1938⚡ Event
Essential Commodities Reserves Act
The Essential Commodities Reserves Act, allowing the British government to build up reserves in anticipation of war, received royal assent.
politicslawwar
This Week in History: Week 31
July 29 – August 4
Over 103 historical moments took place during these 7 days of the calendar year. Explore our curated digest of the most world-changing events, iconic births, and notable deaths.
Explore the Full Daily Timelines
Major Events (July 29 – August 4)(20)
1939⚡ Event
Einstein-Szilard letter
Leo Szilard penned a letter, signed by Albert Einstein and addressed to President Roosevelt, warning of Germany's potential development of atomic bombs.
sciencepoliticstechnology
1947⚡ Event
Star Dust crash
The BSAA airliner Star Dust crashed into Mount Tupungato in the Argentine Andes, with its wreckage undiscovered until 1998.
disasterexploration
1954⚡ Event
Publication of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, was published.
literatureentertainment
1981⚡ Event
Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
An estimated 750 million people worldwide watched the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
entertainment
1984⚡ Event
Discovery of Lindow Man
Commercial peat cutters discovered a preserved bog body, now known as Lindow Man, at Lindow Moss in Cheshire, England.
1990⚡ Event
Assassination of Ian Gow
British Conservative MP Ian Gow was killed outside his home in a car bombing by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
politicswar
1991⚡ Event
George H. W. Bush warns Ukraine against independence
U.S. president George H. W. Bush delivered a speech in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev warning against independence from the Soviet Union.
politics
2000⚡ Event
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery Reopens
Three years after being hit by a mudslide, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong fully reopened. The monastery had been significantly damaged by the natural disaster.
disasterreligion
2002⚡ Event
Jerusalem University Bombing
Hamas detonated a bomb at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The attack killed nine students and injured about 100 more.
war
2004⚡ Event
Supermarket fire in Asunción, Paraguay
Nearly 400 people died in a supermarket fire in Asunción, Paraguay, when exits were locked to prevent people from stealing merchandise.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Israeli airstrike in Qana
The Israeli Air Force attacked a building near Qana, Lebanon, killing at least 28 civilians, including 16 children during the Lebanon War.
war
2006⚡ Event
Fidel Castro Transfers Power
Following intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro provisionally transferred the duties of the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl. This marked a significant shift in Cuban leadership.
politics
2007⚡ Event
Operation Banner Ends
Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland, ended after 38 years. The operation concluded with a military stalemate and ceasefire.
warpolitics
2007⚡ Event
I-35W Mississippi River Bridge Collapse
Bridge 9340, carrying Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, suffered a catastrophic failure and collapsed. The incident killed 13 people and injured 145 others.
disastertechnology
2009⚡ Event
Tel Aviv LGBT Center Shooting
A shooting occurred at a branch of the Israeli LGBT organization the Aguda in Tel Aviv, resulting in two deaths.
disasterpolitics
2012⚡ Event
Train fire on Tamil Nadu Express
A train fire killed 32 passengers and injured 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
India Power Outage
The largest power outage in history occurred across 22 Indian states, affecting more than 620 million people. This impacted about 9 percent of the world's population.
disastereconomics
2014⚡ Event
Malin Landslide in India
A landslide triggered by heavy rains in the village of Malin, Maharashtra, India, resulted in the deaths of over 150 people.
disaster
2018⚡ Event
Emmerson Mnangagwa Elected President of Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected to his first full term as president of Zimbabwe. He had been serving as leader since the 2017 coup d'état.
politics
Famous Birthdays This Week(15)
2000🎂 Birth
Kim Sae-ron
Kim Sae-ron is a South Korean actress. She is noted to have died in 2025.
entertainment
2002🎂 Birth
João Gomes
João Gomes, a Brazilian singer, was born. He is known for his contributions to Brazilian music.
musicentertainment
2003🎂 Birth
Calvin Ramsay
Calvin Ramsay, a Scottish footballer, was born. He has gone on to have a notable career in professional soccer.
sports
Notable Deaths This Week(15)
2015🕊️ Death
Antony Holland
Antony Holland was an English-Canadian actor, director, and playwright.
entertainmentarts
2018🕊️ Death
Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff was a Yugoslav-born American professional wrestler.
sportsentertainment
2022🕊️ Death
Pat Carroll
Pat Carroll, an American actress and comedian, has died. She was born in 1927.
entertainment
2022🕊️ Death
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos was the 12th President of the Philippines. He was born in 1928.
politics
2022🕊️ Death
Bill Russell
Bill Russell was an NBA Hall of Fame player and coach. He was born in 1934.
sports
2023🕊️ Death
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens, an American actor and comedian, has died. He was born in 1952.
entertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu, a Nigerian singer, actress, and politician, has died. She was born in 1952.
politicsentertainmentmusic
2024🕊️ Death
Paul Bucha
Paul Bucha was a United States Army Medal of Honor recipient. He was born in 1943.
war
2024🕊️ Death
Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh was a Palestinian politician and the political leader of Hamas. He was born in 1962 or 1963.
politics
2025🕊️ Death
Alon Abutbul
Alon Abutbul was an Israeli film, television, and theater actor.
entertainment
Trending Topics This Week
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