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