History of Today 30 August: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 30 August. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 30 August. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 30 August 2026, 01:02 AM

Important Events on 30 August in History

30 Aug 2023: Gabonese coup d'état: After Ali Bongo Ondimba's reelection, a military coup ousted him, ending 56 years of Bongo family rule in Gabon. Read more
30 Aug 2021: The last remaining American troops leave Afghanistan, ending U.S. involvement in the war. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Thabane flees to South Africa as the army allegedly stages a coup. Read more
30 Aug 2008: A Conviasa Boeing 737 crashes into Illiniza Volcano in Ecuador, killing all three people on board. Read more
30 Aug 2002: Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4823 crashes on approach to Rio Branco International Airport, killing 23 of the 31 people on board. Read more
30 Aug 1998: Second Congo War: Armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and their Angolan and Zimbabwean allies recapture Matadi and the Inga dams in the western DRC from RCD and Rwandan troops. Read more
30 Aug 1995: Bosnian War: NATO launches Operation Deliberate Force against Bosnian Serb forces. Read more
30 Aug 1992: The 11-day Ruby Ridge standoff ends with Randy Weaver surrendering to federal authorities. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Azerbaijan declares independence from Soviet Union. Read more
30 Aug 1984: STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Aeroflot Flight 5463 crashes into Dolan Mountain while approaching Almaty International Airport in present-day Kazakhstan, killing all 90 people on board. Read more
30 Aug 1983: STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission. Read more
30 Aug 1981: President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar of Iran are assassinated in a bombing. The office of Iran's Prosecutor General blames the People's Mujahedin of Iran. Read more
30 Aug 1974: A Belgrade–Dortmund express train derails at the main train station in Zagreb killing 153 passengers. Read more
30 Aug 1974: A powerful bomb explodes at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Marunouchi, Tokyo. Eight are killed, 378 are injured. Eight left-wing activists are arrested on May 19, 1975, by Japanese authorities. Read more
30 Aug 1974: The Third World Population Conference ends in Bucharest, Romania. At the end of the ceremony, the UN-Romanian Demographic Centre is inaugurated. Read more
30 Aug 1967: Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Read more
30 Aug 1963: The Moscow–Washington hotline between the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union goes into operation. Read more
30 Aug 1962: Japan conducts a test of the NAMC YS-11, its first aircraft since World War II and its only successful commercial aircraft from before or after the war. Read more
30 Aug 1959: South Vietnamese opposition figure Phan Quang Dan was elected to the National Assembly despite soldiers being bussed in to vote for President Ngo Dinh Diem's candidate. Read more
30 Aug 1945: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong comes to an end. Read more
30 Aug 1945: The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Atsugi Air Force Base. Read more
30 Aug 1945: The Allied Control Council, governing Germany after World War II, comes into being. Read more
30 Aug 1942: World War II: The Battle of Alam el Halfa begins. Read more
30 Aug 1941: The Tighina Agreement, a treaty regarding administration issues of the Transnistria Governorate, is signed between Germany and Romania. Read more
30 Aug 1940: The Second Vienna Award reassigns the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary. Read more
30 Aug 1936: The RMS Queen Mary wins the Blue Riband by setting the fastest transatlantic crossing. Read more
30 Aug 1922: Battle of Dumlupınar: The final battle in the Greco-Turkish War (Turkish War of Independence). Read more
30 Aug 1918: Fanni Kaplan shoots and seriously injures Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, which along with the assassination of Bolshevik senior official Moisei Uritsky days earlier, prompts the decree for Red Terror. Read more
30 Aug 1917: Vietnamese prison guards led by Trịnh Văn Cấn mutiny at the Thái Nguyên penitentiary against local French authority. Read more
30 Aug 1916: Ernest Shackleton completes the rescue of all of his men stranded on Elephant Island in Antarctica. Read more
30 Aug 1914: World War I: Germans defeat the Russians in the Battle of Tannenberg. Read more
30 Aug 1909: Burgess Shale fossils are discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott. Read more
30 Aug 1896: Philippine Revolution: After Spanish victory in the Battle of San Juan del Monte, eight provinces in the Philippines are declared under martial law by the Spanish Governor-General Ramón Blanco y Erenas. Read more
30 Aug 1873: Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht discover the archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Sea. Read more
30 Aug 1862: American Civil War: Battle of Richmond: Confederates under Edmund Kirby Smith rout Union forces under General William "Bull" Nelson. Read more
30 Aug 1836: The city of Houston is founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen. Read more
30 Aug 1835: Australia: Melbourne, Victoria is founded. Read more
30 Aug 1813: First Battle of Kulm: French forces are defeated by an Austrian-Prussian-Russian alliance. Read more
30 Aug 1813: Creek War: Fort Mims massacre: Creek "Red Sticks" kill over 500 settlers (including over 250 armed militia) in Fort Mims, north of Mobile, Alabama. Read more
30 Aug 1808: The convention of Cintra allows the defeated French troops to be transported out of Iberia on British ships, including their loot. Read more
30 Aug 1800: Gabriel Prosser postpones a planned slave rebellion in Richmond, Virginia, but is arrested before he can make it happen. Read more

