1971⚡ Event
San Quentin Prison Riot
Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at San Quentin State Prison in California. The subsequent trial of six inmates was the longest in state history at the time.
law
This Week in History: Week 34
August 19 – August 25
Over 104 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 (August 19 – August 25)(20)
1985⚡ Event
British Airtours Flight 28M fire
A fire broke out on British Airtours Flight 28M at Manchester Airport, causing 55 deaths and leading to improved aircraft evacuation procedures.
disastertechnology
1986⚡ Event
Lake Nyos limnic eruption
A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
disasterscience
1989⚡ Event
Marchioness disaster
The pleasure boat Marchioness sank on the River Thames in London after colliding with the dredger Bowbelle. Fifty-one people lost their lives in the incident.
disaster
1989⚡ Event
O-Bahn Busway completed
The final stage of the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide, South Australia, was completed. This marked the end of the world's longest and fastest guided busway at the time.
technology
1998⚡ Event
Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory destroyed
The Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan was destroyed by a U.S. missile strike. This was in retaliation for the August 7 U.S. embassy bombings.
warpolitics
2002⚡ Event
Mil Mi-26 helicopter crash in Chechnya
A Russian Mil Mi-26 helicopter was shot down by Chechen separatists, killing 127 people. This event marked the deadliest helicopter crash in history.
war
2003⚡ Event
Jerusalem Bus Bombing
A Hamas suicide bomber killed 23 people and wounded over 130 on a crowded public bus in Jerusalem.
warpolitics
2003⚡ Event
Canal Hotel Bombing
A car bomb destroyed the United Nations headquarters at Baghdad's Canal Hotel, killing Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 others.
warpolitics
2003⚡ Event
Roy Moore suspended as Chief Justice
Roy Moore, Alabama's chief justice, was suspended for refusing to comply with a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument.
politicslawreligion
2005⚡ Event
Tornado Outbreak in Ontario
Thunderstorms in southern Ontario, Canada, spawned at least three tornadoes, causing over C$500 million in damage.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Grigori Perelman awarded Fields Medal
Grigori Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal for his proof of the Poincaré conjecture but refused to accept it.
sciencephilosophy
2007⚡ Event
BioShock release
BioShock was released in North America, becoming a critical success and a demonstration of video games as an art form.
entertainmentartstechnology
2008⚡ Event
Spanair Flight 5022 crash
Spanair Flight 5022 crashed shortly after takeoff from Madrid's Barajas Airport. The accident resulted in the deaths of 154 people.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Tana River District clashes
A series of ethnic clashes between the Orma and the Pokomo in Kenya's Tana River District resulted in at least 52 deaths.
politicslaw
2013⚡ Event
Ghouta chemical attack
Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets containing sarin, killing at least 281 people.
wardisasterpolitics
2015⚡ Event
Thalys train attack
Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting.
wardisaster
2015⚡ Event
Shoreham Airshow crash
A former military aircraft crashed at an airshow at Shoreham Airport in southern England, killing eleven people.
disasterwar
2017⚡ Event
Salmon Escape in Washington
Approximately 250,000 farmed Atlantic salmon were accidentally released into the wild near Cypress Island, Washington.
2018⚡ Event
Silent Sam toppled
Silent Sam, a Confederate monument at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was toppled by protestors. The monument had been a point of controversy.
politics
Famous Birthdays This Week(15)
Notable Deaths This Week(15)
2018🕊️ Death
Uri Avnery
Uri Avnery was an Israeli writer, politician, and peace activist.
politicsliterature
2018🕊️ Death
Stefán Karl Stefánsson
Stefán Karl Stefánsson, an Icelandic actor and singer, died. He was born in 1975.
entertainment
2019🕊️ Death
Lars Larsen
Lars Larsen, Danish businessman and founder of the retail chain JYSK, has died. He was born in 1948.
economics
2019🕊️ Death
Celso Piña
Celso Piña was a Mexican singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist.
musicentertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Igor Vovkovinskiy
Igor Vovkovinskiy was a Ukrainian-American law student, actor, and was known as America's tallest person.
lawentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Nell McCafferty
Nell McCafferty was a Northern Irish journalist, playwright, and civil rights campaigner.
politicslaw
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