August 25 facts for kids

August 25 is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 128 days remain until the end of the year.

August 25th is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from ancient times to today. It's a day when leaders rose and fell, new inventions changed the world, and brave people achieved amazing feats. Let's explore some of the most interesting things that happened on this day!

Historical Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 766 – In the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Constantine V stopped a plot against him. He punished many high-ranking officials and executed the leaders of the plot.
• 1248 – The city of Ommen in the Netherlands was given special "city rights" by the Archbishop of Utrecht. This meant it could govern itself and build defenses.
• 1270 – Philip III of France became King of France after his father, Louis IX of France, passed away during a big journey called the Eighth Crusade.
• 1537 – The Honourable Artillery Company was formed in Britain. It's one of the oldest military groups still active today!
• 1543 – António Mota and his friends became some of the first Europeans to visit Japan.
• 1580 – A big battle called the Battle of Alcântara took place. Spain won, which led to Spain and Portugal being united for a while.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1609 – The famous scientist Galileo Galilei showed his first telescope to leaders in Venice, Italy. This was a huge step for astronomy!
• 1630 – In Sri Lanka, Portuguese forces were defeated by the Kingdom of Kandy at the Battle of Randeniwela.
• 1758 – During the Seven Years' War, Frederick II of Prussia led his army to victory against the Russian army at the Battle of Zorndorf.
• 1814 – In the War of 1812, British troops set fire to important buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Library of Congress and the United States Treasury.
• 1823 – An American fur trapper named Hugh Glass was attacked by a grizzly bear while on an adventure in South Dakota. He survived, and his story is very famous!
• 1825 – A group called the Thirty-Three Orientals declared that Uruguay was independent from Brazil.
• 1830 – The Belgian Revolution began, leading to Belgium becoming an independent country.
• 1835 – The newspaper The New York Sun published the first story of the "Great Moon Hoax," claiming that life had been discovered on the Moon. It was a made-up story, but many people believed it!
• 1875 – Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim all the way across the English Channel, from England to France. It took him almost 22 hours!
• 1883 – France and Viet Nam signed a treaty that made Viet Nam a French "protectorate," meaning France would have control over it.
• 1894 – Scientist Kitasato Shibasaburō discovered the germ that causes the bubonic plague, a very serious disease.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1914 – During World War I, Japan declared war on Austria-Hungary. Also, the library of the Catholic University of Leuven was destroyed by the German Army, losing many old books and manuscripts.
• 1916 – The National Park Service was created in the United States. This group helps protect amazing natural places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
• 1920 – The Battle of Warsaw ended with a defeat for the Red Army, a big moment in the Polish–Soviet War.
• 1933 – A powerful earthquake hit Sichuan, China, killing 9,000 people.
• 1939 – The United Kingdom and Poland made a military agreement, promising to defend Poland if another country invaded it.
• 1940 – During World War II, the British Royal Air Force carried out the first bombing raid on Berlin, Germany.
• 1941 – The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union jointly invaded Iran during World War II.
• 1942 – In World War II, a Japanese naval convoy heading to Guadalcanal was forced to turn back by Allied air attacks. Also, Japanese marines attacked Allied airfields at Milne Bay in New Guinea.
• 1944 – Paris was liberated by the Allied forces during World War II, freeing the city from German control.
• 1945 – The August Revolution ended in Vietnam as Emperor Bảo Đại gave up his power.
• 1950 – To prevent a strike during the Korean War, President Truman ordered the U.S. Army to take control of the nation's railroads.
• 1958 – The world's first instant noodles, called Nissin Chikin Ramen, were introduced by Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando.
• 1960 – The Summer Olympics began in Rome, Italy.
• 1961 – The President of Brazil, Jânio Quadros, resigned after only seven months in office, causing a political crisis.
• 1980 – Zimbabwe joined the United Nations.
• 1981 – The Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to the planet Saturn.
• 1985 – Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 crashed, killing all eight people on board, including peace activist and child actress Samantha Smith.
• 1989 – The Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Neptune, the last planet in our Solar System at that time.
• 1991 – Belarus became independent from the Soviet Union. Also, the Battle of Vukovar began in Croatia, a long siege during the Croatian War of Independence. And Linus Torvalds announced the first version of what would become the Linux operating system.
• 1997 – Egon Krenz, a former leader of East Germany, was found guilty of a "shoot-to-kill policy" at the Berlin Wall.
• 2001 – American singer Aaliyah and several others died when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas.
• 2003 – NASA successfully launched the Spitzer Space Telescope into space to study the universe in infrared light.
• 2005 – Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Florida, later becoming one of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history.
• 2012 – The Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space, becoming the first human-made object to travel beyond our solar system.
• 2017 – Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a very powerful Category 4 hurricane, causing widespread damage.

