217Eustace "the Monk": French buccaneer, dies in battle
- 1313Henry VII: Roman Catholic German King / Emperor (1308 / 12-13)
- 1371Eduard: Duke of Gelre (1361-71), assasinated
- 1595Thomas Digges: English astronomer (Universe Infinite)
- 1647Nicholas Stone "Elder": English Sculptor / architect, dies at about 61
- 1666Francisco M the Melo: Portuguese Author (Obras Morales), dies at 57
- 1680Ferdinand Bulb: Dutch Painter / etcher, buried
- 1724Andreas Kneller: Composer, dies at 75
- 1759Ewald C von Kleist: German poet, dies at 44
- 1770Thomas Chatterton: English Poet (Revenge)
- 1801Jacques-Denis Antoine: French builder (La Monnaie Paris), dies at 68
- 1833Adrian H Haworth: English entomologist / botanist, dies at 65
- 1840Joseph Waast Aubert Nonot: Composer, dies at 89
- 1841Karl Friedrich Curschmann: Composer, dies at 36
- 1888Rudolph J E Clausius: German physicist (thermodynamics)
- 1889Jan E Matzeliger: Suriname inventor (shoe lacing machine)
- 1895John F Loudon: Entrepreneur / colonial director, dies at 74
- 1906Alfred Stevens: Belgian painter
- 1907Pieter Louis Tak: Writer (Chronicle), dies at 58
- 1923Kate Douglas Wiggin: Author (US kindergarten movement), dies at 66
- 1940Paul G Nipkow: German TV pioneer (Nipkow disk), dies at 80
- 1943Ernst Ottwalt: Writer
- 1950Ernst Wiechert: Writer, dies at 63
- 1957Albert Edward Sammons: Composer, dies at 71
- 1958John G Strijdom: Premier of South Africa (1954-58), dies at 65
- 1958Kenneth Leighton: Composer, dies at 28
- 1958Leo Blech: Composer, dies at 87
- 1962Henry George Ley: Composer, dies at 74
- 1964Maurice Schoemaker: Composer, dies at 73
Historical events on August 25
- 0325Council of Nicaea ends with adoption of the Nicene Creed establishing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity
- 0357Battle at Straatsburg: Julianus beats Alamannen, Chonodomarius caught
- 1330AntiPope Nicolaas V overthrows himself
- 1425Countess Jacoba of Bavaria escapes from jail
- 1485Battle at Bosworth Fields: Henry Tudor beats King Richard III
- 1499Battle at Sapienza: Turkish fleet beats Venetians
- 1540Explorer Hernando de Alarcon travels up Colorado River
- 1566Iconoclastic fury begins in Dutch province Utrecht
- 1580Battle of Alcantara, Spain defeats Portugal
- 1609Galileo demonstrates his 1st telescope to Venetian lawmakers
- 1628Assault on Sultan of Mantarams of Batavia
- 1689Battle at Charleroi: Spanish and English armies chase French
- 1698Czar Peter the Great returns to Moscow after trip through West-Europe
- 1718Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans, found
- 1758Battle at Zorndorf: Prussia beat Russians: 1000s killed
- 1768Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth with Endeavour to Pacific Ocean
- 1795Curacao slaves opponents returns to St. Christopher
- 1804Alice Meynell becomes 1st woman jockey (England)
- 1814British forces destroy Library of Congress, containing 3,000 books
- 1825Uruguay declares independence from Brazil (National Day)
- 1829President Jackson makes an offer to buy Texas, but Mexican government refuses
- 1830Belgium revolts against Netherlands
- 1835New York Sun publishes Moon hoax story about John Herschel
- 1862Secretary of War authorizes General Rufus Saxton to arm 5,000 slaves
- 1864Combination rail and ferry service available from SF to Alameda
- 1875Matthew Webb becomes 1st to swim English Channel (21h 45m)
- 18861st International polo meet (US vs. England)
- 18888th US Mens Tennis: Henry W Slocum Jr beats Howard A Taylor (64 61 60)
- 1904James J Jeffries TKOs Jack Munroe in 2 for heavyweight boxing title
- 1908Allen Winter wins US 1st $50,000 trotting race
Born on August 25
- 1076Philippe Comtois: Montreal, Quebec -- 3m springboard diver (1996 Olympics)
- 1530Ivan IV [the Terrible]: 1st tsar of Russia (1533-84)
- 1664Johan van de Bergh: Leids regent
- 1718Johann Jacob Rowalt: Composer
- 1724George Stubbs: England, United Kingdom -- Animal painter (House Frightened by Lion)
- 1744Johann G von Herder: German philosopher / theologist / poet
- 1758Franz Teyber: Composer
- 1775Charlotte J T: Infant of Portugal (Court in Rio de Janeiro)
- 1786[Charles] Louis I [Augustus]: King of Bavaria (Lola Montez)
