August 28 facts for kids

August 28 is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 125 days remain until the end of the year. August 28th is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from ancient battles to modern discoveries and social changes. Many famous people were also born or passed away on this day. Let's explore some of the key moments and figures connected to August 28th.

Historic Events on August 28

Ancient Times and Middle Ages

• 475 – A Roman general named Orestes forced the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to leave his capital city, Ravenna. This was a big moment in the decline of the Western Roman Empire.
• 489 – Theodoric, the king of the Ostrogoths, won a battle against Odoacer at the Battle of Isonzo. This victory helped Theodoric enter Italy.
• 663 – Armies from Silla and the Tang empire defeated a group trying to bring back the Baekje kingdom. This battle, called the Battle of Baekgang, made Japan pull its forces out of Korea.
• 1189 – During the Third Crusade, Christian armies led by Guy of Lusignan began the Siege of Acre. They tried to take control of the city of Acre.
• 1521 – The Ottoman Turks took control of Belgrade during the Ottoman wars in Europe. This was an important victory for the Ottoman Empire.
• 1565 – Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed near St. Augustine, Florida. He then founded the city of St. Augustine, which is the oldest continuously lived-in European-built city in the United States.

From the 1600s to the 1800s

• 1609 – Explorer Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay in North America.
• 1640 – In the Second Bishop's War, King Charles I's English army lost to a Scottish force at the Battle of Newburn.
• 1789 – Astronomer William Herschel discovered a new moon orbiting Saturn. This moon was later named Enceladus.
• 1830 – The new Tom Thumb steam locomotive of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad raced against a horse-drawn car. This event showed how important steam engines would become for railroads in the U.S.
• 1833 – The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 became law in the British Empire. This act made it illegal to buy or own slaves in most British territories.
• 1845 – The very first issue of Scientific American magazine was published.
• 1859 – The Carrington event, the strongest geomagnetic storm ever recorded, hit Earth. This caused widespread problems with telegraph services.
• 1861 – During the American Civil War, Union forces attacked Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This battle lasted for two days.
• 1862 – The Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of Second Manassas, began in Virginia during the American Civil War. It ended two days later with another defeat for the Union.
• 1898 – Caleb Bradham's popular drink, "Brad's Drink," was given a new name: "Pepsi-Cola."

The 1900s and Beyond

• 1901 – Silliman University was founded in the Philippines. It was the first American private school in the country.
• 1913 – Queen Wilhelmina officially opened the Peace Palace in The Hague. This building is important for international law and justice.
• 1914 – In World War I, the Royal Navy of Britain defeated the German fleet in the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
• 1916 – During World War I, Germany declared war on Romania. On the same day, Italy declared war on Germany.
• 1917 – Ten suffragists, who were members of the Silent Sentinels, were arrested. They were protesting outside the White House to support women's right to vote.
• 1937 – Toyota Motors became its own independent company.
• 1944 – During World War II, the cities of Marseille and Toulon in France were freed from occupation.
• 1955 – Black teenager Emmett Till was killed in a violent attack in Mississippi. This tragic event helped spark the beginning of the civil rights movement.
• 1957 – U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond began a very long speech, known as a filibuster. He spoke for over 24 hours to try and stop a vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
• 1963 – During the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech. This speech called for civil rights and equality.
• 1968 – Police and protesters clashed during the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago. Protesters chanted, "The whole world is watching," as they demonstrated against the Vietnam War.
• 1973 – The Norrmalmstorg robbery ended in Stockholm. The hostage situation led to the term Stockholm syndrome, which describes how hostages can develop positive feelings for their captors.
• 1988 – At the Ramstein air show disaster, three planes from an air show team crashed. The wreckage fell into the crowd, causing many deaths and injuries.
• 1990 – In the Gulf War, Iraq announced that Kuwait was now its newest province.
• 1993 – NASA's Galileo probe flew past the asteroid 243 Ida. Later, scientists discovered a moon orbiting Ida in the pictures, making it the first known asteroid moon.
• 1999 – The Russian space mission Soyuz TM-29 finished, ending almost 10 years of people continuously living on the space station Mir.
• 2017 – A border disagreement between China and India ended. Both countries pulled their troops out of Doklam, resolving a two-month standoff over a road China was building.