Famous Births on 30 August

30 Aug 2002: Fábio Carvalho, Portuguese footballer Fábio Leandro Freitas Gouveia Carvalho is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Brentford. A former youth international for England, Carvalho now represents Portugal internationally at under-21 level. Read more
30 Aug 2002: Drake Maye, American football player Drake Lee Maye is an American professional football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning the Shaun Alexander Award and ACC Football Player of the Year in 2022 after leading the NCAA in total yards. Read more
30 Aug 1996: Mikal Bridges, American basketball player Mikal Bridges is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, winning national championships in 2016 and 2018. As of June 2026, Bridges holds the active record for the most consecutive games played and has the eighth-longest consecutive game streak of all time, having not missed a game in his NBA career since being drafted. Read more
30 Aug 1996: Trevor Jackson, American actor and singer-songwriter Trevor Howard Lawrence Jackson is an American actor and singer. He is best known for portraying Aaron Jackson on Freeform series Grown-ish, Kevin Blake on Syfy series Eureka, Kris McDuffy on Disney Channel's television film Let It Shine, Kevin LaCroix on American Crime and Dr. Wes Bryant on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Read more
30 Aug 1994: Monika Povilaitytė, Lithuanian volleyball player Monika Paulikienė is a Lithuanian beach volleyball player. Read more
30 Aug 1994: Heo Young-ji, South Korean singer Hur Young-ji, better known mononymously as Youngji, is a South Korean singer, dancer, entertainer and television personality. She is best known as a member of girl group Kara. In 2023, Hur Young-ji made her official solo debut with the release of the single "L.O.V.E." Read more
30 Aug 1994: Kwon So-hyun, South Korean singer-songwriter and actress Kwon So-hyun, known mononymously as Sohyun, is a South Korean actress and singer. She was known as a former member of South Korean girl group 4Minute, under Cube Entertainment, and also a former member of the South Korean girl group, Orange. Before June 15, 2016, Kwon left 4Minute and the record label along with members Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, and Jeon Ji-yoon. Read more
30 Aug 1992: Jessica Henwick, British actress Jessica Henwick is an English actress, writer and director. She began her career in 2010 and may be best known for her roles in Game of Thrones (2015–17), Iron Fist (2017–18), Love and Monsters (2020), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), The Royal Hotel (2023) and How to Make a Killing (2026). Her directorial debut, the short film Bus Girl (2022), was nominated for a BAFTA. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Seriki Audu, Nigerian footballer (died 2014) Seriki "Sarki" Audu was a Nigerian footballer. He played for Gombe United and Lobi Stars in the Nigeria Premier League. He was killed in a car crash on 20 December 2014 at the age of 23. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Jacqueline Cako, American tennis player Jacqueline Cako is an American former tennis player of Hungarian descent. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Liam Cooper, Scottish footballer Liam David Ian Cooper is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Born in England, he played for the Scotland national team. Read more
30 Aug 1989: Simone Guerra, Italian footballer Simone Guerra is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains Serie C Group B club Juventus Next Gen. Read more
30 Aug 1989: Ronald Huth, Paraguayan footballer Ronald Renato Huth Candia is a Paraguayan football defender of Italian descent, who plays for Rubio Ñu in the Paraguayan División Intermedia. Huth holds Italian citizenship. Read more
30 Aug 1989: Bebe Rexha, American singer-songwriter Bleta "Bebe" Rexha is an American singer and songwriter. She began her mainstream recording career as a vocalist for the pop band Black Cards in 2010, during and after which she was credited with co-writing releases for other artists—such as Eminem's Grammy Award-winning single "The Monster". She signed with Warner Records to release her debut extended play (EP), I Don't Wanna Grow Up (2015), which failed to chart domestically, but spawned the moderate international hit "I'm Gonna Show You Crazy". Read more
30 Aug 1988: Ernests Gulbis, Latvian tennis player Ernests Gulbis is a Latvian former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 10 by the Association of Tennis Professionals in June 2014, making him the only Latvian men's tennis player to be ranked inside the top 10. Gulbis won six ATP Tour singles titles and two in doubles. His best performance at the majors was reaching the semifinals of the 2014 French Open, as well as the quarterfinals of the 2008 French Open. Read more
30 Aug 1987: Johanna Braddy, American actress Johanna Braddy is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film The Grudge 3, and has appeared in Pop Rocks (2004), Hurt (2009), Easy A (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011), The Levenger Tapes (2011), and Superman (2025). She starred as Jenny Matrix in the web series Video Game High School from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, Braddy co-starred as Anna Martin in the Lifetime dark comedy-drama series Unreal. She also starred as Shelby Wyatt in the ABC thriller series Quantico. Read more
30 Aug 1987: Tania Foster, English singer-songwriter Tania Foster is an English singer-songwriter. Foster has achieved one number one single, in the UK, after featuring on Roll Deep's single "Green Light". Tania is currently working with hit writer and producer Fraser T Smith, and also features on a number of songs on Tinchy Stryder's third album, Third Strike. She has also worked with Roll Deep on their fifth album Winner Stays On. Read more
30 Aug 1986: Theo Hutchcraft, English singer-songwriter Theo David Hutchcraft is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of the synthpop duo Hurts. Read more
30 Aug 1986: Lelia Masaga, New Zealand rugby player Lelia Tony Corona Masaga is a New Zealand international retired rugby union player. He last played professionally for Glasgow Warriors. Masaga played on Wing. Read more
30 Aug 1986: Ryan Ross, American singer-songwriter and guitarist George Ryan Ross III is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as the former lead guitarist, backing and lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of the American rock band Panic! at the Disco before his departure in 2009. He alongside former Panic! bassist Jon Walker formed the Young Veins later that same year, in which Ross was the lead vocalist and guitarist. Read more
30 Aug 1986: Zafer Yelen, Turkish footballer Zafer Yelen is a Turkish footballer who plays for MSV Normannia 08. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Duane Brown, American football player Duane Anthony Brown is an American former professional football offensive tackle. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. Brown has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Richard Duffy, Welsh footballer Richard Michael Duffy is a Welsh former professional footballer who is the player-manager at Northern Premier League Division One West club Congleton Town. A versatile player who can play either on the right or at the centre of defence, he won 13 caps for Wales between 2005 and 2008. He is the younger brother of Robert Duffy. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Joe Inoue, American singer-songwriter Joe Inoue is a Japanese-American rock musician signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Ki/oon Records label. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Leisel Jones, Australian swimmer Leisel Marie Jones, is an Australian former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medallist. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of the gold-medal-winning Australian team in the women's 4×100-metre medley relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and a gold medallist for 100-metre breaststroke in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Éva Risztov, Hungarian swimmer Éva Risztov is a Hungarian Olympic gold medalist female swimmer. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Steven Smith, Scottish footballer Steven Smith is a Scottish former footballer who was most recently the interim manager of Scottish Premiership club Rangers. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Eamon Sullivan, Australian swimmer Eamon Wade Sullivan is an Australian former sprint swimmer, three-time Olympic medallist, and former world record-holder in two events. He was also the winner of the first season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia, and followed up his swimming career with a number of food business ventures. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Anna Ushenina, Ukrainian chess player Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster who was Women's World Chess Champion from November 2012 to September 2013. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Holly Weston, English actress Holly Weston is an English actress. She is known for her role as Ash Kane in the British television soap opera Hollyoaks. Weston also played the lead roles in feature films Filth and Wisdom and Splintered. Read more
30 Aug 1984: Anthony Ireland, Zimbabwean cricketer Anthony John Ireland is a former cricketer from Zimbabwe. A fast bowler, he performed consistently during his tenure with Zimbabwe, taking 38 wickets in 26 matches at an average of 29.34. He was one of many talented white Zimbabweans to leave the team due to the situation of the ZCU and the country, to pursue careers in English domestic cricket, where he represented Gloucestershire and Middlesex before joining Leicestershire for the 2013 season, retiring from professional cricket at the end of the 2014 season. Read more
30 Aug 1984: Joe Staley, American football player Joseph Andrew Staley is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as an offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas and was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. Read more
30 Aug 1984: Michael Grant Terry, American actor Michael Grant Terry is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Wendell Bray on the Fox series Bones. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Emmanuel Culio, Argentine footballer Juan Emmanuel Culio is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is one of the most successful foreign players who had ever played in Liga I in Romania. In this regard, he had won six championships, all with CFR Cluj. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Gustavo Eberto, Argentine footballer (died 2007) Gustavo Daniel Eberto was an Argentine soccer goalkeeper, for the Club Atlético Boca Juniors. He played for the Argentina Under-20 team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Jun Matsumoto, Japanese singer, dancer, and actor Jun Matsumoto is a Japanese singer, actor, radio host, and model. He was a member and concert producer of the boy band Arashi. He is also a production advisor for other groups. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Simone Pepe, Italian footballer Simone Pepe is an Italian former footballer who played as a winger, on either side of the pitch. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Tian Qin, Chinese canoe racer Tian Qin is a Chinese slalom canoeist who competed in the 2000s. He finished 11th in the C2 event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece after being eliminated in the qualifying round. Read more
30 Aug 1983: Marco Vianello, Italian footballer Marco Vianello is an Italian footballer who played for Seconda Divisione club Avellino. Read more
30 Aug 1982: Will Davison, Australian race car driver William Davison is an Australian professional racing driver. He co-drives with Matt Payne in the No. 19 Ford Mustang GT for Grove Racing in the Ryco Enduro Cup. Davison is a two-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, in 2009 and 2016. Read more
30 Aug 1982: Andy Roddick, American tennis player Andrew Stephen Roddick is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 13 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in 2003. Roddick won 32 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including a major at the 2003 US Open and five Masters events, and led the United States to the 2007 Davis Cup title. He was the runner-up at four other majors, losing to rival Roger Federer each time. Read more
30 Aug 1981: Germán Legarreta, Puerto Rican-American actor Germán Legarreta is a Puerto Rican actor. Read more
30 Aug 1981: Adam Wainwright, American baseball player Adam Parrish Wainwright, nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Read more
30 Aug 1980: Roberto Hernández, Dominican baseball player Roberto Hernández Heredia is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves. Read more
30 Aug 1979: Juan Ignacio Chela, Argentine tennis player Juan Ignacio Chela, nicknamed as "El Flaco" or "Liliano," is a tennis coach and former professional player from Argentina. Chela was given a three-month ban from the professional tour in 2001 for failing a drugs test. Post-doping ban, Chela went on to reach the quarterfinals of the 2004 and 2011 French Open, and the 2007 US Open, attaining a career-high singles ranking of world No. 15 in August 2004. Read more
30 Aug 1979: Leon Lopez, English singer-songwriter and actor Leon Lopez is an English actor, television and film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model. He is best known for his role as Jerome Johnson in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1998–2002). He also played Linford Short in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2016). His first feature film as a director Soft Lad (2015) premiered at the East End Film Festival. Read more
30 Aug 1979: Scott Richmond, Canadian baseball player Scott Daniel Richmond is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the EDA Rhinos / Fubon Guardians. Read more
30 Aug 1978: Sinead Kerr, Scottish figure skater Sinead Houston Kerr is a Scottish former competitive ice dancer who represented Great Britain. She teamed up with her brother John Kerr in 2000. They are two-time European bronze medalists and the 2004–2010 British national champions. They placed 10th at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and 8th at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Read more
