NATIONAL GIRLFRIENDS DAY
On August 1 we celebrate National Girlfriends Day to encourage women across the globe to get together and celebrate their special bond of friendship. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL MAHJONG DAY
On August 1st, International Mahjong Day deals a game to get the celebration started! Play your tiles well, and perhaps you'll honor the day with a win. Read more...
NATIONAL IPA DAY
National IPA Day on the first Thursday in August celebrates the beer known as India Pale Ale Beer. Raise your glass on National IPA Day and enjoy this day with family and friends, while supporting your local craft brewers. Read more...
RESPECT FOR PARENTS DAY
On August 1, Respect for Parents Day recognizes the leadership roles parents play in not only a child's life, but also in our communities. Join National Day Calendar as we celebrate parents and parental role models around the globe. Read more...
MINORITY DONOR AWARENESS DAY
On August 1, Minority Donor Awareness Day focuses attention on the need for minority donors. Minority Donor Awareness Day highlights the need, especially among minorities, for more organ, eye, and tissue donors. This important day is part of the awareness campaign of National Minority Donor Awareness Week. Read more...
NATIONAL RASPBERRY CREAM PIE DAY
National Raspberry Cream Pie Day on August 1 takes advantage of ripe raspberries available this time of year. If you're fortunate enough to enjoy some fresh-baked raspberry cream pie, it's a day to celebrate! Read more...
On Deck for August 2, 2024
National Days
INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY
NATIONAL WATER BALLOON DAY
NATIONAL COLORING BOOK DAY
NATIONAL ICE CREAM SANDWICH DAY
What Happened on August 1?
1774 - Scientist Joseph Priestly isolates oxygen from the air for the first time and soon publishes his results. Earlier the same year, chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele performed experiments and made similar observations. However, he delayed publishing his discovery until 1777.
1834 - The British Empire abolished slavery with the Slavery Abolition Act.
1876 - The United States admits Colorado to the Union as the 38th state.
1893 - A Nebraska senator and lawyer, Henry Perky, patents shredded wheat. He later founded the Natural Food Company in Niagara Falls, NY. The company would go on to produce the Triscuit which are still popular today.
1907 - Lord Baden-Powell hosts the first scout camp for boys at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England. The camp would lead to a worldwide scouting organization and inspires the Girl Scouts, too.
1907 - U.S. Army establishes the Signal Corps, the first aeronautical division in the United States military. It was the precursor to the U.S. Air Force.
1936 - Adolf Hitler presides over the opening ceremonies of the Berlin Olympics
1961 - The Joint Chiefs of Staff establishes the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the direction of Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara. The organization integrated military intelligence efforts.
1993 - The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY inducts right fielder Reggie Jackson. He played 21 seasons with four different teams in Major League Baseball.
1984 - The movie Ghostbusters ranks #1 at the box office. The movie would launch a franchise that's still popular today.
Famous People Birthdays on August 1
William Clark (1770) - Along with Meriwether Lewis, Clark would set off on the Corps of Discovery on March 4, 1804. Now known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the explorers would last for over two years and 8,000 miles.
Herman Melville (1819) - The author is best known for his novel Moby Dick. He also wrote short stories and poetry.
Francis Scott Key (1779) - Author of the Star-Spangled Banner, the lawyer wrote the words to the song aboard the ship Tonnant. The sight of his country's flag after a brutal bombing of Fort McHenry inspired Key to compose the song that would later become the National Anthem of the United States.
Maria Mitchell (1818) - In 1847, the first female astronomer in the United States looked through her telescope into the October sky. She scanned the sky and in a familiar quadrant noticed something new. Maria Mitchell discovered a new comet and the first to be identified by an American scientist.
Herman Melville - 1819
After spending time at sea, Melville began writing his masterpiece, Moby Dick, at the age of 25. However, it wouldn't be recognized as a masterpiece during the 20th century, long after his death.
Charlotte Hughes (1877) - Born in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, Hughes lived to the age of 115, making her a supercentenarian. She lived through, 27 changes in Prime Minister, 6 monarchs, women's suffrage movement, two world wars, the sinking of the Titanic, the Beatles, and more.
Jackie Ormes (1911) - A pioneering artist in her day, Ormes became the first African American cartoonist. Her syndicated comic strips, Torchy Brown, Patty-Jo and Ginger, and Candy all featured Black female characters.
Dom DeLuise (1933) - The multi-talented entertainer starred in movies, directed, and even put his talents to work in the kitchen as a professional chef.