Famous Birthdays on August 28

Born Before the 1900s

• 1476 – Kanō Motonobu, a famous Japanese painter.
• 1582 – Taichang, an emperor of China.
• 1749 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a very important German novelist, poet, and playwright.
• 1833 – Edward Burne-Jones, an English artist known for his beautiful, detailed paintings.
• 1853 – Vladimir Shukhov, a Russian architect and engineer who designed unique structures.
• 1878 – George Whipple, an American physician and pathologist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1884 – Peter Fraser, who became the 24th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
• 1898 – Charlie Grimm, an American baseball player and manager.
• 1899 – Charles Boyer, a French-American actor.
• 1899 – James Wong Howe, a Chinese American cinematographer known for his amazing camera work in movies.

Born in the 1900s and Later

• 1906 – John Betjeman, an English poet.
• 1908 – Roger Tory Peterson, an American ornithologist and author famous for his bird guides.
• 1910 – Tjalling Koopmans, a Dutch-American mathematician and economist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1913 – Robertson Davies, a Canadian journalist, author, and playwright.
• 1917 – Jack Kirby, an American author and illustrator who co-created many famous comic book characters.
• 1919 – Godfrey Hounsfield, an English biophysicist and engineer who won a Nobel Prize for his work on CT scans.
• 1925 – Donald O'Connor, an American actor, singer, and dancer.
• 1930 – Ben Gazzara, an American actor.
• 1938 – Paul Martin, who became the 21st Prime Minister of Canada.
• 1940 – William Cohen, an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of Defense.
• 1943 – David Soul, an American actor and singer, famous for his role in Starsky & Hutch.
• 1948 – Danny Seraphine, an American drummer and producer, known for the band Chicago.
• 1956 – Luis Guzmán, a Puerto Rican-American actor.
• 1957 – Ivo Josipović, who became the 3rd President of Croatia.
• 1957 – Daniel Stern, an American actor and director.
• 1957 – Ai Weiwei, a Chinese sculptor and activist.
• 1958 – Scott Hamilton, an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.
• 1961 – Jennifer Coolidge, an American actress and comedian.
• 1962 – David Fincher, an American director and producer known for his films.
• 1965 – Satoshi Tajiri, a Japanese video game developer who created Pokémon.
• 1965 – Shania Twain, a famous Canadian singer-songwriter.
• 1968 – Billy Boyd, a Scottish actor and singer, known for The Lord of the Rings.
• 1969 – Jack Black, an American actor and comedian.
• 1969 – Jason Priestley, a Canadian actor, director, and producer.
• 1969 – Sheryl Sandberg, an American business executive.
• 1971 – Janet Evans, an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
• 1982 – LeAnn Rimes, an American singer-songwriter and actress.
• 1986 – Armie Hammer, an American actor.
• 1986 – Florence Welch, an English singer-songwriter, known for Florence + The Machine.
• 1989 – Valtteri Bottas, a Finnish race car driver in Formula One.
• 1991 – Kyle Massey, an American actor.
• 2003 – Quvenzhané Wallis, an American actress, known for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Notable Deaths on August 28

Passed Away Before the 1900s

• 430 – Augustine of Hippo, an important Algerian bishop, theologian, and saint.
• 632 – Fatimah, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
• 683 – Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I, a powerful ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque.
• 876 – Louis the German, a Frankish king.
• 1645 – Hugo Grotius, a Dutch playwright, philosopher, and jurist.
• 1654 – Axel Oxenstierna, a Swedish lawyer and politician.
• 1784 – Junípero Serra, a Spanish priest and missionary.
• 1818 – Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an American fur trader who founded Chicago.
• 1839 – William Smith, an English geologist known as the "Father of English Geology."

Passed Away in the 1900s and Later

• 1903 – Frederick Law Olmsted, an American architect who co-designed Central Park in New York City.
• 1943 – Boris III of Bulgaria, the King of Bulgaria.
• 1959 – Bohuslav Martinů, a Czech-American composer.
• 1972 – Prince William of Gloucester, a member of the British royal family.
• 1976 – Anissa Jones, an American actress.
• 1978 – Robert Shaw, an English actor, known for movies like Jaws.
• 1984 – Muhammad Naguib, the first President of Egypt.
• 1985 – Ruth Gordon, an American actress and screenwriter.
• 1987 – John Huston, an Irish actor, director, and screenwriter.
• 1995 – Michael Ende, a German author, known for The NeverEnding Story.
• 2006 – Melvin Schwartz, an American physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2008 – Phil Hill, an American race car driver.
• 2016 – Juan Gabriel, a very popular Mexican singer and songwriter.
• 2020 – Chadwick Boseman, an American actor, known for his role as Black Panther.

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Alexander of Constantinople
  • Augustine of Hippo
  • Edmund Arrowsmith
  • Hermes
  • Moses the Black
  • August 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• National Grandparents Day (Mexico)

See also

In Spanish: 28 de agosto para niños