Important Dates and Events in August Month

The United Kingdom ruled as many as 22 countries around the world until the 1950s. There were other rulers as well as ruling over other countries. And the interesting point is most of the countries got independence in the month of August like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, etc.

By this, we can say that the month of August is liberating. There are many other important events which took place in August. In this article, we will learn about Important Dates and Events in August.

Global Events in August

Let us start with Global events in August month:

1. Clergy Sexual Abuse Awareness Day- 1 August

Clergy Sexual Abuse is a common problem in the faith community across the world. The idea is to discourage sexual abuse and highlight its negative impact on human life. It’s a campaign to educate and aware. The first campaign was launched in 2011.

2. World Breast Feeding Week – 1 August

Innocenti Declaration came into being in August 1990. It supports and protects breastfeeding. The first celebration took place in 1992 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. American Academy of Pediatrics and WHO organizes this week every year.

The main idea is to highlight the importance of breastfeeding for a healthy baby. The theme for 2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.

3. National Mountain Climbing Day – 1 August

Bobby Matthews and Josh Madigan successfully climbed the 46 High Peaks of New Your State’s Adirondack Mountains. This incident took place on 1 August 2015. Bob Matthews took the initiative to start this day in 2016. The idea is to promote mountain climbing as an adventurous activity.

4. Yorkshire Day – 1 August

The Battle of Minden took place on 1 August 1759. It was part of the seven-year war between the Anglo-German army and France. 1 August marks the anniversary of this event.

This is to appreciate and celebrate Yorkshire, the largest county of the UK. The idea is to promote its culture. The Yorkshire society took the initiative to start this day in 1975.

5. International Beer Day – 2nd August (First Friday of August)

Jesse Avshalomov took the initiative to start this day in 2007. The first celebration took place at a local California bar. Till 2012, the celebration took place on 5 August. The idea is to step out and have a beer with loved ones.

6. U.S. Coast Guard Day – 4 August

United States Coast Guard came into being on 4 August 1790 as Revenue Marine. This day commemorates this establishment. In 1915, Revenue marine and US life-saving service became one body. It is also to highlight the service of these coast guards.

7. Hiroshima Day – 6 August

The first nuclear bombing took place on 6 August 1945 in Hiroshima. The name of the bomb was “little boy”. This was by the United States by the permission of the United Kingdom. The Quebec Agreement was a secret deal between the USA and the UK for the development of nuclear energy.

Around 1,26,00p people died because of this blast. This day is to promote peace in politics. It commemorates the soldiers and the civilians who died in this war.

8. Nagasaki Day – 9 August

The second nuclear bombing by the USA was on 9 August 1945 in Nagasaki. The name of the bomb was “Fat Man”. This was the end of World War 2. Around 74,000 died in this bombing.

Japan surrendered 6 days after this bombing. This day commemorates the people who lost their lives on this day.

9. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 9 August

The Working Group on Indigenous Populations’ first meeting took place on 9 August 1982. The UN General Assembly made this day official in1994. The idea is to protect the rights of the indigenous ( the natives ) people.

It is to highlight their achievement and contributions to global issues. 2019 was the International year of indigenous languages.

10. International Youth Day – 12 August

The UN GeneralAssembly made this day official in 1999. The idea is to celebrate the role of youth in changing the world. They aim to highlight the challenges and problems that the youth is facing today. The theme for 2020 is “Transforming Education”.

11. World Elephant Day – 12 August

Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, Thailand took the initiative e to start this da in 2012. Patricia Sims is also one of the founders. The idea is to highlight solutions for better care of captive and wild elephants.

African and Asian elephants have become vulnerable. They aim to discourage poaching, human-elephant conflict, mistreatment in captivity, and habitat loss.

12. International Lefthanders Day – 13 August

Dean R. Campbell was the founder of Lefthander International INc. he was the first one to celebrate this day. The idea is to appreciate the uniqueness of left-handers. And also the issues/problems they face.

13. Youm-e-Azadi (Pakistan Independence Day) – 14 August

In 1947, Pakistan became a sovereign state after the end of the British Raj. The aim of the Pakistan movement was the creation of an independent Muslim state. All India Muslim league led this movement under Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Indian independence act 1947 gave birth to the different states of Pakistan. In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan falls on the same date.

14. National Day of mourning (Bangladesh) – 15 August

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh. He was assassinated on 15 August 1975 with his 16 family members. This day is to honor him and his contribution to the country.

15. Victory over Japan Day – 15 August

This day marks the defeat of Japan in World War II. this took place on 15 August 1945, 6 days after Nagasaki Bombing. This day marks the end of WWII.

The celebration takes place in Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, South Korea, and the United Kingdom in August. The USA celebrates this victory in September.

16. Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary – 15 August

Mary was Jesus’s mother. The Catholic Church believes that that mother Mary begun her afterlife journey in heaven on 15 August ( 1516 – 1518 ). This day is holy for the catholic community. The celebration is usually in the form of a feast.

17. Bennington Battle Day – 16 August

Battle of Bennington was part of the American Revolutionary War. It took place on 16 August 1777 in Bennington, Vermont between the British and American forces.

It was a turning point in the revolutionary war as Americans won. This day commemorates the American victory over the Britishers. It’s a public holiday in Vermont.

