2nd Battle of Bull of Run
On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.
Military
The First Geneva Convention
On August 22, 1864, twelve nations signed the first Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. This convention and subsequent treaties and protocols established the legal standard for humanitarian treatment in times of war.
Birth of Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, on August 20, 1833. America’s 23rd president, he was also a Civil War veteran and lawyer.
Happy Birthday Nathanael Greene
Revolutionary War commander Nathanael Greene was born on August 7, 1742, in Potowomut (Warwick), Rhode Island. One of the Continental Army’s most dependable officers, his leadership was instrumental to the Southern Theater of the American Revolution.
Battle of Mobile Bay Begins
On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval attack that led to a Union victory at Mobile Bay, Alabama. Though the important city of Mobile remained part of the Confederacy, Mobile Bay was in Union hands and closed to blockade-runners.
Birth of Ernie Pyle
Journalist and war correspondent Ernest Taylor Pyle was born on August 3, 1900, in Dana, Indiana. America’s most widely read war correspondent, he earned a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism and was one of a few civilians to be awarded the Purple Heart.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
On July 23, 1966, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park was established in Vincennes, Indiana. The park honors this Revolutionary War hero and his role in the expansion of the Northwest Territory.
The Second Battle of the Marne
On July 15, 1918, the Germans launched the Second Battle of the Marne. The battle resulted in a major Allied victory, bringing a much-needed morale boost following a string of losses to the Germans.
Beginning of the French Revolution
On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille in Paris, marking the start of the decade-long French Revolution. The end of the revolution would mark the start a constitutional monarchy.