- 1788Cornelis J van Assen: Dutch jurist (Language of the Constitution)
- 1811Joseph Dana Webster: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
- 1812Percival Drayton: Captain (Union Navy), died in 1865
- 1819Allan Pinkerton: Founded Chicago detective agency
- 1823John Newton: Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1895
- 1825Henry Warner Birge: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
- 1836Bret Harte: United States -- Author (Outcasts of Poker Flat)
- 1841Theodor Kocher: Switzerland -- Surgeon - thyroid specialist (Nobel 1909)
- 1845Ludwig II: Mad King of Bavaria (1864-86)
- 1846Louise J Gautier: French poetess
- 1851[Willem] Alexander KHF: Prince of Orange / Netherlands
- 1860George Fawcett: US actor (Intolerance)
- 1880Robert E Stolz: Austrian composer / conductor (...smaller guard)
- 1887Olav Fartein Valen: Composer
- 1891Alberto Savinio [Andrea de Chirico]: Italian writer / composer
- 1891Luis Iruarrizaga Aguirre: Composer
- 1891Samuel Gardner: Composer
- 1897Jaroslav Ridky: Composer
- 1900Mary Bruce: Dance Teacher
- 1901Kjeld Abell: Danish playwright / director (Tivoli)
- 1902Stefan Wolpe: Berlin, Germany -- Composer (Zeus & Elidco)
Died on August 25
- 0079Gaius Plinius Secundus [Plinius Maior]: Roman Admiral / writer
- 0383Flavius Gratianus: Emperor of Rome (375-383), murdered at 25
- 0882Louis III: King of France (879-82), dies at 19
- 1227Ghengis Khan [Temudjin]: Founded Mongolia
- 1270Louis IX [the Saint]: King of France (1226-70), dies from plague at 56
- 1346Louis of Nevers: Count of Flanders, dies in battle
- 1554Thomas Howard: 3rd Duke of Norfolk, English great Admiral
- 1556David Jorisz: Flemish glass blower / Sect Leader, dies at about 54
- 1580Frederick Schenk van Toutenburg: Last Archbishop of Utrecht
- 1649Richard Crashaw: English clergyman / poet, dies at about 36
- 1688Henry Morgan: Welsh lt-governor of Jamaica
- 1742Jose Antonio Carlos de Seixas: Composer, dies at 38
- 1773Franz Nikolaus Novotny: Composer, dies at 29
- 1774Nicolo Jommelli: Composer, dies at 59
- 1789Mary Ball Washington: Mother of George
- 1791Pietro Domenico Paradisi: Composer
- 1822F William Herschel: German astronomer (discovered Uranus), dies at 85
- 1840K L Immermann: Writer, dies at 44
- 1842Jerome-Joseph de Momigny: Composer, dies at 80
- 1846Giuseppe Acerbi: Italian nature investigator / diplomat, dies at 73
- 1868Costache Negruzzi: Romanian Author / poet, dies at about 60
- 1868Henry P Scholte: Dutch / US vicar (Iowa), dies at 62
- 1868Jacob van Lennep: Dutch 2nd member of parliament, dies at 66
- 1900Friedrich Nietschze: Philosopher (Also sprach Zarathustra), dies at 55
- 1901Clara Maass: Army nurse sacrificied her life at 25 to prove that the mosquito carries yellow fever
- 1936Grogorij J Zinovjev: Russian revolutionary
- 1938Aleksander Kuprin: Russian Author (Jama), dies at 67
- 1942George EAE: English prince / Earl of St Andrews, dies in battle at 39
- 1942Panayot Pipkov: Composer, dies at 70
- 1942W van Daalen: Opposition leader on Celebes, beheaded
Events on Aug 26
- 0580Chinese invents toilet paper
- 1278Battle of Marchfeld: Rudolf van Habsburg defeats Ottokar II
- 1541Turkish Sultan Suleiman occupies Buda / annexes Hungary
- 1545Pope Paul III names his son Pierluigi Farnese, Duke of Parma
- 1549Battle at Dussingdale: John Dudley beats rebels
- 1629Cambridge Agreement, Mass Bay Co stockholders agree to emigrate
- 1641West India Company conquerors Sao Paulo de Loanda, Angola
- 1652Sea battle at Plymouth: Ayscue vs. De Ruyter
- 1745England, Prussia and Hannover sign treaty
- 1791John Fitch grants US patent for his working steamboat
- 1794French troops occupy Lock
- 1843Charles Thurber patents a typewriter
- 1846W A Bartlett appointed 1st US Mayor of Yerba Buena (San Francisco)
- 1863Battle of Rocky Gap WV (White Sulphur Springs)
- 18731st kindergarten public school opens in St. Louis
- 187416 blacks lynched in Tennessee
- 1895Electric central at Niagara Falls gives 1st steam
- 1896Armenian revolutionairy assault on Ottoman Bank Constantinople
- 1903Phillies walk 17 Dodgers in a game
- 1907Houdini escapes from chains underwater at Aquatic Park in 57 seconds
