Cleveland History
August 12, 1981: The Cleveland Orchestra hosted a special outdoor concert at Blossom Music Center, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Blossom Music Center has been the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra since it opened in 1968.
August 13, 1978: The Cuyahoga River, famously known for catching fire in 1969 due to pollution, was declared significantly cleaner following extensive cleanup efforts that had been ongoing for nearly a decade.
August 14, 1965: Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted The Beatles during their second North American tour. The concert was part of a historic series that marked the peak of Beatlemania in the United States.
August 16, 1936: The Great Lakes Exposition, a notable event celebrating Cleveland’s industrial achievements, concluded its second and final season, having drawn millions of visitors over two summers.
August 18, 1990: The inaugural Cleveland Airshow was held, featuring displays and performances that highlighted advancements in aviation. This event became an annual gathering, attracting aviation enthusiasts from across the nation.
World History
August 12, 1960: Echo 1, the first successful communications satellite, was launched by NASA. This passive satellite helped pioneer the relay of television, radio, and telephone signals via space, marking a significant step in telecommunications.
August 13, 1961: The Berlin Wall was constructed overnight. This concrete barrier physically and ideologically divided East and West Berlin, becoming a stark symbol of the Cold War until its fall in 1989.
August 14, 1945: President Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s unconditional surrender in World War II. This announcement effectively marked the end of WWII, days after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
August 15, 1947: India gained independence from British rule. This day marked the end of British authority in India and led to the country’s partition into two separate nations: India and Pakistan.
August 18, 1920: The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, granting American women the right to vote. This was a monumental victory in the women’s suffrage movement in the U.S.