30 Aug 1978: Cliff Lee, American baseball player Clifton Phifer Lee is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. During his career, Lee was a member of four All-Star teams, won the Cy Young Award, and had consecutive World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Phillies and Rangers. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Shaun Alexander, American football player Shaun Edward Alexander is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning first-team All-American honors in 1999. He was selected by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL draft. In 2011, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Marlon Byrd, American baseball player Marlon Jerrard Byrd is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians. He was an All-Star in 2010 with the Cubs. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Raúl Castillo, American actor Raúl Castillo Jr. is an American actor and playwright. He is known for his acting roles in Amexicano and Cold Weather and his role as Richie Donado Ventura in the HBO series Looking and its subsequent feature-length series finale Looking: The Movie. He received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film We the Animals. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Michael Gladis, American actor Michael Gladis is an American actor. He played Paul Kinsey in the television series Mad Men. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Kamil Kosowski, Polish footballer Kamil Piotr Kosowski is a Polish football pundit, co-commentator and former player who played as a midfielder. Read more
30 Aug 1977: Félix Sánchez, American-Dominican runner and hurdler Félix Sánchez is a retired Dominican-American track and field athlete. Specializing in the 400 meter hurdles, He is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, winning gold in 2004 and 2012, and was also World Champion in 2001 and 2003. Just before turning 36, he set the Masters M35 World Record with a time of 48.10. Sanchez acquired many nicknames: "Super Felix", "the Invincible", "Superman", and "the Dictator". Read more
30 Aug 1976: Mike Koplove, American baseball player Michael Paul Koplove is an American professional baseball scout and former pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians. Read more
30 Aug 1975: Radhi Jaïdi, Tunisian footballer and coach Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi is a Tunisian football coach and former player. Read more
30 Aug 1974: Javier Otxoa, Spanish cyclist (died 2018) Javier Otxoa Palacios was a Spanish cyclist who was a member of the Kelme cycling team. His name was sometimes spelled Javier Ochoa in media reports. Read more
30 Aug 1973: Lisa Ling, American journalist and author Lisa Jeeway Ling is an American journalist and television personality. She most recently was a news contributor for CBS News. Previously, she was the host for This Is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN, a reporter on Channel One News, a co-host on the ABC daytime talk show The View (1999–2002), the host of National Geographic Explorer (2003–2010), and a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Ling later hosted Our America with Lisa Ling on the Oprah Winfrey Network from 2011 to 2014. Read more
30 Aug 1972: Cameron Diaz, American model, actress, and producer Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, her films have grossed over $3 billion at the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s and early 2000s established her as a prominent sex symbol and one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and in 2013, Diaz was named the highest-paid actress over 40. She has received various accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award and four Golden Globe Awards. Read more
30 Aug 1972: Pavel Nedvěd, Czech footballer Pavel Nedvěd is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian clubs Lazio and Juventus. He won the last ever Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio and led Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. Read more
30 Aug 1972: Hani Hanjour, Saudi terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 77 during the September 11 attacks (died 2001) Hani Salih Hasan Hanjour was a Saudi terrorist and member of al-Qaeda. Hanjour was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, crashing the plane into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Read more
30 Aug 1971: Lars Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Lars Erik Frederiksen is an American musician and record producer best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, as well as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the Old Firm Casuals. In addition, he currently plays guitar in Oxley's Midnight Runners, Stomper 98, and the Last Resort. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991. Read more
30 Aug 1971: Julian Smith, Scottish politician Sir Julian Richard Smith is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Skipton and Ripon since 2010. He served as Government Chief Whip from 2017 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2019 to 2020. Read more
30 Aug 1970: Carlo Checchinato, Italian rugby player and manager Carlo Checchinato is an Italian rugby union former international player, with 83 caps and participated in 4 consecutive Rugby World Cup. He is the sales director for the Italy national team. He was CEO of Zebre Parma between 2021 and 2022. Read more
30 Aug 1970: Paulo Sousa, Portuguese footballer and manager Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa is a Portuguese football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Read more
30 Aug 1970: Michael Wong, Malaysian-Chinese singer-songwriter Michael Wong Kong Leong, also known as Guang Liang, is a Malaysian singer and songwriter. He has sung and written many love-themed ballads and love songs, many of which have high popularity. He is popularly known in the Mandopop scene as the "Prince of Love Songs" (情歌王子). Read more
30 Aug 1969: Vladimir Jugović, Serbian footballer Vladimir Jugović is a Serbian former professional footballer. A versatile player, he was usually employed as a left or attacking midfielder, but could play anywhere in midfield. He represented Yugoslavia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2000, collecting 41 international appearances between 1991 and 2002, and scoring three goals. Read more
30 Aug 1969: Dimitris Sgouros, Greek pianist and composer Dimitris Sgouros [a] is a Greek classical pianist. Sgouros is a former child prodigy and is considered a leading concert pianist. Arthur Rubinstein said his performance was "the best playing I have ever heard". Read more
30 Aug 1968: Diran Adebayo, English author and critic Oludiran "Diran" Adebayo FRSL is a British novelist, cultural critic and academic best known for his 1996 novel Some Kind of Black. Read more
30 Aug 1968: Vladimir Malakhov, Russian ice hockey player Vladimir Igorevich Malakhov is a Russian former professional ice hockey player of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played in the Russian Super League. Currently, Malakhov is a Player Development coach for the New York Islanders. Read more
30 Aug 1967: Frederique van der Wal, Dutch model and actress Frederique van der Wal is a Dutch former model, actress, television personality, and a businesswoman. She is known for having appeared in Victoria's Secret and on the covers of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue. Read more
30 Aug 1967: Justin Vaughan, New Zealand cricketer Justin Thomas Caldwell Vaughan is a New Zealand cricket administrator and former cricketer who played six Test matches and 18 One Day Internationals between 1992 and 1997. He is a doctor of medicine by profession. Read more
30 Aug 1966: Peter Cunnah, Northern Irish singer-songwriter and producer Peter Cunnah is a Northern Irish musician and lead singer of the dance-pop duo D:Ream. Read more
30 Aug 1966: Joann Fletcher, English historian and academic Joann Fletcher is an Egyptologist and an honorary visiting professor in the department of archaeology at the University of York. She has published a number of books and academic articles, including several on Cleopatra, and made numerous television and radio appearances. In 2003, she controversially claimed to have identified the mummy of Queen Nefertiti. Read more
30 Aug 1966: Michael Michele, American actress Michael Michele Williams is an American actress and fashion designer. She began her career on stage before appearing opposite Wesley Snipes in the 1991 film New Jack City. Read more
30 Aug 1964: Gavin Fisher, English engineer and designer Gavin Fisher is a British was formerly Chief Designer of the Williams Formula One team. Read more
30 Aug 1964: Ra Luhse, Estonian architect Ra Luhse is an Estonian architect. Read more
30 Aug 1963: Dave Brockie, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2014) David Murray Brockie was a Canadian-born American singer and musician. He was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus, and he was a bassist and lead singer in the bands Death Piggy, X-Cops, and the Dave Brockie Experience (DBX). He additionally played the Oderus Urungus character in the comedy horror TV sitcom Holliston. Brockie died of a heroin overdose in 2014. Read more
30 Aug 1963: Michael Chiklis, American actor, director, and producer Michael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, television producer, and director. He is known for his roles as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield (2002–2008), for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2002 and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2003, and as superhero Ben Grimm / the Thing in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Read more
30 Aug 1963: Sabine Oberhauser, Austrian physician and politician (died 2017) Sabine Oberhauser was an Austrian physician and politician. At the time of her death, she was Austria's Minister for Health and Minister for Women. Read more
30 Aug 1963: Phil Mills, Welsh race car driver Philip Lewis Mills is a Welsh rallying co-driver. He was winner of the 2003 World Rally Championship (WRC), as co-driver to Petter Solberg. Read more
30 Aug 1962: Ricky Sanders, American football player Ricky Wayne Sanders is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons from 1983 to 1994, two with the United States Football League (USFL)'s Houston Gamblers and 10 in the National Football League (NFL). He played running back, safety, and place kicker as a three-year letterman for Belton High School in Belton, Texas, and broke five records. Read more
30 Aug 1962: Craig Whittaker, English businessman and politician Craig Whittaker is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Calder Valley from 2010 to 2024. He served as Government Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household from September to October 2022. He previously served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from January 2018 to April 2019 and again from July to September 2022. Read more
30 Aug 1960: Ben Bradshaw, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Sir Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2009 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Exeter from 1997 to 2024. Before entering politics he worked as a BBC Radio reporter. Read more
30 Aug 1960: Gary Gordon, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1993) Gary Ivan Gordon was a master sergeant in the United States Army and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. At the time of his death in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, he was a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army's premier special operations unit, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1SFOD-D), or "Delta Force". Together with his fellow soldier Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, Gordon was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. Read more
30 Aug 1960: Guy A. Lepage, Canadian comedian and producer Guy A. Lepage is a Canadian comedian, actor, talk show host, and producer. Read more
30 Aug 1959: Mark "Jacko" Jackson, Australian footballer, actor, and singer Mark Alexander Jackson is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Demons, St Kilda Saints and Geelong Cats in the Victorian Football League (VFL), and for the South Fremantle Bulldogs in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). Read more
30 Aug 1958: Karen Buck, Northern Irish politician Dame Karen Patricia Buck is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Westminster North, and previously Regent's Park and Kensington North, from 1997 to 2024. She also served on Westminster City Council from 1990 to 1997. As of 2025, she chairs the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). Read more
30 Aug 1958: Fran Fraschilla, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster Francis John Fraschilla is an American ESPN basketball commentator. He is also a former college basketball coach for 23 years, whose teams when he was head coach had an aggregate record of 176–99, as they won 64% of their games. He was named the 1994-95 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Read more
30 Aug 1958: Muriel Gray, Scottish journalist and author Muriel Janet Gray is a Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist. She came to public notice as an interviewer on Channel 4's alternative pop-show The Tube, and then appeared as a regular presenter on BBC radio. Gray has written for Time Out, the Sunday Herald and The Guardian, among other publications, as well as publishing successful horror novels. She was the first woman to be Rector of the University of Edinburgh and is the first female chair of the board of governors at Glasgow School of Art. She is as a non-executive director of the BBC. Read more
30 Aug 1958: Anna Politkovskaya, Russian journalist and activist (died 2006) Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian investigative journalist who reported on political and social events in Russia, in particular, the Second Chechen War (1999–2005). She was found murdered in the elevator of her apartment block in Moscow on 7 October 2006. Read more
30 Aug 1958: Peter Tunks, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster Peter Tunks is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, New South Wales, and the Australian national side. After that he played with a number of clubs in England. Read more
30 Aug 1957: Gerald Albright, American musician Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for the albums 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and was nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Read more
30 Aug 1956: Frank Conniff, American actor, producer, and screenwriter Frank Conniff Jr. is an American writer, actor, comedian and producer, who is best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). He is the son of journalist and editor Frank Conniff. Read more
30 Aug 1955: Jamie Moses, English-American guitarist Jamie Moses is an English rock and pop singer and guitarist. He was formerly a member of The Brian May Band, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Mike & the Mechanics and Broken English. Read more
30 Aug 1955: Martin Jackson, English drummer Martin Jackson is a retired British drummer who played with several bands from Manchester, although his most successful roles were with Magazine in 1978 with the release of the influential Real Life album, and Swing Out Sister in 1986, with the hit song "Breakout". Read more
30 Aug 1954: Alexander Lukashenko, Belarusian marshal and politician, 1st President of Belarus Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making him the current longest-tenured European president. Read more
