August 22 facts for kids

August 22nd is a special day in history, filled with many important events, the births of famous people, and the passing of others. Let's explore some of the exciting things that have happened on this day throughout the years!

Historical Events on August 22

Key Moments Before the 1900s

• 1485 – A very important battle called the Battle of Bosworth Field took place. In this battle, King Richard III died, which marked the end of the House of Plantagenet, a powerful royal family in England.
• 1639 – The city of Madras, now known as Chennai in India, was founded by the British East India Company. They bought a small piece of land from local rulers to start this important city.
• 1642 – King Charles I started the English Civil War when he raised his royal flag in Nottingham. This was the beginning of a big conflict in England.
• 1654 – Jacob Barsimson arrived in New Amsterdam (which is now New York City). He is known as the first Jewish immigrant to come to America.
• 1770 – The famous explorer James Cook landed on Possession Island and claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Britain. He named this new land New South Wales.
• 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, British forces stopped their attack on Fort Stanwix. They heard rumors that more American soldiers were on their way.
• 1791 – The Haitian Revolution, a major slave uprising, began in Saint-Domingue, Haiti. This was a fight for freedom and independence.
• 1851 – The very first America's Cup sailing race was won by a yacht named America. This is a famous international sailing competition.
• 1864 – Twelve countries signed the First Geneva Convention. This important agreement set rules to protect people who are hurt or sick during wars.
• 1894 – Mahatma Gandhi created the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in South Africa. This group worked to fight against unfair treatment of Indian traders there.

Important Events from 1901 to Today

• 1902 – The Cadillac Motor Company, a well-known car company, was founded.
• 1902 – Theodore Roosevelt became the first President of the United States to ride in a car in public.
• 1902 – A very strong earthquake, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, hit the Tien Shan mountains. Sadly, at least 6,000 people lost their lives.
• 1922 – Michael Collins, a leader of the Irish Free State Army, was killed in an ambush during the Irish Civil War.
• 1941 – During World War II, German troops began the long and difficult Siege of Leningrad in Russia.
• 1942 – Brazil officially declared war on Germany, Japan, and Italy during World War II.
• 1953 – The penal colony on Devil's Island, a famous prison island, was permanently closed.
• 1962 – The OAS group tried to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle.
• 1963 – The X-15 Flight 91 reached the highest altitude ever for the X-15 program, flying over 107 kilometers (about 67 miles) high!
• 1968 – Pope Paul VI visited Bogotá, Colombia. This was the first time a Pope had ever visited Latin America.
• 1972 – Rhodesia was removed from the IOC because of its unfair racial policies.
• 1989 – Baseball legend Nolan Ryan made history by becoming the first Major League Baseball pitcher to get 5,000 strikeouts.
• 1991 – Iceland was the first country to officially recognize the independence of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania).
• 2004 – Two famous paintings by Edvard Munch, The Scream and Madonna, were stolen from a museum in Oslo, Norway.
• 2006 – A plane, Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Flight 612, crashed near the Russian border in eastern Ukraine, and all 170 people on board died.
• 2006 – Mathematician Grigori Perelman was offered the Fields Medal for his proof of the Poincaré conjecture, but he chose not to accept it.
• 2007 – The Texas Rangers baseball team scored 30 runs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, which is the most runs scored by a team in modern Major League Baseball history.

Famous Birthdays on August 22

Born Before the 1900s

• 1647 – Denis Papin, a French scientist who helped develop pressure cooking.
• 1760 – Pope Leo XII.
• 1771 – Henry Maudslay, an English engineer who made important advances in machine tools.
• 1834 – Samuel Pierpont Langley, an American physicist and astronomer.
• 1862 – Claude Debussy, a famous French pianist and composer.
• 1893 – Dorothy Parker, an American poet, writer, and satirist.
• 1897 – Bill Woodfull, a well-known Australian cricketer.

Born from 1901 to Today

• 1902 – Leni Riefenstahl, a German film director.
• 1904 – Deng Xiaoping, an important Chinese soldier and politician.
• 1908 – Henri Cartier-Bresson, a famous French photographer.
• 1917 – John Lee Hooker, an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 1920 – Ray Bradbury, a beloved American science fiction writer.
• 1925 – Honor Blackman, an English actress.
• 1934 – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., a well-known American general.
• 1939 – Valerie Harper, an American actress.
• 1939 – Carl Yastrzemski, a famous American baseball player.
• 1941 – Bill Parcells, an American football coach.
• 1947 – Cindy Williams, an American actress.
• 1949 – Diana Nyad, an American swimmer and author.
• 1955 – Chiranjeevi, a popular Indian film actor and politician.
• 1956 – Paul Molitor, an American baseball player and coach.
• 1957 – Steve Davis, a famous English snooker player.
• 1958 – Colm Feore, an American-Canadian actor.
• 1959 – Mark Williams, an English actor.
• 1961 – Roland Orzabal, an English singer and musician from the band Tears for Fears.
• 1963 – Tori Amos, an American singer-songwriter and pianist.
• 1964 – Mats Wilander, a Swedish-American tennis player.
• 1966 – GZA, an American rapper and producer.
• 1967 – Ty Burrell, an American actor and comedian.
• 1971 – Richard Armitage, an English actor.
• 1973 – Howie Dorough, an American singer from the Backstreet Boys.
• 1973 – Kristen Wiig, an American actress and comedian.
• 1978 – James Corden, an English actor, comedian, and TV presenter.
• 1985 – Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso, Samoan-American wrestlers.
• 1990 – Randall Cobb, an American football player.
• 1995 – Dua Lipa, a popular English singer-songwriter.
• 2001 – LaMelo Ball, an American basketball player.

Notable Deaths on August 22

Passed Away Before the 1900s

• 1485 – Richard III of England, the King of England who died in battle.
• 1553 – John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, an important English politician.
• 1584 – Jan Kochanowski, a famous Polish poet.
• 1806 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a French painter.
• 1818 – Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal.
• 1861 – Xianfeng, an Emperor of China.

Passed Away from 1901 to Today

• 1903 – Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1904 – Kate Chopin, an American novelist.
• 1922 – Michael Collins, an Irish leader.
• 1940 – Oliver Lodge, an English physicist.
• 1942 – Michel Fokine, a Russian dancer and choreographer.
• 1958 – Roger Martin du Gard, a French novelist and Nobel Prize winner.
• 1963 – William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, an English businessman who founded Morris Motors.
• 1974 – Jacob Bronowski, a Polish-English mathematician and author.
• 1976 – Juscelino Kubitschek, a former President of Brazil.
• 1978 – Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya.
• 1989 – Huey P. Newton, an American activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party.
• 1991 – Colleen Dewhurst, a Canadian-American actress.
• 2000 – Abulfaz Elchibey, a former President of Azerbaijan.
• 2011 – Jack Layton, a Canadian politician.
• 2015 – Arthur Morris, a famous Australian cricketer.
• 2016 – S. R. Nathan, a former President of Singapore.
• 2021 – Rod Gilbert, a Canadian ice hockey player.

Special Days and Celebrations on August 22

• Christian Feast Days: This day is celebrated by Christians for several saints, including Fabrizio, Saint Guinefort, and the Queenship of Mary.
• National Heroes' Day (Philippines): In the Philippines, this day can sometimes fall on August 22nd. It's a day to honor national heroes.
• Flag Day (Russia): Russia celebrates its national flag on this day.
• Madras Day: The city of Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamil Nadu, India, celebrates its founding on this day.
• International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief: This international day remembers people who have suffered from violence because of their religion or beliefs.

See also

In Spanish: 22 de agosto para niños