World History

  • July 31, 1498: During his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus became the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.
  • August 1, 1914: Germany declared war on Russia, marking the beginning of World War I on the Eastern Front.
  • August 2, 1934: Upon the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, Adolf Hitler, then chancellor, assumed the twin titles of Führer and chancellor. With this action, Hitler consolidated absolute power in Germany.
  • August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, on a voyage that would take him to the present-day Americas. The trip was financed by Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain and intended to forge a westward sea passage to the East Indies.
  • August 6, 1945: The United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in an effort to hasten the end of World War II. This marked the first time a nuclear weapon was used in warfare. The bombing resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people and led to Japan’s unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945.

Cleveland History

  • August 1, 1907: The Cleveland Indians (then known as the Cleveland Naps) executed one of the rarest feats in baseball: a triple play without the ball touching the bat. This happened when a New York Highlanders runner tried to steal home, but was caught out by a quick-thinking Cleveland catcher.
  • August 2, 1981: The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo debuted a new exhibit, “The Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building”, providing visitors with the opportunity to see rare and endangered species from around the globe in a state-of-the-art facility.
  • August 3, 1956: The city of Cleveland was hit by a significant tornado, causing a significant amount of property damage and claiming several lives. This event led to improved weather tracking and emergency response in the region.
  • August 4, 1946: The Cleveland Browns football team was founded by businessman Arthur B. McBride and coach Paul Brown. The Browns were initially a part of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), before joining the NFL when the leagues merged.
  • August 5, 1867: John D. Rockefeller, who would later become one of the world’s richest men and a major philanthropist, started his first business in Cleveland, a commission merchant business dealing in hay, meats, and grains.