August 4 facts for kids

August 4 is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 149 days remain until the end of the year.

August 4th is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from ancient battles to modern discoveries. It's also the birthday of many famous people, including artists, leaders, and athletes. Let's explore some of the key moments and people connected to this date!

Events

Historical Moments Before 1900

• 598 – A war began between Goguryeo (an ancient Korean kingdom) and the Sui dynasty of China. The Chinese emperor sent his son to conquer Goguryeo.
• 1265 – In England, the Battle of Evesham took place. Prince Edward (who later became King Edward I of England) defeated a group of rebellious barons, and their leader, Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, was killed.
• 1327 – During the First War of Scottish Independence, Scottish leader James Douglas led a surprise attack in England and almost captured King Edward III of England.
• 1578 – The Moroccans won a big battle against the Portuguese in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. Portugal's King Sebastian of Portugal died in the fight, which caused a big problem for who would rule Portugal next.
• 1693 – This is the traditional date for when Dom Pérignon supposedly invented champagne. While he might not have invented it, he definitely helped make sparkling wine much better!
• 1701 – The Great Peace of Montreal was signed in Canada. This was an important agreement between New France (French colonists) and many First Nations groups, bringing peace to the region.
• 1704 – During the War of the Spanish Succession, a combined English and Dutch fleet captured Gibraltar, a strategic rock at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
• 1783 – Mount Asama in Japan erupted, causing a huge disaster. About 1,400 people died directly from the eruption, and a resulting famine led to 20,000 more deaths.
• 1789 – In France, the National Constituent Assembly officially ended feudalism. This was a major step in the French Revolution, changing how land and power were controlled.
• 1790 – The United States created the Revenue Cutter Service, which was the first version of today's United States Coast Guard.
• 1796 – During the French Revolutionary Wars, the famous general Napoleon led the French Army to victory in the Battle of Lonato.
• 1821 – The Saturday Evening Post, a well-known American magazine, was first published as a weekly newspaper.
• 1854 – The Hinomaru, Japan's national flag, was officially chosen to be flown on all Japanese ships.
• 1863 – Matica slovenská, an important cultural and scientific organization for the Slovak nation, was founded in Martin, Slovakia.
• 1873 – In the American Indian Wars, the United States 7th Cavalry, led by George Armstrong Custer, had its first fight with the Cheyenne and Lakota people near the Tongue River in Montana.
• 1889 – The Great Fire in Spokane, Washington destroyed 32 city blocks. This led to a huge effort to rebuild the city.

Modern Events (1901–Present)

• 1914 – World War I began for many nations. After Germany invaded Belgium, both Belgium and the British Empire declared war on Germany. The United States announced it would remain neutral.
• 1936 – Ioannis Metaxas, the Prime Minister of Greece, took control of the government. He suspended parliament and the constitution, starting the 4th of August Regime.
• 1944 – During The Holocaust, Anne Frank, her family, and four others were found and arrested by the Gestapo in an Amsterdam warehouse where they had been hiding.
• 1944 – In Finland, Marshal C. G. E. Mannerheim was elected as the new President of Finland.
• 1946 – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 hit the northern Dominican Republic. It killed 100 people and left 20,000 without homes.
• 1947 – The Supreme Court of Japan was officially created.
• 1964 – During the Civil rights movement in the United States, civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were found dead in Mississippi. They had disappeared on June 21st.
• 1964 – The Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred. U.S. Navy ships mistakenly reported being attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• 1965 – The Constitution of the Cook Islands came into effect, giving the Cook Islands self-governing status while remaining connected to New Zealand.
• 1969 – During the Vietnam War, secret peace talks began in Paris between American and North Vietnamese representatives. These talks eventually failed.
• 1972 – Ugandan President Idi Amin announced that British subjects of Asian origin were no longer welcome in Uganda, leading to their expulsion.
• 1975 – The Japanese Red Army took more than 50 people hostage at a building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where several embassies were located. They demanded the release of imprisoned comrades.
• 1977 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed a law to create the United States Department of Energy.
• 1983 – In Upper Volta, Captain Thomas Sankara led a coup d'état and removed the president, Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, from power.
• 1984 – The country of Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso.
• 1995 – Operation Storm began in Croatia. This was a major military operation during the Croatian War of Independence.
• 2007 – NASA launched its Phoenix spacecraft, which later landed on Mars to study its soil and look for water ice.
• 2020 – A massive explosion at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon killed at least 220 people and injured over 5,000. It was caused by the explosion of 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate.