30 Aug 1954: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as 1st Minister of Electronics and Information Technology from 2016 to 2019 and 2019 to 2021. He is the member of Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament since 2000, first in the Rajya Sabha (2000–2019) and then in the Lok Sabha, Prasad has served as Union Minister multiple times: As Minister of State, he served in the ministries of Coal (2001–2003), Law and Justice (2002–2003), and Information and Broadcasting (2003–2004) under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's premiership; as Cabinet Minister, he held the Law and Justice, Communications portfolios under Narendra Modi's premiership. Read more
30 Aug 1954: David Paymer, American actor and director David Emmanuel Paymer is an American actor and television director. He is known for his character actor roles on stage and screen. He has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Read more
30 Aug 1953: Ron George, American businessman and politician Ronald Alan George is an American politician who was a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2007 to 2015. He first represented the 30th district in from 2007 to 2010, after which he was redrawn into the 33rd district. He sought the Republican nomination for Governor of Maryland in 2014, but finished fourth in the primary. In December 2014, George expressed interest in being appointed to the District 33 House of Delegates seat vacated by Cathy Vitale, who was appointed a judge. George unsuccessfully ran for the state Senate in District 30 in 2018; this district includes Annapolis. Read more
30 Aug 1953: Lech Majewski, Polish director, producer, and screenwriter Lech Majewski is a Polish-American poet, filmmaker, media artist, writer, and theater director. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Read more
30 Aug 1953: Horace Panter, English bass player Stephen Graham "Horace" Panter, also known professionally as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the British 2 Tone ska band The Specials. Read more
30 Aug 1953: Robert Parish, American basketball player Robert Lee Parish, nicknamed "the Chief", is an American former professional basketball player. A 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) center, he played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Chicago Bulls, helping the Celtics win three NBA championships while teaming with Hall-of-Fame forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, and won a fourth championship with the Bulls prior to his retirement. Read more
30 Aug 1952: Simon Bainbridge, English composer and educator (died 2021) Simon Bainbridge was a British composer. He was also a professor and head of composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and visiting professor at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. Read more
30 Aug 1952: Wojtek Fibak, Polish tennis player Wojciech Fibak is a Polish former professional tennis player, entrepreneur, and art collector. Fibak is best known for his doubles success with Dutch pro Tom Okker and Australian Kim Warwick, although he also reached the Top 10 in singles. Read more
30 Aug 1951: Timothy Bottoms, American actor Timothy James Bottoms is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the lead in Johnny Got His Gun (1971); Sonny Crawford in The Last Picture Show (1971), where he and his fellow co-stars, Cybill Shepherd and Jeff Bridges, rose to fame; and as James Hart, the first-year law student who battles with Prof. Kingsfield, in the film adaptation The Paper Chase (1973). He is also known for playing the main antagonist in the disaster film Rollercoaster (1977) and for playing President George W. Bush multiple times, including on the sitcom That's My Bush!, the comedy film The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and the docudrama DC 9/11: Time of Crisis. Read more
30 Aug 1951: Gediminas Kirkilas, Lithuanian politician, 11th Prime Minister of Lithuania (died 2024) Gediminas Kirkilas was a Lithuanian politician who was Prime Minister of Lithuania from 2006 to 2008. Read more
30 Aug 1951: Jim Paredes, Filipino singer-songwriter and actor Jaime Ramon Misa Paredes, better known simply as Jim Paredes, is a Filipino singer, songwriter, television host, writer, actor and activist. He is known as one of the members of popular musical trio Apo Hiking Society along with Danny Javier and Boboy Garovillo. Regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He is the son of Ester Paredes Jimenez, a staunch martial law activist. Read more
30 Aug 1950: Antony Gormley, English sculptor and academic Sir Antony Mark David Gormley is a British sculptor. His works include the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in Gateshead in the north of England, commissioned in 1994 and erected in February 1998; Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool; and Event Horizon, a multipart site installation which premiered in London in 2007, then subsequently in Madison Square in New York City (2010), São Paulo (2012) and Hong Kong (2015–16). Read more
30 Aug 1950: Dana Rosemary Scallon, Irish singer and activist Dana Rosemary Scallon, known professionally as Dana, is an Irish singer, songwriter and politician. While still a schoolgirl she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 with "All Kinds of Everything". It became a worldwide million-seller and launched her music career. Read more
30 Aug 1949: Ted Ammon, American financier and banker (died 2001) Robert Theodore Ammon was an American financier and investment banker. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was murdered in his home in 2001 by electrician Daniel Pelosi, who was convicted in 2004. Ammon and his wife Generosa Ammon were in the midst of a divorce at the time of his death, and Pelosi was later romantically linked to Ammon's soon-to-be ex-wife. Ammon and his wife had married on February 2, 1986, and had two children, the twins Greg Ammon and Alexa Ammon, whom they adopted from the village of Medvedivtsi in the Mukachevo Region of Ukraine in October 1992. Read more
30 Aug 1949: Don Boudria, Canadian public servant and politician, 2nd Canadian Minister for International Cooperation Don Boudria is a Canadian former politician and current senior associate at Sandstone Group, an Ottawa-based executive advisory firm. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1984 to 2006 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien. Read more
30 Aug 1948: Lewis Black, American comedian, actor, and author Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion and cultural trends. Read more
30 Aug 1948: Fred Hampton, American activist and revolutionary, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (died 1969) Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. was an African American revolutionary and political activist who served as deputy chairman of the Black Panther Party, a Marxist-Leninist and black power organization from 1966 until his assassination in 1969. He was also chair of the Illinois chapter and founded the anti-racist, anti-classist Rainbow Coalition, a prominent multicultural political organization that combined Black Panthers, Young Patriots, and the Young Lords, which were all leftist political organizations that included African Americans, White Southerners, and Puerto Ricans. Hampton also formed an alliance among major Chicago street gangs to help them end infighting and work for social change. Hampton began his activism in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), serving as the Youth Council President of the West Suburban branch in the Chicago area. Read more
30 Aug 1948: Victor Skumin, Russian psychiatrist, psychologist, and academic Victor Andreevich Skumin is a Russian and Soviet scientist, psychiatrist, philosopher and writer. Read more
30 Aug 1947: Allan Rock, Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Allan Michael Rock is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2003-2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister (1993–1997), Health Minister (1997–2002) and Minister of Industry and Infrastructure (2002-03). Read more
30 Aug 1946: Queen Anne-Marie of Greece Anne-Marie is a Danish princess who was Queen of Greece as the consort of King Constantine II from their marriage on 18 September 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Read more
30 Aug 1946: Peggy Lipton, American model and actress (died 2019) Margaret Ann Lipton was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes in the crime drama The Mod Squad (1968–1973), for which she was nominated for four Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama in 1970. Read more
30 Aug 1944: Frances Cairncross, English economist, journalist, and academic Dame Frances Anne Cairncross, is a British economist, journalist and academic. She is a senior fellow at the School of Public Policy, UCLA. Read more
30 Aug 1944: Freek de Jonge, Dutch singer and comedian Frederik "Freek" Jan Georg de Jonge is a Dutch cabaret performer and writer. Read more
30 Aug 1944: Molly Ivins, American journalist and author (died 2007) Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was an American newspaper columnist, author, and political commentator, known for her humorous and insightful writing, which often used satire and wit to critique political figures and policies. Read more
30 Aug 1944: Tug McGraw, American baseball player (died 2004) Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. McGraw played in 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1965 to 1984, for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. He is often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became the rallying cry for the 1973 New York Mets and has since become a popular slogan for the team and fans. Read more
30 Aug 1944: Alex Wyllie, New Zealand rugby player and coach (died 2025) Alexander John "Grizz" Wyllie was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Tal Brody, American-Israeli basketball player and coach Talbot "Tal" Brody, nicknamed Mr. Basketball, is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player and current goodwill ambassador of Israel. Brody was drafted #12 in the 1965 NBA draft, but chose to pass up an NBA career, to instead play basketball in Israel. He played on national basketball teams of both the United States and Israel, and served in the armies of both countries. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Robert Crumb, American illustrator Robert Dennis Crumb, known professionally as R. Crumb, is an American comic book artist. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American culture. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Colin Dann, English author Colin Dann is an English author. He is best known for his The Animals of Farthing Wood series of books, which was subsequently made into an animated series. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Nigel Hall, English sculptor and academic Nigel Hall is an English sculptor and a draughtsman. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Jean-Claude Killy, French skier Jean-Claude Killy is a French former World Cup alpine ski racer. He dominated the sport in the late 1960s, and was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there. He also won the first two World Cup titles, in 1967 and 1968. Read more
30 Aug 1943: David Maslanka, American composer and academic (died 2017) David Maslanka was an American composer of Polish descent who wrote for a variety of genres, including works for choir, wind ensemble, chamber music, and symphony orchestra. Read more
30 Aug 1942: Jonathan Aitken, Irish-British journalist and politician, Minister for Defence Procurement Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a British author, Church of England priest and former Conservative Party politician. Beginning his career in journalism, he was elected to Parliament in 1974, and was a member of the cabinet during John Major's premiership from 1994 to 1995. In April 1995, he was accused by The Guardian of misdeeds conducted under his official government capacity. He sued the newspaper for libel in response, but the case collapsed, and he was subsequently found to have committed perjury during his trial. In 1999, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he served seven months. Read more
30 Aug 1942: John Kani, South African actor Bonisile John Kani is a South African actor. He is known for portraying T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018), Rafiki in The Lion King (2019) and Mufasa: The Lion King as well as Colonel Ulenga in the Netflix films Murder Mystery (2019) and Murder Mystery 2 (2023). Also a playwright, Kani co-wrote with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona the 1975 anti-apartheid play Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, as well as performing in it. Read more
30 Aug 1942: Pervez Sajjad, Pakistani cricketer Pervez Sajjad Hasan is a Pakistani former cricketer who played in 19 Tests from 1964 to 1973. Read more
30 Aug 1941: Ignazio Giunti, Italian race car driver (died 1971) Ignazio Francesco Giunti was an Italian racing driver. He competed in Formula One as well as in saloon and Sports Car Racing. Read more
30 Aug 1941: Ben Jones, American actor and politician (died 2026) Benjamin Lewis Jones was an American actor, writer, politician, and businessman best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones also served for four years in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1989, to January 3, 1993. Jones also served as the International Chief of Heritage Operations for the Sons of Confederate Veterans from July 2014 to late 2018, having been a member for over 15 years. Read more
30 Aug 1941: Sue MacGregor, English journalist and radio host Susan Katriona MacGregor is a British broadcaster. She is best known as a former presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and later the Today programme. Read more
30 Aug 1941: John McNally, English singer and guitarist John McNally is an English guitarist. He was a member of The Searchers, a band he formed in 1959, who were a big part of the Mersey sound in the early 1960s. He was the longest-serving member of the group, touring in the band from 1955 until their retirement in 2019 as well as their 2023 farewell tour and their final show at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2025. Read more
30 Aug 1940: Jack Biondolillo, American bowler (died 2021) Jack Joseph Biondolillo was an American professional bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). Read more
30 Aug 1939: Elizabeth Ashley, American actress Elizabeth Ann Cole, known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley, is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for Take Her, She's Mine. Ashley was also nominated for the BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for her supporting performance in The Carpetbaggers (1964), and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1991 for Evening Shade. Ashley was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 24 times. She appeared in several episodes of In the Heat of the Night as Maybelle Chesboro. She also appeared in an episode of Mannix, "The Dark Hours", in 1974. She is a 2024 inductee into the American Theater Hall of Fame. Read more