Famous Births

On August 25th, many interesting people were born throughout history:

• 1530 – Ivan the Terrible, a famous Russian ruler.
• 1724 – George Stubbs, a well-known English painter, especially famous for his horse paintings.
• 1786 – Ludwig I of Bavaria, who became the King of Bavaria.
• 1819 – Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish-American detective and spy who founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.
• 1841 – Emil Theodor Kocher, a Swiss doctor who won a Nobel Prize for his work on the thyroid gland.
• 1850 – Charles Richet, a French scientist who won a Nobel Prize for his research on allergic reactions.
• 1882 – Seán T. O'Kelly, who became the second President of Ireland.
• 1900 – Hans Adolf Krebs, a German biochemist who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the Krebs cycle, a key part of how living things get energy.
• 1918 – Leonard Bernstein, a famous American pianist, composer, and conductor.
• 1927 – Althea Gibson, an American tennis player and golfer who broke barriers as one of the first African-American athletes to cross the color line in international tennis.
• 1930 – Sean Connery, a famous Scottish actor, known for playing James Bond.
• 1931 – Regis Philbin, a popular American television host.
• 1938 – Frederick Forsyth, a well-known English journalist and author of thrilling spy novels.
• 1949 – Gene Simmons, an Israeli-American singer and songwriter, famous as a member of the rock band KISS.
• 1954 – Elvis Costello, a popular English singer-songwriter.
• 1958 – Tim Burton, a famous American director and producer known for his unique movies.
• 1961 – Billy Ray Cyrus, an American singer-songwriter and actor.
• 1968 – Rachael Ray, an American chef, author, and television host.
• 1970 – Claudia Schiffer, a famous German model and fashion designer.
• 1987 – Blake Lively, a popular American actress.

Notable Deaths

On August 25th, some important people passed away:

• AD 79 – Pliny the Elder, a Roman commander and philosopher who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• 1270 – Louis IX of France, a French king who was later made a saint.
• 1482 – Margaret of Anjou, the Queen of England and wife of King Henry VI.
• 1688 – Henry Morgan, a famous Welsh admiral and privateer.
• 1819 – James Watt, a Scottish engineer who made important improvements to the steam engine, which helped start the Industrial Revolution.
• 1822 – William Herschel, a German-English astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus.
• 1867 – Michael Faraday, a brilliant English physicist and chemist who made discoveries about electricity and magnetism.
• 1900 – Friedrich Nietzsche, a very influential German philosopher.
• 1908 – Henri Becquerel, a French physicist who won a Nobel Prize for discovering radioactivity.
• 1965 – Moonlight Graham, an American baseball player and physician, famous from the movie Field of Dreams.
• 1984 – Truman Capote, a well-known American novelist and playwright.
• 2001 – Aaliyah, a popular American singer and actress.
• 2012 – Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon.
• 2018 – John McCain, a respected American politician and senator.

Holidays and Observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Joseph Calasanz
  • Louis IX of France
  • Patricia of Naples
• Day of Songun (North Korea)
• Independence Day, which celebrates Uruguay becoming independent from Brazil in 1825.
• Soldier's Day (Brazil)

See also

In Spanish: 25 de agosto para niños