Births

Famous People Born Before 1900

• 1281 – Külüg Khan, Emperor Wuzong of Yuan, an emperor of the Yuan dynasty in China.
• 1463 – Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, a wealthy Italian who supported many artists during the Renaissance.
• 1521 – Pope Urban VII, who was Pope for a very short time.
• 1792 – Percy Bysshe Shelley, a famous English poet known for his romantic poems.
• 1805 – William Rowan Hamilton, an important Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician.
• 1821 – Louis Vuitton, the French fashion designer who founded the famous luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
• 1834 – John Venn, an English mathematician and philosopher who created the "Venn diagram" that you might use in school!
• 1875 – Dame Laura Knight, an English artist known for her paintings of everyday life and portraits.
• 1900 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Famous People Born After 1900

• 1901 – Louis Armstrong, an incredibly famous American trumpet player and singer, often called one of the most important figures in jazz music.
• 1912 – Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish architect and diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust.
• 1921 – Maurice Richard, a legendary Canadian ice hockey player, known as "The Rocket."
• 1929 – Kishore Kumar, a very popular Indian singer and actor.
• 1932 – Frances E. Allen, an American computer scientist who made big contributions to how computers work.
• 1952 – Moya Brennan, an Irish singer and harp player, known for her beautiful voice.
• 1955 – Billy Bob Thornton, an American actor, director, and screenwriter.
• 1958 – Mary Decker, a famous American runner.
• 1961 – Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
• 1962 – Roger Clemens, a well-known American baseball player.
• 1968 – Daniel Dae Kim, a South Korean-American actor known for his roles in TV shows like Lost.
• 1971 – Jeff Gordon, a very successful American race car driver.
• 1981 – Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, an American actress and humanitarian who became a member of the British Royal Family.
• 1983 – Greta Gerwig, an American actress, producer, and screenwriter, known for directing films like Lady Bird and Barbie.
• 1992 – Cole Sprouse and Dylan Sprouse, American actors who started their careers as child stars.
• 1995 – Bruna Marquezine, a popular Brazilian actress.

Deaths

Notable People Who Died Before 1900

• 1060 – Henry I of France, a King of France.
• 1265 – Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, an English soldier and politician who led a rebellion.
• 1306 – Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, a King of Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary.
• 1526 – Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spanish explorer who completed the first trip around the world after Ferdinand Magellan died.
• 1578 – Sebastian of Portugal, the King of Portugal who died in battle.
• 1598 – William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, an important English politician who served Queen Elizabeth I.
• 1778 – Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial, the last Governor General of New France (Canada).
• 1875 – Hans Christian Andersen, the famous Danish author known for his fairy tales like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling."

Notable People Who Died After 1900

• 1922 – Enver Pasha, an important Ottoman general and politician during World War I.
• 1940 – Ze'ev Jabotinsky, a Ukrainian-American general, journalist, and activist.
• 1962 – Marilyn Monroe, a very famous American model and actress.
• 1977 – Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian, an English physiologist and academic who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on nerves.
• 1981 – Melvyn Douglas, an American actor.
• 1997 – Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122 years old, holding the record for the world's longest-lived person.
• 2019 – Nuon Chea, a Cambodian politician and important figure in the Khmer Rouge.

Holidays and observances

• Coast Guard Day (United States)
• Constitution Day (Cook Islands) (first Monday in August)
• Matica slovenská Day (Slovakia)
• Barack Obama Day in Illinois in the United States
• 2020 Beirut explosion commemoration day in Lebanon

|

See also

In Spanish: 4 de agosto para niños