30 Aug 1939: John Peel, English radio host and producer (died 2004) John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004. Read more
30 Aug 1938: Murray Gleeson, Australian lawyer and judge, 11th Chief Justice of Australia Anthony Murray Gleeson is an Australian former judge who served as the 11th Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1998 to 2008. Read more
30 Aug 1937: Bruce McLaren, New Zealand race car driver and engineer, founded the McLaren racing team (died 1970) Bruce Leslie McLaren was a New Zealand racing driver, automotive designer, engineer, and motorsport executive who competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1970. He won four Grands Prix across 13 seasons and was runner-up in the 1960 Formula One World Drivers' Championship with Cooper. He won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans with Chris Amon in a Ford GT40 and won the Canadian-American Challenge Cup in 1967 and 1969. Read more
30 Aug 1936: Peter North, English scholar and academic Sir Peter Machin North is a British academic lawyer who served as Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, from 1984 to 2005 and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1993 to 1997. Read more
30 Aug 1935: John Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2001) John Edmund Andrew Phillips was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the leader of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas and remains frequently referred to as Papa John Phillips. In addition to writing the majority of the group's songs, he wrote "San Francisco " in 1967 for former Journeymen bandmate Scott McKenzie, and the oft-covered "Me and My Uncle", which was a favorite in the repertoire of the Grateful Dead. Phillips was one of the chief organizers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Read more
30 Aug 1935: Alexandra Bellow, Romanian-American mathematician (died 2025) Alexandra Bellow was a Romanian-American mathematician who made contributions to the fields of ergodic theory, probability and analysis. Read more
30 Aug 1934: Antonio Cabangon Chua, Filipino media mogul and businessman (died 2016) Antonio L. Cabangon-Chua was a Filipino businessman, Philippine ambassador to Laos under the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and reserved colonel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, being an honorary member of Philippine Military Academy class of 1956. He graduated from the University of the East in the same year, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. Read more
30 Aug 1933: Don Getty, Canadian football player and politician, 11th Premier of Alberta (died 2016) Donald Ross Getty was a Canadian athlete, businessman, and politician who served as the 11th premier of Alberta between 1985 and 1992. Read more
30 Aug 1931: Jack Swigert, American pilot and astronaut (died 1982) John Leonard Swigert Jr. was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, United States Air Force pilot, and politician. In April 1970, as command module pilot of Apollo 13, he became one of 24 Apollo astronauts who reached the Moon. Due to the "slingshot" route around the Moon they chose to safely return to Earth, the Apollo 13 astronauts flew farther away from Earth than any other astronauts until the Artemis II lunar flyby in 2026, though they had to abort the Moon landing. Read more
30 Aug 1930: Warren Buffett, American businessman and philanthropist Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and philanthropist who is the chairman and former CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his success, Buffett is one of the best-known investors in the world. According to Forbes, as of January 2026, Buffett's estimated net worth stood at US$148.9 billion, making him the ninth-richest person in the world. Read more
30 Aug 1930: Noel Harford, New Zealand cricketer and basketball player (died 1981) Noel Sherwin Harford was a New Zealand cricketer who played eight Test matches in the 1950s. In domestic cricket he played for Central Districts from 1953 to 1959 and for Auckland from 1963 to 1967. Read more
30 Aug 1929: Guy de Lussigny, French painter and sculptor (died 2001) Guy de Lussigny was a French painter of the school of geometric abstraction. Read more
30 Aug 1929: Ian McNaught-Davis, English mountaineer and television host (died 2014) Ian McNaught-Davis was a British television presenter best known for presenting the BBC television series The Computer Programme, Making the Most of the Micro and Micro Live in the 1980s. He was also a mountaineer and alpinist. He was managing director of the British subsidiary of Comshare. Read more
30 Aug 1928: Lloyd Casner, American race car driver (died 1965) Lloyd Perry Casner was an American race car driver and the creator of the Casner Motor Racing Division team. Read more
30 Aug 1928: Harvey Hart, Canadian director and producer (died 1989) Harvey Hart was a Canadian director and producer of film and television. Read more
30 Aug 1928: Johnny Mann, American singer-songwriter and conductor (died 2014) John Russell Mann was an American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, singer, and recording artist. Read more
30 Aug 1927: Bill Daily, American actor and comedian (died 2018) William Edward Daily was an American actor and comedian known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie and Howard Borden on The Bob Newhart Show. Read more
30 Aug 1927: Piet Kee, Dutch organist and composer (died 2018) Pieter William Kee was a Dutch organist and composer. Read more
30 Aug 1926: Daryl Gates, American police officer, created the D.A.R.E. Program (died 2010) Daryl Francis Gates was an American police officer who served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992. His length of tenure in this position was second only to that of William H. Parker. Gates is often credited with the creation of police SWAT teams and also co-founded the Drug Abuse Resistance Education ("D.A.R.E.") program. Read more
30 Aug 1925: Laurent de Brunhoff, French author and illustrator (died 2024) Laurent de Brunhoff was a French author and illustrator, known primarily for continuing the Babar the Elephant series of children's books that was created by his father, Jean de Brunhoff. Read more
30 Aug 1925: Donald Symington, American actor (died 2013) Donald Leith Symington was an American stage, film and television actor. He appeared in such movies and television shows as Annie Hall, Spring Break, and Fantasy Island. Read more
30 Aug 1924: Kenny Dorham, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (died 1972) McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public recognition from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did. For this reason, writer Gary Giddins said that Dorham's name has become "virtually synonymous with 'underrated'." Read more
30 Aug 1924: Lajos Kisfaludy, Hungarian chemist and engineer (died 1988) Lajos Kisfaludy was a Hungarian chemical engineer, a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He is renowned for his research in the field of peptide synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Read more
30 Aug 1924: Geoffrey Beene, American fashion designer (died 2004) Geoffrey Beene was an American fashion designer. Beene was one of New York's most famous fashion designers, recognized for his artistic and technical skills and for creating simple, comfortable and dressy women's wear. Read more
30 Aug 1923: Barbara Ansell, English physician and author (died 2001) Barbara Mary Ansell was a British medical doctor and the founder of the field of paediatric rheumatology. Ansell was notable for outstanding contributions to the advancement of paediatric knowledge, specifically defining chronic joint disorders and the improvement of their management. Read more
30 Aug 1923: Charmian Clift, Australian journalist and author (died 1969) Charmian Clift was an Australian writer. She was the second wife and literary collaborator of George Johnston. Read more
30 Aug 1923: Vic Seixas, American tennis player (died 2024) Elias Victor Seixas Jr. was an American tennis player. Read more
30 Aug 1922: Lionel Murphy, Australian jurist and politician, 22nd Attorney-General of Australia (died 1986) Lionel Keith Murphy was an Australian politician, barrister, and judge. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1962 to 1975, serving as Attorney-General in the Whitlam government, and then sat on the High Court from 1975 until his death in 1986. Read more
30 Aug 1922: Regina Resnik, American soprano and actress (died 2013) Regina Resnik was an American opera singer who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She began her career as a soprano in 1942 and soon after began a relationship with the Metropolitan Opera that spanned from 1944 until 1983. Under the advice of conductor Clemens Krauss, she began retraining her voice in the mezzo-soprano repertoire in 1953 and by 1956 had completely removed soprano literature from her performance repertoire. Read more
30 Aug 1920: Arnold Green, Estonian soldier and politician (died 2011) Arnold Green was a Soviet and Estonian politician and president of the Estonian Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1997, leader of the Estonian Olympic team for the Games in Albertville, Barcelona, Lillehammer and Atlanta and former President of the Estonian Wrestling League and the Estonian Skiing League. Read more
30 Aug 1919: Maurice Hilleman, American microbiologist and vaccinologist (died 2005) Maurice Ralph Hilleman was a leading American microbiologist who specialized in vaccinology and developed over 40 vaccines, an unparalleled record of productivity. According to one estimate, his vaccines save nearly eight million lives each year. He has been described as one of the most influential vaccinologists ever. He has been called the "father of modern vaccines". Robert Gallo called Hilleman "the most successful vaccinologist in history". He has been described by some researchers as having saved more lives than any other scientist in the 20th century. Read more
30 Aug 1919: Wolfgang Wagner, German director and manager (died 2010) Wolfgang Wagner was a German opera director. He is best known as the director (Festspielleiter) of the Bayreuth Festival, a position he initially assumed alongside his brother Wieland in 1951 until the latter's death in 1966. From then on, he assumed total control until he retired in 2008, although many of the productions which he commissioned were severely criticized in their day. He had been plagued by family conflicts and criticism for many years. He was the son of Siegfried Wagner and he was the great-grandson of Franz Liszt. Read more
30 Aug 1919: Kitty Wells, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2012) Ellen Muriel Deason, known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” also was her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s. Read more
30 Aug 1918: Harold Atcherley, English businessman (died 2017) Sir Harold Winter Atcherley was a businessman, public figure and arts administrator in the United Kingdom. Read more
30 Aug 1918: Billy Johnson, American baseball player (died 2006) William Russell Johnson was an American professional baseball player. He was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played in 964 games for the New York Yankees in the 1940s and later with the St. Louis Cardinals. Read more
30 Aug 1918: Ted Williams, American baseball player and manager (died 2002) Theodore Samuel Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960; his career was interrupted by military service during World War II and the Korean War. Nicknamed "Teddy Ballgame", "the Kid", "the Splendid Splinter", and "the Thumper", Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Read more
30 Aug 1917: Dan Enright, American television producer (died 1992) Daniel Enright was an American television producer, primarily of game shows. Enright worked with Jack Barry from the 1940s until Barry's death in 1984. They were partners in creating programs for radio and television. Their company was called Barry & Enright Productions. Read more
30 Aug 1917: Denis Healey, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (died 2015) Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey was a British Labour Party politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979 and as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970; he remains the longest-serving Defence Secretary to date. He was a Member of Parliament from 1952 to 1992, and was Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983. To the public at large, Healey became well known for his bushy eyebrows, his avuncular manner and his creative turns of phrase. Read more
30 Aug 1917: Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia (died 1992) Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia was the Head of the Imperial Family of Russia, a position which he claimed from 1938 to his death in 1992. Read more
30 Aug 1916: Shailendra, Pakistani-Indian songwriter (died 1968) Shailendra was an Indian Hindi-Urdu poet, lyricist and film producer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most celebrated lyricists of the Indian film industry. Known for his association with filmmaker Raj Kapoor, singer Mukesh, and composer duo Shankar–Jaikishan, he wrote lyrics for several successful Hindi film songs in the 1950s and 1960s. He also wrote songs in the Bhojpuri language for early Bhojpuri movies as his mother tongue was Bhojpuri. Read more
30 Aug 1915: Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland (died 2013) Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland, was a British socialite who became a princess of Sweden through her 1976 marriage to Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (1912–1997). As such, she was an aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Read more
30 Aug 1915: Robert Strassburg, American composer, conductor, and educator (died 2003) Robert Strassburg was an American conductor, composer, musicologist and music educator. Included among his compositions are numerous musical settings of the poetry of Walt Whitman, as well as several sacred Judaic choral works. As a musicologist, Strassburg was an authority on the compositions of the composer Ernest Bloch. Read more
30 Aug 1913: Richard Stone, English economist and statistician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1991) Sir John Richard Nicholas Stone was an eminent British economist. He was educated at Gonville and Caius College and King's College at the University of Cambridge. In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for developing an accounting model that could be used to track economic activities on a national and, later, an international scale. Read more
