National Relaxation Day – A day to promote the importance of relaxation for mental and physical health, and to encourage people to take a break from their busy lives.
Indian Independence Day – This day marks the independence of India from British rule on August 15th, 1947.
National Acadian Day – This day is celebrated in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec to honor the Acadian culture and history.
Assumption of Mary – This Christian holiday commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed into heaven after her death.
Korean National Liberation Day – This day marks the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
Feast of the Dormition – This Orthodox Christian holiday commemorates the death of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her assumption into heaven.
Restoration of the Capital Day – This day is celebrated in Romania to mark the restoration of the city of Alba Iulia as the capital of Romania in 1922.
Constitution Day – This day is celebrated in the Republic of Congo to commemorate the adoption of the country’s constitution on August 15th, 1963.
778 AD: Battle of Roncevaux Pass – A Basque ambush on Charlemagne’s army in the Pyrenees leads to the death of Roland, one of the great legendary figures of medieval France.
1057 AD: Macbeth, King of Scotland, is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by forces loyal to his rival, Malcolm III.
1519: Panama City is founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila.
1769: Napoleon Bonaparte, the French general and emperor, is born on this day on the island of Corsica.
1945: Japan surrenders to the Allied Powers, bringing an end to World War II.
1969: The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens on a farm in upstate New York, featuring performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, and other iconic musicians of the era.
1998: A car bomb explodes outside the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 213 people and injuring thousands more.
