History: What Happened Today?

1. In 1587, Virginia Dare became the first child of English parents to be born on American soil, on what is now Roanoke Island, NC.
2. In 1872, the first mail-order catalog was issued by A. Montgomery Ward.
3. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote, was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it.
4. In 1940, 71 German aircrafts were shot down above England.
5. In 1960, The Beatles give their first public performance at the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg, Germany.
6. In 1963, James Meredith became the first black to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
7. In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair closed with a mid-morning set by Jimi Hendrix.
8. In 1966, a record 6,654 people tap dance at Macy's Tap-o-mania in NYC.
9. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia slammed into the Texas coast, leaving 22 dead and causing more than $1 billion in damages.
10. In 1997, Virginia Military Institute admitted a female student for the first time in its 158 year history.
11. Famous Birthdays: Roberto Clemente (baseball player), Rosalynn Carter (former First Lady), Robert Redford (actor), Francis Joseph (last German emperor of Austria and King of Hungary)

For famous birthdays and other daily events in history, visit our Daily Dose Activities.

Click Here for Yesterday in History: August 17

Click Here for Tomorrow in History: August 19

For more history resources on Internet 4 Classrooms, visit our Social Studies and History index. For Pre K-8th Grade Level History and Social Studies Resources, visit our Grade Level Index.