30 Aug 1912: Edward Mills Purcell, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997) Edward Mills Purcell was an American physicist who shared the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics with Felix Bloch for his independent discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in liquids and in solids. NMR has become widely used to study the molecular structure of pure materials and the composition of mixtures. Friends and colleagues knew him as Ed Purcell. Read more
30 Aug 1912: Nancy Wake, New Zealand-English captain (died 2011) Nancy Grace Augusta Wake,, also known as Madame Fiocca and Nancy Fiocca, was a New Zealand-born Australian nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, and briefly pursued a postwar career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. Read more
30 Aug 1910: Roger Bushell, South African-English soldier and pilot (died 1944) Squadron Leader Roger Joyce Bushell was a South African aviator in the British Royal Air Force. He masterminded the famous "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III in March 1944, but was one of the 50 escapees to be recaptured and subsequently shot and murdered by the Nazi German Gestapo secret police. Read more
30 Aug 1909: Virginia Lee Burton, American author and illustrator (died 1968) Virginia Lee Burton, also known by her married name Virginia Demetrios, was an American illustrator and children's book author. She wrote and illustrated seven children's books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939) and The Little House (1943), which won the Caldecott Medal. She also illustrated six books by other authors. Read more
30 Aug 1908: Fred MacMurray, American actor (died 1991) Frederick Martin MacMurray was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film leading man began in 1935, but his most renowned role was in Billy Wilder's 1944 film noir Double Indemnity. From 1959 to 1973, MacMurray appeared in numerous Disney films, including The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, Follow Me, Boys!, and The Happiest Millionaire. He starred as Steve Douglas in the television series My Three Sons. Read more
30 Aug 1907: Leonor Fini, Argentine painter, illustrator, and author (died 1996) Leonor Fini was an Argentine-Italian surrealist painter, designer, illustrator, and author, known for her depictions of powerful and erotic women. Read more
30 Aug 1907: Bertha Parker Pallan, American archaeologist (died 1978) Bertha Pallan Thurston Cody was an American archaeologist, working as an assistant in archaeology at the Southwest Museum. She was also married to actor Iron Eyes Cody. She is thought to be the first Native American archaeologist of Abenaki and Seneca descent. Read more
30 Aug 1907: John Mauchly, American physicist and co-founder of the first computer company (died 1980) John William Mauchly was an American physicist who, along with J. Presper Eckert, designed ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, as well as EDVAC, BINAC and UNIVAC I, the first commercial computer made in the United States. Read more
30 Aug 1906: Joan Blondell, American actress and singer (died 1979) Rose Joan Blondell was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Read more
30 Aug 1906: Olga Taussky-Todd, Austrian mathematician (died 1995) Olga Taussky-Todd was an Austrian and American mathematician. She published more than 300 research papers on algebraic number theory, integral matrices, and matrices in algebra and analysis. Read more
30 Aug 1903: Bhagwati Charan Verma, Indian author (died 1981) Bhagwati Charan Verma was a Hindi author. He wrote many novels, his best work was Chitralekha (1934), which was made into two successful Hindi films in 1941 and 1964 respectively. He was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award for his epic five-part novel, Bhoole Bisre Chitra in 1961 and Padma Bhushan in 1971. He was also nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1978.Bhagwati Charan Verma was born in November 1903 in Lahore. His father Shiv Charan Verma was a high-ranking railway official. Bhagwati Charan Verma was taught by Adarsh Sachdeva. Read more
30 Aug 1901: John Gunther, American journalist and author (died 1970) John Gunther was an American journalist and writer. Read more
30 Aug 1901: Roy Wilkins, American journalist and activist (died 1981) Roy Ottoway Wilkins was an American civil rights leader from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins's most notable role was his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in which he held the title of Executive Secretary from 1955 to 1963 and Executive Director from 1964 to 1977. Wilkins was a central figure in many notable marches of the civil rights movement and made contributions to African-American literature. He controversially advocated for African Americans to join the military. Read more
30 Aug 1898: Shirley Booth, American actress and singer (died 1992) Shirley Booth was an American actress. One of 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Tony Awards. Read more
30 Aug 1896: Raymond Massey, Canadian-American actor and playwright (died 1983) Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian and American actor. Known for his commanding stage-trained voice, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title role in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), a role he later reprised on television and in the film How the West Was Won (1962). Among his other well-known roles were Dr. Gillespie on the NBC television series Dr. Kildare (1961–66), John Brown in Santa Fe Trail (1940) and Seven Angry Men (1955), Abraham Farlan in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), and Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Read more
30 Aug 1893: Huey Long, American lawyer and politician, 40th Governor of Louisiana (died 1935) Huey Pierce Long Jr., nicknamed "The Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. He was a left-wing populist member of the Democratic Party and rose to national prominence during the Great Depression for his vocal criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal, which Long deemed insufficiently radical. As the political leader of Louisiana, he commanded wide networks of supporters and often took forceful action. A controversial figure, Long is celebrated as a populist champion of the poor or, in contrast, denounced as a fascistic demagogue. Read more
30 Aug 1890: Samuel Frederick Henry Thompson, English captain and pilot (died 1918) Captain Samuel Frederick Henry "Siffy" Thompson was a British World War I two-seater fighter ace who, in conjunction with his observer-gunners, was credited with thirty aerial victories before being shot down and killed. Despite having an active fighter career of only five months, he reached the rank of captain and was awarded two British military decorations. Read more
30 Aug 1887: Paul Kochanski, Polish violinist and composer (died 1934) Paul Kochanski was a Polish violinist, composer and arranger active in the United States. Read more
30 Aug 1885: Tedda Courtney, Australian rugby league player and coach (died 1957) Ed "Tedda" Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football for North Sydney, Western Suburbs and representative football for the New South Wales state and Australian national sides. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century. Read more
30 Aug 1884: Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) Theodor Svedberg was a Swedish chemist and Nobel laureate for his research on colloids and proteins using the ultracentrifuge. Svedberg was active at Uppsala University from the mid-1900s to late 1940s. While at Uppsala, Svedberg started as a docent before becoming the university's physical chemistry head in 1912. After leaving Uppsala in 1949, Svedberg was in charge of the Gustaf Werner Institute until 1967. Apart from his 1926 Nobel Prize, Svedberg was named a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 1944 and became part of the National Academy of Sciences in 1945. Read more
30 Aug 1883: Theo van Doesburg, Dutch artist (died 1931) Theo van Doesburg was a Dutch painter, writer, poet, and architect. He is best known as the founder and leader of De Stijl. Read more
30 Aug 1871: Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand-English physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1937) Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, was a New Zealand physicist and chemist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. He has been described as "the father of nuclear physics" and "the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday." In 1908, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances." Read more
30 Aug 1870: Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia (died 1891) Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, later known as Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia ; 30 August [O.S. 18 August] 1870 – 24 September [O.S. 12 September] 1891), was a member of the Greek royal family by birth and of the Russian imperial family by marriage. Read more
30 Aug 1860: Isaac Levitan, Russian painter and illustrator (died 1900) Isaac Ilyich Levitan was a Russian landscape painter who advanced the genre of the "mood landscape". Read more
30 Aug 1858: Ignaz Sowinski, Galician architect (died 1917) Ignaz Stanislaus Sowinski was a Polish architect and journalist who was active in Galicia from the middle of the 1880s and until the outbreak of World War I. Read more
30 Aug 1856: Carl David Tolmé Runge, German mathematician, physicist, and spectroscopist (died 1927) Carl David Tolmé Runge was a German mathematician, physicist, and spectroscopist. Read more
30 Aug 1855: Evelyn De Morgan, English painter (died 1919) Evelyn De Morgan was an English painter associated early in her career with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, and working in a range of styles including Aestheticism and Symbolism. Her paintings are figural, foregrounding the female body through the use of spiritual, mythological, and allegorical themes. They rely on a range of metaphors to express what several scholars have identified as spiritualist and feminist content. Her later works also dealt with the themes of war from a pacifist perspective, engaging with conflicts such as the Second Boer War and World War I. Read more
30 Aug 1852: Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Dutch chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1911) Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff Jr. was a Dutch physical chemist. A highly influential theoretical chemist, in 1901 Van 't Hoff won the first Nobel Prize in Chemistry "[for his] discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions". His pioneering work helped found the modern theory of chemical affinity, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, and chemical thermodynamics. In his 1874 pamphlet, Van 't Hoff formulated the theory of the tetrahedral carbon atom and laid the foundations of stereochemistry. In 1875, he predicted the correct structures of allenes and cumulenes as well as their axial chirality. He is also widely considered one of the three co-founders of physical chemistry as the discipline is known today. The Zeitschrift für physikalische Chemie was founded in 1887 by Van ’t Hoff, Svante Arrhenius and Wilhelm Ostwald, at Leipzig University as the first dedicated scientific journal for the discipline. Read more
30 Aug 1852: J. Alden Weir, American painter and academic (died 1919) Julian Alden Weir was an American impressionist painter and member of the Cos Cob Art Colony in Greenwich, Connecticut. Weir was also one of the founding members of "The Ten", a loosely allied group of American artists dissatisfied with professional art organizations, who banded together in 1898 to exhibit their works as a stylistically unified group. Read more
30 Aug 1850: Marcelo H. del Pilar, Filipino journalist and lawyer (died 1896) Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán, commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his nom de plume Pláridel, was a Filipino writer, lawyer, journalist, and freemason. Del Pilar, along with José Rizal and Graciano López Jaena, became known as the leaders of the Reform Movement in Spain. Read more
30 Aug 1848: Andrew Onderdonk, American surveyor and contractor (died 1905) Andrew Onderdonk was an American construction contractor who worked on several major projects in the West, including the San Francisco seawall in California and the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia. He was born in New York City to an established ethnic Dutch family. He received his education at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Read more
30 Aug 1844: Emily Ruete/Salama bint Said, also called Sayyida Salme, a Princess of Zanzibar and Oman (died 1924) Emily Rüte was a Princess of Zanzibar and Oman. She was the youngest of the 36 children of Said bin Sultan, Sultan of the Omani Empire. She is the author of Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar. Read more
30 Aug 1842: Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia (died 1849) Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia was the eldest child and first daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. She died from infant meningitis at the age of six and a half. Read more
30 Aug 1839: Gulstan Ropert, French-American bishop and missionary (died 1903) Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary served as the third vicar apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands – now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, from 1892 to 1903. Read more
30 Aug 1822: Adolph Strauch, Prussian American landscape architect (died 1883) Adolph Strauch was a Prussian American landscape architect who conceived the "landscape lawn" design. He applied his thinking to the layout of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, which won him international acclaim. Strauch also advised and helped design several other parks and cemeteries, and laid out Eden Park, Burnet Woods, and Lincoln Park in Cincinnati. Read more
30 Aug 1818: Alexander H. Rice, American businessman and politician, 30th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1895) Alexander Hamilton Rice was an American politician and businessman from Massachusetts. He served as Mayor of Boston from 1856 to 1857, a U.S. congressman during the American Civil War, and as the 30th governor of Massachusetts from 1876 to 1879. He was part owner and president of Rice-Kendall, one of the nation's largest paper products distributors. Read more
30 Aug 1812: Agoston Haraszthy, Hungarian-American businessman, founded Buena Vista Winery (died 1869) Agoston Haraszthy was a Hungarian American nobleman, adventurer, traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California, often referred to as the "Father of California Wine", alongside Junípero Serra, as well as the "Father of California Viticulture," or the "Father of Modern Winemaking in California". One of the first men to plant vineyards in Wisconsin, he was the founder of the Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, California, and an early writer on California wine and viticulture. Read more

