July 30
Two years after inserting “under God” into the pledge of allegiance, president Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the Nation’s official motto, to replace E pluribus unum “Out of many, one,” used by the founding fathers – 1956.
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Act, to provide federally-funded health insurance for senior citizens. – 1964.
July 31
Former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa disappears. Presumed to be dead, his body never has been found. – 1975.
A hurricane strikes the East Coast of Florida and sinks 10 Spanish treasure ships and kills almost 1,000 persons. The ships left Havana, Cuba, on their way to Europe and carried 120 tons of gold and silver coins, about 14 Million pesos worth. – 1715.
August 1
Four days after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, two more great European powers, Russia and Germany, declare war on each other; the same day, France orders a general mobilization. The so-called Great War that ensued would be one of unprecedented destruction and loss of life, resulting in the deaths of some 20 Million soldiers and civilians and the physical devastation of much of the European continent. – 1914.
A gunman at an observatory platform on top of a 300-foot tower at the University of Texas proceeds to shoot 46 individuals with 14 dead and 31 wounded. A 15th died in 2001 because of his injuries. The shooter eventually was shot to death after courageous Austin police officers charged up the stairs of the tower to subdue the attacker. – 1966.
A severe flood of the Red River in North Vietnam kills an estimated 100,000 persons. This remarkable flood was one of the 20th Century’s most serious weather events, but because the Vietnam War was going on at the time, relatively few details about the disaster are available. – 1971.
August 2
Adolf Hitler becomes absolute dictator of Germany under the title of Fuhrer, or “Leader.” The German army took an oath of allegiance to its new commander-in-chief, and the last remnants of Germany’s democratic government were dismantled to make way for Hitler’s Third Reich. – 1934.
At about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq’s tiny, oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait’s defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed. – 1990.
August 3
From the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail in command of three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. – 1492.
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL) merge to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). – 1949.
The U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. – 1958.
CBS-TV news shows pictures of men from the First Battalion, Ninth Marines setting fire to huts in the village of Cam Na, six miles west of Da Nang, despite reports that the Viet Cong already had fled the area. The film report sparked indignation and condemnation of the U.S. policy in Vietnam both at home and overseas. – 1965.
August 4
The Nazi Gestapo captures 15-year-old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse. The Franks had taken shelter there in 1942 out of fear of deportation to a Nazi concentration camp. They occupied the small space with another Jewish family and a single Jewish man, and were aided by Christian friends, who brought them food and supplies. Anne and nearly all of the others perished in the Nazi death camps. – 1944.
August 5
U.S. president Abraham Lincoln imposes the first federal income tax by signing the Revenue Act. Strapped for cash with which to pursue the Civil War, Lincoln and Congress agree to impose a three percent tax on annual incomes more than $800.. – 1861.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean is completed, a feat accomplished largely through the efforts of American merchant Cyrus West Field. – 1868.
U.S. president Ronald Reagan begins firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers on strike in violation of his order for them to return to work. The controllers complained of difficult working conditions and a lack of recognition of the pressures they face. – 1981.