- 1909Middlesex beat Gloucs (Bristol) by Inn and 31 in a single day
- 191232nd US Mens Tennis: M E McLoughlin beats W F Johnson (36 26 62 64 62)
- 191333rd US Mens Tennis: M E McLoughlin beats R N Williams (64 57 63 61)
- 1914Battle of Tannenberg - 8th German army defeats Russian Narev army
- 1915German troops over run Brest-Litovsk, Russia
- 1916Philadelphia Athletics Bullet Joe Bush no-hits Cleve, 5-0
- 1916Yanks turn triple-play beating Browns 10-6
- 1920Percy Fender (Surrey vs. Northants) scores 100 in 35 minutes
- 1922Japanese cruiser Niitaka leaves in storm at Kamchatka, 300 killed
- 19291st US roller coaster built
Born on Aug 26
- 1596Frederik V: King of Bohemia (White Mountain)
- 1676Robert Walpole: (Whig) British Prime Minister (1721-42)
- 1687Willem the Fesch: Dutch violinist / composer (Joseph)
- 1726Karl Kohaut: Composer
- 1740Joseph Montgolfier: France -- Aeronaut (ballooning)
- 1743Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier: Paris, France -- Father of mod chemistry (Oxygen)
- 1745Francois Guichard: Composer
- 1749Johann Ernst Rembt: Composer
- 1788Aloys Schmitt: German music theory / composer / royal pianist
- 1811Danville Leadbetter: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1866
- 1813Nicaise de Keyser: Flemish painter (Battle of Guilder Tracks)
- 1820James Harlan: (Rep-Iowa) / US Secretary of Interior (1865-66)
- 1823Wilhelm Troszel: Composer
- 1825Jacobus J Backer: German sea historian
- 1828Erik Anthon Valdemar Siboni: Composer
- 1833Charles Jackson Paine: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
- 1835Theodore Washington Brevard: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
- 1842Heinrich I Quincke: German internist (Lumbaalpunctie)
- 1843George August Lumbye: Composer
- 1850Charles Richet: French physiologist (anaphylaxis-Nobel 1913)
- 1870Aleksander Kuprin: Russian author (Pojedinok)
- 1873Lee De Forest: Council Bluffs, inventor (Audion vacuum (radio) tube)
- 1875John Buchan: Scotland, United Kingdom -- Governor-General of Canada / writer (Battle of Somme)
- 1880Guillaume Apollinaire: France -- Poet / movie critic (Alcoola)
- 1882James Franck: German naturalist (Nobel 1925)
- 1882Johannes Lindeboom: Vicar / church historian (Netherlands Archives)
- 1884Earl Biggers: Author ("Charlie Chan" detective series)
- 1885Jules Romains: France -- Novelist / playwright / poet (Men of Good Will)
- 1887Luis Abraham Delgadillo: Composer
- 1891Emmy van Lokhorst: Dutch author
Died on Aug 26
- 1278Ottokar II: King of Bohemia (1253-78), dies in battle
- 1346Jan de Blinde: King of Bohemia / Count of Luxemburg, dies in battle
- 1368Engelbrecht van der Mark: Prince-Bishop of Luik (1345-64)
- 1486Ernst I: Ruler of Saxon (1464-86), dies at 45
- 1518Giberto X: Italian mister of Correggio / husband of Veronica Gambara
- 1616Johan van de Veeken: Merchant / co-founder (VOC), dies at 66
- 1661Louis Couperin: Composer
- 1683Christoph Schultze: Composer, dies at 76
- 1712Sebastian Anton Scherer: Composer, dies at 80
- 1723Thonis van Leeuwenhoek: Biologist / inventor (microscope), dies at 90
- 1770Domingos dos Reis Quita: Portuguese playwright / poet, dies at 42
- 1813Daniel Gottlob Turk: Composer, dies at 63
- 1832Henryk Klein: Composer, dies at 96
- 1849Jacques-Fereol Mazas: Composer, dies at 66
- 1860Friedrich Silcher: Composer, dies at 71
- 1860Philipp Friedrich Silcher: Composer, dies at 71
- 1863John Buchanan Floyd: US Minister of War (1857-60) / Confederate General
- 1865Johann F Encke: German astronomer (Comet Encke), dies at 73
- 1865Marcellus Monroe Crocker: US attorney / Union Brigadier General, dies at 35
- 1869Henri Leys: Flemish painter, dies at 54
- 1873Carl Wilhelm: Composer, dies at 57
- 1894PPH van Ham: General Major, dies in battle on Lombok
- 1921Ludwig Thoma: Writer
- 1921Matthias Erzberger: German Minister of Finance, murdered at 45
- 1921Peter I Karadjordjevic: King of Serbia / Yugoslavia (1903-21)
- 1930Lon Chaney: Actor (Thunder, Big City, Unholy 3), dies at 47
- 1945Franz Werfel: Czech / German / US Poet / writer (Mirror Man), dies at 54
- 1949Nico van Suchtelen: Publisher, dies at 70
- 1958Ralph Vaughan Williams: English composer, dies at 85
- 1960Mark Hambourg: Composer, dies at 81