Notable Deaths on 30 August

30 Aug 2024: Tūheitia Paki, Māori King (born 1955) Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, crowned as Kīngi Tūheitia, reigned as the Māori King from 2006 until his death in 2024. He was the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on 21 August 2006, the final day of her tangi. Read more
30 Aug 2024: Fatman Scoop, American rapper, hype man and radio personality (born 1971) Isaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop, was an American hip-hop artist. Noted for his booming, raw vocal presence on various hip-hop songs, he was best known for his guest performances on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "It's Like That" by Mariah Carey, as well as his 1999 sleeper hit single, "Be Faithful", which topped the UK Singles Chart in 2003. Read more
30 Aug 2022: Mikhail Gorbachev, 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union (born 1931) Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was a Soviet and Russian politician who was the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985, and additionally as head of state from 1988. Ideologically, he initially adhered to Marxism–Leninism, but moved towards social democracy by the early 1990s. Read more
30 Aug 2019: Valerie Harper, American actress and writer (born 1939) Valerie Kathryn Harper was an American actress. She began her career as a dancer on Broadway, making her debut as a replacement in the musical Li'l Abner. She played Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) and its spin-off Rhoda (1974–1978). For her work on Mary Tyler Moore, she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series three times, and later received the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Rhoda. Read more
30 Aug 2017: Louise Hay, American motivational author (born 1926) Louise Lynn Hay was an American motivational author and professional speaker. She authored several New Thought self-help books, including the 1984 book You Can Heal Your Life, and founded Hay House publishing. Read more
30 Aug 2017: Skip Prokop, Canadian drummer, guitarist and keyboardist (born 1943) Ronald Harry "Skip" Prokop was a Canadian drummer, guitarist and keyboardist. He was also a band leader, was a founding member of the Canadian rock music groups the Paupers and Lighthouse. Read more
30 Aug 2015: Wes Craven, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (born 1939) Wesley Earl Craven was an American filmmaker. Amongst his prolific filmography, Craven worked primarily in the horror genre, particularly slasher films, where he mixed horror cliches with humor. Craven has been recognized as one of the masters of the horror genre. Read more
30 Aug 2015: Edward Fadeley, American lawyer and politician (born 1929) Edward Norman Fadeley was an American attorney and politician in the state of Oregon. He was the 88th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Previously he served in both the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate, serving one session as President of the Oregon Senate. In later years he faced allegations of sexual harassment and was reprimanded for legal ethics violations. Read more
30 Aug 2015: M. M. Kalburgi, Indian scholar, author, and academic (born 1938) Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi was an Indian scholar of Vachana sahitya in the Kannada language and an academic who served as the vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi. A noted epigraphist of Kannada, he was awarded the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 2006 for Marga 4, a collection of his research articles. Read more
30 Aug 2015: Marvin Mandel, American lawyer and politician, 56th Governor of Maryland (born 1920) Marvin Mandel was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of Maryland from January 7, 1969, to January 17, 1979, including a one-and-a-half-year period when Lieutenant Governor Blair Lee III served as the state's acting governor from June 1977 to January 15, 1979 while Mandel was in federal prison for mail fraud and racketeering. He was a member of the Democratic Party, as well as Maryland's first, and to date, only Jewish governor. Read more
30 Aug 2015: Oliver Sacks, English-American neurologist, author, and academic (born 1933) Oliver Wolf Sacks was a British neurologist, naturalist, historian of science, and writer. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Charles Bowden, American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist (born 1945) Charles Clyde Bowden was an American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was best known for his work documenting violence on the Mexico-United States border, especially in and around Ciudad Juarez. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Bipan Chandra, Indian historian and academic (born 1928) Bipan Chandra was an Indian historian, specialising in economic and political history of modern India. An emeritus professor of modern history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, he specialized on the Indian independence movement is considered a leading scholar on Mahatma Gandhi. He is referred to as a "nationalist-Marxist" historian influenced by the Marxian approach. He authored several books, including The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Igor Decraene, Belgian cyclist (born 1996) Igor Decraene was a Belgian cyclist. In 2013, he became the UCI world junior men's time trial champion. The event took place on 24 September in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. In 2013 and 2014 he was also the Belgian national champion in the time trial for juniors men. He also won the Crystal Bicycle for Best Young Rider in 2013. At the time of his death, he was preparing to defend his junior world time trial title at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain on 23 September. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Andrew V. McLaglen, English-American director and producer (born 1920) Andrew Victor McLaglen was a British-born American film and television director. He was best known for his Westerns and adventure films, often starring John Wayne or James Stewart. Read more
30 Aug 2014: Felipe Osterling, Peruvian lawyer and politician (born 1932) Felipe Enrique Osterling Parodi was a Peruvian lawyer, writer and politician. He was a member and leader of the Christian People's Party, and served in senior positions in the Peruvian government. Read more
30 Aug 2013: William C. Campbell, American golfer (born 1923) William Cammack Campbell, often known as Bill Campbell or William C. Campbell, became one of the most distinguished amateur golfers in golf history. Campbell was two-time President of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and one time Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. Read more
30 Aug 2013: Howie Crittenden, American basketball player and coach (born 1933) Howard Royce Crittenden was an American basketball player, best known for his college career at Murray State University and in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Read more
30 Aug 2013: Allan Gotthelf, American philosopher and academic (born 1942) Allan Stanley Gotthelf was an American philosopher. He was a scholar of the philosophies of both Aristotle and Ayn Rand. Read more
30 Aug 2013: Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1939) Seamus Justin Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume. American poet Robert Lowell described him as "the most important Irish poet since Yeats", and many others, including the academic John Sutherland, have said that he was "the greatest poet of our age". Robert Pinsky has stated that "with his wonderful gift of eye and ear Heaney has the gift of the story-teller." Upon his death in 2013, The Independent described him as "probably the best-known poet in the world". Read more
30 Aug 2013: Leo Lewis, American football player and coach (born 1933) Leo Everett Lewis Jr. was an American gridiron football player and coach. He played college football as a running back for Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, from 1951 to 1954 and professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1955 to 1966. He served as the head football coach at his alma mater, Lincoln, from 1973 to 1975. Read more
30 Aug 2010: J. C. Bailey, American wrestler (born 1983) Joseph Carl Bailey Jr. was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name J. C. Bailey. He wrestled for numerous American-based professional wrestling promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, and IWA East Coast. Read more
30 Aug 2010: Alain Corneau, French director and screenwriter (born 1943) Alain Corneau was a French film director and writer. Read more
30 Aug 2010: Myrtle Edwards, Australian cricketer and softball player (born 1921) Myrtle Edwards was an Australian softball and cricket player. Read more
30 Aug 2010: Francisco Varallo, Argentine footballer (born 1910) Francisco Antonio Varallo was an Argentine footballer who played as a forward for the Argentina national team from 1930 to 1937, also representing the country at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. Read more
30 Aug 2009: Klaus-Peter Hanisch, German footballer (born 1952) Klaus-Peter Hanisch was a professional German footballer. Read more
30 Aug 2008: Brian Hambly, Australian rugby player and coach (born 1937) Brian Clinton Hambly was an Australian rugby league player, a representative forward for the Australia national team between 1959 and 1965. His club career was played with South Sydney and Parramatta. He was considered one of the Australia's finest rugby league players of the twentieth century. Read more
30 Aug 2008: Killer Kowalski, Canadian-American wrestler and trainer (born 1926) Wladek Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Killer Kowalski. Read more
30 Aug 2007: Michael Jackson, English author and journalist (born 1942) Michael James Jackson was an English beer and whiskey writer. He was a regular contributor to a number of broadsheets, particularly The Independent and The Observer. Read more
30 Aug 2007: Charles Vanik, American soldier and politician (born 1918) Charles Albert Vanik was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1981. Read more
30 Aug 2006: Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon, New Zealand lawyer and judge (born 1926) Robin Brunskill Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon, was a New Zealand judge and later a British Law Lord and member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He is widely considered one of New Zealand's most influential jurists, and is the only New Zealand judge to have sat in the House of Lords. He was a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong from 1997 to 2006. Read more
30 Aug 2006: Glenn Ford, Canadian-American actor and producer (born 1916) Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and had a career that lasted more than 50 years. Read more
30 Aug 2006: Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911) Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. In awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy described him as a writer "who, through works rich in nuance – now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous – has formed an Egyptian narrative art that applies to all mankind". Read more
30 Aug 2004: Fred Lawrence Whipple, American astronomer and academic (born 1906) Fred Lawrence Whipple was an American astronomer, who worked at the Harvard College Observatory for more than 70 years. Among his achievements were asteroid and comet discoveries, the "dirty snowball" hypothesis of comets, and the invention of the Whipple shield. Read more
30 Aug 2003: Charles Bronson, American actor and soldier (born 1921) Charles Bronson was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town in the Allegheny Mountains. Bronson's father, a miner, died when Bronson was young. Bronson himself worked in the mines as well until joining the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to fight in World War II. After his service, he joined a theatrical troupe and studied acting. During the 1950s, he played various supporting roles in motion pictures and television, including anthology drama TV series in which he would appear as the main character. Near the end of the decade, he had his first cinematic leading role in Machine-Gun Kelly (1958). Read more
30 Aug 2003: Donald Davidson, American philosopher and academic (born 1917) Donald Herbert Davidson was an American philosopher and the Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley (1981–2003), having previously held teaching appointments at Stanford University, Rockefeller University, Princeton University, and the University of Chicago. Davidson was known for his charismatic personality and difficult writing style, as well as the systematic nature of his philosophy. His work exerted considerable influence in many areas of philosophy from the 1960s onward, particularly in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and action theory. Most of Davidson's influence was on analytic philosophy, his tradition, but his work has attracted attention in continental philosophy. Read more
30 Aug 2002: J. Lee Thompson, English-Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1914) John Lee Thompson was an English film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. Initially an exponent of social realism, he became known as a versatile and prolific director of thrillers, action, and adventure films. Read more
30 Aug 2001: Govan Mbeki, ANC activist and father of President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki (born 1910) Govan Archibald Mvunyelwa Mbeki was a South African politician, military commander, Communist leader who served as the Secretary of Umkhonto we Sizwe, at its inception in 1961. He was also the younger son of Chief Skelewu Mbeki and Johanna Mabula and also the father of the former South African president Thabo Mbeki and political economist Moeletsi Mbeki. Read more
30 Aug 1999: Reindert Brasser, Dutch discus thrower (born 1912) Reindert Johannes Brasser also known as Jan Brasser was a Dutch athlete who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Read more
30 Aug 1999: Raymond Poïvet, French illustrator (born 1910) Raymond Poïvet was a French cartoonist. Read more
30 Aug 1996: Christine Pascal, French actress, director, and screenwriter (born 1953) Christine Pascal was a French actress, writer, and director known for Le Petit Prince a dit, 1992. Read more
30 Aug 1995: Fischer Black, American economist and academic (born 1938) Fischer Sheffey Black, Jr. was an American economist, best known as one of the co-authors of the Black–Scholes option pricing model. He held academic positions at the University of Chicago and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, later working at Goldman Sachs. In addition to his work on option pricing, Black made important contributions to the development of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). He also proposed ideas in monetary economics and in theories of the business cycle. Read more
30 Aug 1995: Sterling Morrison, American guitarist and singer (born 1942) Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. was an American musician, best known as one of the founding members of the rock band the Velvet Underground. He usually played electric guitar, occasionally played bass guitar, and provided backing vocals. Read more
30 Aug 1994: Lindsay Anderson, English director and screenwriter (born 1923) Lindsay Gordon Anderson was an English filmmaker, theatre director, critic, and actor. He was considered a leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave, and a principal exponent of kitchen sink realism on both the stage and screen. Read more
