August 1st in History

30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic

1192 - Richard the Lionheart landed on Jaffa and defeated the army of Saladin

1498 - Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to visit what is now Venezuela.

1759 - Seven Years' War: The Battle of Minden, an allied Anglo-German army victory over the French. In Britain this was one of a number of events that constituted the Annus Mirabilis of 1759 and is celebrated as Minden Day by certain British Army regiments.

1774 - British scientist Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.

1800 - The Acts of Union 1800 is passed in which merges the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

1834 - Slavery is abolished in the British Empire as the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into force.

1894 - The First Sino-Japanese War erupts between Japan and China over Korea.

1914 - Germany declares war on Russia at the opening of World War I. The Swiss Army mobilizes because of World War I.

1944 - The Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi occupation breaks out in Warsaw, Poland.

1957 - The United States and Canada form the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

1960 - Dahomey (later renamed Benin) declares independence from France.

1960 - Islamabad is declared the federal capital of the Government of Pakistan.

1964 - The Belgian Congo is renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

1974 - Cyprus dispute: The United Nations Security Council authorizes the UNFICYP to create the "Green Line", dividing Cyprus into two zones.

1981 - MTV begins broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.

2007 - The I-35W Mississippi River bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses during the evening rush hour.

Famous  Birthdays

10 BC - Claudius, Roman Emperor

126 - Pertinax, Roman Emperor

1659 - Sebastiano Ricci, painter

1779 - Francis Scott Key, lawyer, author, and songwriter of the US National anthem

1916 - His Eminence Fiorenzo Angelini,  Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

1930 - Julie Bovasso, actress

1939 - Terry Kiser, actor

1942 - Giancarlo Giannini, actor

1948 - Avi Arad, businessman and film producer, founded Marvel Studios

1962 - Jesse Borrego, actor

1969 - David Wain, actor

1972 - Tanya Reid, actress

1979 - Jason Momoa, actor

1983 - Craig Clarke, rugby player

1988 - Max Carver, actor

1993 - Leon Thomas III, actor and singer

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