18. Indonesian Independence Day – 17 August

Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence took place on 17 August 1945. President Sukarno read the declaration in Jakarta. This day commemorates the independence of the country. The theme for 2020 is “Indonesia Maju (Indonesia Advances)”.

19. World Photography Day – 19 August

The discovery of Daguerreotype, a photographic process was by Frenchmen Lois Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce. This discovery was made official on 19 August 1837. This day marks the anniversary of this discovery. The idea is to promote photography as an art form to communicate feelings.

20. World Humanitarian Day – 19 August

Sérgio Vieira de Mello with 20 colleagues died in a bombing in Iran on 19 August 2003. He was a UN humanitarian diplomat. This day marks the anniversary of this loss of the UN.

The first celebration took place in 2009. The idea is to honor people who work for humanitarian causes. The theme for 2019 was “ Humanitarian Women”.

21. World Mosquito Day – 20 August

Sir Ronald Ross made the discovery of malaria transmission on 20 August 1897. He confirmed that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. He was a Nobel prize winner for his work in medical physiology. This day is to celebrate his contribution to the medical field and honor him.

22. World Senior Citizen Day – 21 August

The UN General Assembly made this day official in 1990. Ronald Reagan was the president at this time. The first celebration took place in 1991. The idea is to highlight the issues faced by senior citizens like health deterioration and abuse. This day is to remember their part in society and appreciate them.

23. International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition – 23 August

On 23 August 1791, Santo Domingo saw uprise against the slave trade. It was after this event that many movements against the slave trade started. The first celebration took place in 1998 in Haiti. UNESCO made this day official. The idea is to discourage slavey by looking at the negative history related to it.

24. European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism / World Black Ribbon Day – 23 August

It is one of the important days in the European Union. Black ribbon is the symbol rejecting extremism, intolerance, and oppression. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany became official on 23 August 1939.

This day commemorates the victims of this brutal torture. The idea is to stop extremism and live with peace.

25. Heroes Day ( Namibia ) – 26 August

The Nambiar War of Independence began on 26 August 1966. This day honor the soldiers who died fighting this war. The UN revoked South Africa’s government from the western part. This led to the Nambiar War.

26. Women’s Equality Day – 26 August

The19th amendment to the United States Constitution came into being on 26 August 1920. It prohibits the government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex. The first celebration took place in 1973. This day is to celebrate equal rights for all genders.

27. International Day against Nuclear Tests- 29 August

The United Nations General Assembly made this day official in 2009. The Republic of Kazakhstan had put forward this request. This is to commemorate the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site.

The nuclear testing was done here on 29 August 1991. The idea is to discourage nuclear explosions and highlight their negative impacts.

28. Hari Merdeka (Malaysia National Day) – 31 August

It is the independence day of Malaysia. The Malayan Declaration of Independence was signed on 31 August 1957. It commemorates the formation of Malaysia in 1963. It is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia declares Malaysia an independent state.

National Events in August

Now let us see some National Events in August:

1. Friendship Day – 4 August (First Sunday of August)

The UN made this day official in 1935. Joyce Hallmark took the initiative to start this day. The idea is to celebrate friendship and connect with people around us.

2. Quit India Movement Day – 8 August

The beginning of the Quit India Movement was on 8 August 1942. This took place at the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay by Gandhiji. It came in light after the arrest of many leaders of Congress including Nehruji. This day commemorates the launch of this freedom movement.

3. Sanskrit Day – 15 August

A Sanskrit organization – Samskrita Bharati promoted this day every year. The first celebration took place in 2017. The idea is to promote the Sanskrit language and preserve it globally. Sanskrit has a scientific structure and many languages are born out of it.

4. Independence Day in India – 15 August

The Indian independence movement took place from 1857 to 1947. The emergence of this movement was from Bengal. The idea was to end British Raj in India. By 1920, Gandhi became the leader of this movement.

The Indian independence act of 1947 made India independent from Britishers. The first prime minister was Jawahar Lal Nehru.

5. Sadbhavna Diwas – 20 August

This day is to commemorate the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. He was the youngest prime minister of India. He is responsible for introducing the new New LPG policy in India.

LPG stands for Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation. This day is to honor his contribution to the development of India.

6. Indian Akshay Urja Day – 20 August

The Indian Ministry for New & Renewable Energy took the initiative to start this day in 2004. It is to highlight the developments of renewable energy in India. It also commemorates the birthday of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

7. National Sports Day – 29 August

Dhyan Chand, an Indian field hockey player was born on 29 August 1905. The government of India made this date official as national sports day.

The idea is to highlight the importance of sports in an individual’s life. This day also commemorates Dhyan Chand’s achievements and contribution to world hockey.

8. Small Industry Day – 30 August

An Indian Government policy to support the Small scale industry came into being on 30 August 2000. 40% of the gross output products are manufactured by the SSI. This day awards are given to small scale entrepreneurs for outstanding performance.

Conclusion

Competitive exams like UPSC, RRB, SSC, etc. are always detail-oriented. It is advised to go well prepared for the General Study paper. This list covered all important dates and events which fall in the month of August.

If you are a student preparing for these exams then you must read it carefully. Always remember that with every hardship comes ease.

Hope you liked this article that covered Important Dates and Events in August month.