30 Aug 1993: Richard Jordan, American actor (born 1938) Robert Anson Jordan Jr., known professionally as Richard Jordan, was an American actor. A long-time member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he performed in many Off Broadway and Broadway plays. His films include: Logan's Run, Les Misérables, Old Boyfriends, Raise the Titanic, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Yakuza, Interiors, The Bunker, Dune, The Secret of My Success, Timebomb, The Hunt for Red October, Posse and Gettysburg. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Cyril Knowles, English footballer and manager (born 1944) Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played left-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the son of the rugby league footballer Cyril Knowles, and the older brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Vladimír Padrůněk, Czech bass player (born 1952) Vladimír Padrůněk was a Czech jazz and rock bass guitarist. He is known for his work with the groups Jazz Q, Energit, Etc…, Abraxas, and others. Read more
30 Aug 1991: Jean Tinguely, Swiss painter and sculptor (born 1925) Jean Tinguely was a Swiss sculptor best known for his kinetic art sculptural machines that extended the Dada tradition into the later part of the 20th century. Tinguely's art satirized automation and the technological overproduction of material goods. Read more
30 Aug 1990: Bernard D. H. Tellegen, Dutch engineer and academic (born 1900) Bernard D.H. Tellegen was a Dutch electrical engineer and inventor of the pentode and the gyrator. He is also known for a theorem in circuit theory, Tellegen's theorem. Read more
30 Aug 1989: Seymour Krim, American journalist and critic (born 1922) Seymour Krim was an American author, editor and literary critic. In the 1950s and '60s, he contributed essays and journalistic pieces to The Village Voice, New York Herald Tribune, the Evergreen Review, Commentary, and Commonweal. Krim's best-known book was the 1961 essay collection, Views of a Nearsighted Cannoneer. With his "naked, introspective" prose style, he was often linked to Beat Generation writers and to New Journalism. Read more
30 Aug 1988: Jack Marshall, New Zealand colonel, lawyer and politician, 28th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1912) Sir John Ross Marshall was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He entered Parliament in 1946 and was first promoted to Cabinet in 1951. After spending eleven years as the deputy prime minister of New Zealand, he served as the 28th prime minister from February until December 1972. Read more
30 Aug 1985: Taylor Caldwell, English-American author (born 1900) Janet Miriam Caldwell was a British-born American novelist and prolific author of popular fiction under the pen names Taylor Caldwell, Marcus Holland and Max Reiner. She was also known by a variation of her married name, J. Miriam Reback. Read more
30 Aug 1981: Vera-Ellen, American actress and dancer (born 1921) Vera-Ellen was an American dancer, actress, and singer. She is known for her solo performances as well as her work with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye, and Donald O'Connor. She is known for her roles in On the Town (1949) with Kelly and White Christmas (1954) with Kaye. Read more
30 Aug 1981: Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Iranian politician, 2nd President of Iran (born 1933) Mohammad-Ali Rajai was an Iranian politician who served as the second president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later. Before his presidency, Rajai had served as prime minister under Abolhassan Banisadr, while concurrently occupying the position of foreign affairs minister from 11 March 1981 to 15 August 1981. He died in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with then-prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. Read more
30 Aug 1979: Jean Seberg, American actress (born 1938) Jean Dorothy Seberg was an American actress. She is considered an icon of the French New Wave as a result of her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film Breathless. Read more
30 Aug 1971: Ali Hadi Bara, Iranian-Turkish sculptor (born 1906) Ali Hadi Bara was a Turkish sculptor and one of the first artists of the Republican generation in Turkey. Read more
30 Aug 1970: Del Moore, American comedian and actor (born 1916) Marion Delbridge Moore professionally Del Moore, was an American actor, comedian and radio announcer. Read more
30 Aug 1970: Abraham Zapruder, American clothing manufacturer, witness to the assassination of John F. Kennedy (born 1905) Abraham Zapruder was a Ukrainian-born American clothing manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, who filmed the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Of Russian-Jewish descent, Zapruder resided in Dallas and founded a fashion company. On the day of the assassination, he captured the shooting in a home movie while filming Kennedy's presidential limousine as it traveled through Dealey Plaza. The Zapruder film is regarded as the most complete footage of the assassination. Zapruder died in 1970. Read more
30 Aug 1968: William Talman, American actor and screenwriter (born 1915) William Whitney Talman Jr. was an American television and movie actor, best known for playing Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the television series Perry Mason. Read more
30 Aug 1967: Ad Reinhardt, American painter, illustrator, and academic (born 1913) Adolph Friedrich Reinhardt was an American abstract painter and art theorist active in New York City for more than three decades. As a theorist he wrote and lectured extensively on art and was a major influence on conceptual art, minimal art, and monochrome painting. Read more
30 Aug 1964: Salme Dutt, Estonian-English lawyer and politician (born 1888) Salme Anette Pekkala-Dutt, known by the pen name Sancho, was an Estonian-British communist politician, essayist, writer and translator. Read more
30 Aug 1963: Guy Burgess, English-Soviet spy (born 1911) Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection in 1951 to the Soviet Union, with his fellow spy Donald Maclean, led to a serious breach in Anglo-United States intelligence co-operation, and caused long-lasting disruption and demoralisation in Britain's foreign and diplomatic services. Read more
30 Aug 1961: Cristóbal de Losada y Puga, Peruvian mathematician (born 1894) Cristóbal de Losada y Puga was a Peruvian mathematician and mining engineer. He was Minister of Education of Peru in the government of José Luis Bustamante y Rivero and Director of the National Library of Peru between 1948 and 1961. Read more
30 Aug 1961: Charles Coburn, American actor (born 1877) Charles Douville Coburn was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award three times – for The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), The More the Merrier (1943) and The Green Years (1946) – winning for his performance in The More the Merrier. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contribution to the film industry. Read more
30 Aug 1954: Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, Italian cardinal (born 1880) Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, was an Italian Catholic prelate and professed member of the Benedictines who served as the Archbishop of Milan from 1929 until his death. He took the religious name of Ildefonso as a Benedictine monk and served as an abbot prior to his elevation to the cardinalate. Read more
30 Aug 1951: Konstantin Märska, Estonian director and cinematographer (born 1896) Konstantin Märska was an Estonian cinematographer and film director. Read more
30 Aug 1949: Arthur Fielder, English cricketer (born 1877) Arthur Fielder was an English cricketer who played as a fast bowler for Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team from 1900 to 1914. He played a major role in Kent's four County Championship wins in the years before World War I and toured Australia twice with the England team, making six Test match appearances. He was chosen as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1907. Read more
30 Aug 1948: Alice Salomon, German-American social reformer (born 1872) Alice Salomon was a German social reformer and pioneer of social work as an academic discipline. Her role was so important to German social work that the Deutsche Bundespost issued a commemorative postage stamp about her in 1989. A university, a park and a square in Berlin are all named after her. Read more
30 Aug 1947: Gunnar Sommerfeldt, Danish actor and director (born 1890) Gunnar Sommerfeldt was a Danish actor and film maker. Read more
30 Aug 1946: Konstantin Rodzaevsky, Russian lawyer (born 1907) Konstantin Vladimirovich Rodzaevsky was the leader of the Russian Fascist Party, which he led in exile from Manchuria. Rodzaevsky was also the chief editor of the RFP paper Nash Put'. After the defeat of anti-communist forces in the Russian Civil War, he fled to Manchuria in 1925 and eventually became the leading figure of the Russian Fascist movement. He was lured by the NKVD to return to the Soviet Union with false promises of immunity and executed in a Lubyanka prison cellar after a trial for "anti-Soviet and counter-revolutionary activities". Read more
30 Aug 1945: Alfréd Schaffer, Hungarian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1893) Alfréd Schaffer was a Hungarian international footballer. He is recorded as having played for a record number of clubs: 21 in a 15-year career which lasted from 1910 to 1925. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Eddy de Neve, Indonesian-Dutch footballer and lieutenant (born 1885) Eduard Karel Alexander de Neve was a Dutch footballer who played as a forward for Velocitas Breda, HBS Craeyenhout and the Netherlands national team. Read more
30 Aug 1943: Eustáquio van Lieshout, Dutch priest and missionary (born 1890) Eustáquio van Lieshout, SSCC was a Dutch Catholic missionary priest in Brazil from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Read more
30 Aug 1941: Peder Oluf Pedersen, Danish physicist and engineer (born 1874) Peder Oluf Pedersen was a Danish engineer and physicist. He is notable for his work on electrotechnology, his cooperation with Valdemar Poulsen on the developmental work on Wire recorders, which he called a telegraphone, the arc converter known as the Poulsen Arc Transmitter, and his work on electrical currents in the ionosphere. Read more
30 Aug 1940: J. J. Thomson, English physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1856) Sir Joseph John Thomson was a British physicist. He received the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics "in recognition of the great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases." In 1897, he showed that cathode rays were composed of previously unknown negatively charged particles, which he calculated must have bodies much smaller than atoms and a very large charge-to-mass ratio. The electron was the first subatomic particle to be discovered. Read more
30 Aug 1938: Max Factor, Sr., Polish-born American make-up artist and businessman, founded the Max Factor Company (born 1877) Max Factor Sr., born Maksymilian Faktorowicz, was a Polish-American businessman, beautician, entrepreneur and inventor. As a founder of the cosmetics giant Max Factor & Company, he largely developed the modern cosmetics industry in the United States and popularized the term "make-up" in noun form based on the verb. Read more
30 Aug 1936: Ronald Fellowes, 2nd Baron Ailwyn, English peer (born 1886) Lt.-Col. Ronald Townshend Fellowes, 2nd Baron Ailwyn was a British peer, the son of Ailwyn Edward Fellowes, 1st Baron Ailwyn. He succeeded to the Barony on 23 September 1924. He lived at Honingham Hall in Norfolk until he sold it in 1935. Read more
30 Aug 1935: Henri Barbusse, French journalist and author (born 1873) Henri Barbusse was a French novelist, short story writer, journalist, poet and political activist. He began his literary career in the 1890s as a Symbolist poet and continued as a neo-Naturalist novelist; in 1916, he published Under Fire, a novel about World War I based on his experience which is described as one of the earliest works of the Lost Generation movement or as the work which started it; the novel had a major impact on the later writers of the movement, namely on Ernest Hemingway and Erich Maria Remarque. Barbusse is considered one of the important French writers of 1910–1939 who mingled the war memories with moral and political meditations. Read more
30 Aug 1935: Namık İsmail, Turkish painter and educator (born 1890) Namık İsmail was a Turkish Impressionist painter and art educator, who received his training in France. Read more
30 Aug 1928: Wilhelm Wien, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1864) Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien was a German physicist who used theories about heat and electromagnetism to deduce Wien's displacement law, which calculates the emission of a blackbody at any temperature from the emission at any one reference temperature. Read more
30 Aug 1908: Alexander P. Stewart, American general (born 1821) Alexander Peter Stewart was a Confederate military officer during the American Civil War and a college professor. He fought in many of the most significant battles in the Western Theater of the war and briefly took command of the Army of Tennessee in 1865. Read more
30 Aug 1907: Richard Mansfield, American actor and manager (born 1857) Richard Mansfield was a German-born English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; his performances in the last made such an impression that he was accused of being Jack the Ripper. Read more
30 Aug 1906: Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect and educator, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (born 1847) Hans Wilhelm Auer was a Swiss-Austrian architect best known for his design of the Swiss Bundeshaus (1894–1902) in Bern. Read more
30 Aug 1896: Aleksey Lobanov-Rostovsky, Russian politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Russia (born 1824) Prince Aleksey Borisovich Lobanov-Rostovsky was a Russian statesman, probably best remembered for having concluded the Li-Lobanov Treaty with China, the Peace of Constantinople with the Ottoman Empire, and for his publication of the Russian Genealogical Book. Read more
30 Aug 1886: Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American general and politician (born 1836) Ferris Jacobs Jr. was an American military officer, politician, and lawyer. He served in the Union Army in several roles during the American Civil War, and afterwards spent one term as United States representative from New York. Read more
30 Aug 1879: John Bell Hood, American/Confederate general (born 1831) John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Read more
30 Aug 1856: Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, English lawyer and author (born 1811) Gilbert Abbott à Beckett was an English humorist. Read more
30 Aug 1856: Sir John Ross, Scottish naval officer and explorer (born 1777) Rear-Admiral Sir John Ross was a British naval officer and explorer. He was the uncle of Sir James Clark Ross, who explored the Arctic with him, and later led expeditions to Antarctica. Read more

Why is 30 August Important in History?

30 August is important because many political, cultural, scientific, educational and social events took place on this date. These facts are useful for students, exam aspirants and readers interested in daily history and general knowledge.

History of Today 30 August for Competitive Exams

Questions based on today in history, famous personalities, historical events and important dates are often asked in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, Defence and State PSC examinations.

👉 View complete History of Today archive

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on 30 August in history?

On 30 August, many important historical events, famous births and notable deaths occurred across the world.

Why is History of Today important for exams?

History of Today helps students remember important dates, events and personalities for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway and PSC.

Where can I read daily history facts?

You can read daily history facts on this History of Today section, updated regularly with important events, births and deaths.