August 2

Events

338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean.

216 BC – The Carthaginian army led by Hannibal defeats a numerically superior Roman army at the Battle of Cannae.

461 – Majorian is arrested near Tortona (northern Italy) and deposed by the Suebian general Ricimer as puppet emperor.

1274 – Edward I of England returns from the Ninth Crusade and is crowned King seventeen days later.

1343 – After the execution of her husband, Jeanne de Clisson sells her estates and raises a force of men with which to attack French shipping and ports.

1377 – Russian troops are defeated in the Battle on Pyana River.

1415 – Thomas Grey, conspirator against King Henry V (b. 1384)

1610 – During Henry Hudson's search for the Northwest Passage, he sails into what is now known as Hudson Bay.

1776 – The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place.

1790 – The first United States Census is conducted.

1798 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile concludes in a British victory.

1830 – Charles X of France abdicates the throne in favor of his grandson Henri.

1869 – Japan's Edo society class system is abolished as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms.

1870 – Tower Subway, the world's first underground tube railway, opens in London, England, United Kingdom.

1873 – The Clay Street Hill Railroad begins operating the first cable car in San Francisco's famous cable car system.

1897 – Anglo-Afghan War: The Siege of Malakand ends when a relief column is able to reach the British garrison in the Malakand states.

1903 – The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottoman Empire begins.

1914 – The German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I begins.

1916 – World War I: Austrian sabotage causes the sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto.

1918 – Japan announces that it is deploying troops to Siberia in the aftermath of World War I.

1918 – The first general strike in Canadian history takes place in Vancouver.

1922 – A typhoon hits Shantou, Republic of China killing more than 50,000 people.

1923 – Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes U.S. President upon the death of President Warren G. Harding.

1932 – The positron (antiparticle of the electron) is discovered by Carl D. Anderson.

1934 – Gleichschaltung: Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.

1937 – The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed in America, the effect of which is to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal.

1939 – Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.

1943 – Jewish prisoners stage a revolt at Treblinka, one of the deadliest of Nazi death camps where approximately 900,000 persons were murdered in less than 18 months.

1943 – World War II: The Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 is rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri and sinks. Lt. John F. Kennedy, future U.S. President, saves all but two of his crew.

1944 – ASNOM: Birth of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, celebrated as Day of the Republic in the Republic of Macedonia.

1944 – World War II: The largest trade convoy of the world wars arrives safely in the Western Approaches.

1945 – World War II: End of the Potsdam Conference.

1947 – A British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian airliner crashes into a mountain during a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. The wreckage would not be found until 1998.

1964 – Vietnam War: Gulf of Tonkin incident: North Vietnamese gunboats allegedly fire on the U.S. destroyer USS Maddox.

1968 – An earthquake hits Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines killing more than 270 people and wounding 261.

1973 – A flash fire kills 51 at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.

1980 – A bomb explodes at the railway station in Bologna, Italy, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200.

1985 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport killing 137.

1989 – Pakistan is re-admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations after having restored democracy for the first time since 1972.

1989 – A massacre is carried out by an Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka killing 64 ethnic Tamil civilians.

1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

1998 – The Second Congo War begins.

1999 – The Gaisal train disaster claims 285 lives in Assam, India.

2005 – Air France Flight 358, lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and runs off the runway causing the plane to burst into flames leaving 12 injuries and no fatalities.

2014 – At least 146 people were killed and more than 114 injured in an explosion at a factory near Shanghai.

Births

1260 – Kyawswa of Pagan, last ruler of the Pagan Kingdom (d. 1299)

1455 – John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1499)

1533 – Theodor Zwinger, Swiss physician and scholar (d. 1588)

1612 – Saskia van Uylenburgh, Dutch model (d. 1642)

1672 – Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, Swiss paleontologist and scholar (d. 1733)

1674 – Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (d. 1723)

1696 – Mahmud I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1754)

1702 – Dietrich of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 1769)

1703 – Lorenzo Ricci, Italian religious leader, 18th Superior General of the Society of Jesus (d. 1775)

1740 – Jean Baptiste Camille Canclaux, French general (d. 1817)

1754 – Pierre Charles L'Enfant, French-American architect and engineer, designed Washington, D.C. (d. 1825)

1788 – Leopold Gmelin, German chemist and academic (d. 1853)

1815 – Adolf Friedrich von Schack, German poet and historian (d. 1894)

1820 – John Tyndall, Irish-English physicist and mountaineer (d. 1893)

1828 – Manuel Pavía y Rodríguez de Alburquerque, Spanish general (d. 1895)

1834 – Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, French sculptor, designed the Statue of Liberty (d. 1904)

1835 – Elisha Gray, American businessman, co-founded Western Electric (d. 1901)

1858 – Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (d. 1934)

1861 – Prafulla Chandra Ray, Bangladeshi chemist and academic (d. 1944)

1865 – Irving Babbitt, American academic and critic (d. 1933)

1865 – John Radecki, Australian stained glass artist (d. 1955)

1867 – Ernest Dowson, English poet, novelist, and short story writer (d. 1900)

1868 – Constantine I of Greece (d. 1923)

1871 – John French Sloan, American painter and illustrator (d. 1951)

1872 – George E. Stewart, Australian-American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1946)

1875 – Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, Russian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1957)

1876 – Pingali Venkayya, Indian geologist, designed the Flag of India (d. 1963)

1877 – Ravishankar Shukla, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (d. 1956)

1878 – Aino Kallas, Finnish-Estonian author (d. 1956)

1880 – Arthur Dove, American painter and educator (d. 1946)

1882 – Red Ames, American baseball player and manager (d. 1936)

1882 – Albert Bloch, American painter and academic (d. 1961)

1884 – Rómulo Gallegos, Venezuelan author and politician, 46th President of Venezuela (d. 1969)

1886 – John Alexander Douglas McCurdy Canadian pilot and politician, 20th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (d. 1961)

1887 – Oskar Anderson, Bulgarian-German mathematician and statistician (d. 1960)

1887 – Tommy Ward, Indian-South African cricketer (d. 1936)

1891 – Arthur Bliss, English composer and conductor (d. 1975)

1891 – Viktor Zhirmunsky, Russian linguist and historian (d. 1971)

1892 – Jack L. Warner, Canadian-born American production manager and producer, co-founded Warner Bros. (d. 1978)

1895 – Matt Henderson, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1970)

1897 – Karl-Otto Koch, German SS officer (d. 1945)

1897 – Max Weber, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 1974)

1898 – Ernő Nagy, Hungarian fencer (d. 1977)

1899 – Charles Bennett, English director and screenwriter (d. 1995)

1900 – Holling C. Holling, American author and illustrator (d. 1973)

1900 – Helen Morgan, American actress and singer (d. 1941)

1902 – Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria (d. 1971)

1905 – Karl Amadeus Hartmann, German composer (d. 1963)

1905 – Myrna Loy, American actress (d. 1993)

1907 – Mary Hamman, American journalist and author (d. 1984)

1910 – Roger MacDougall, Scottish director, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1993)

1911 – Ann Dvorak, American actress (d. 1979)

1912 – Palle Huld, Danish actor (d. 2010)

1912 – Håkon Stenstadvold, Norwegian painter, illustrator, and critic (d. 1977)

1912 – Vladimir Žerjavić, Croatian economist and author (d. 2001)

1913 – Xavier Thaninayagam, Sri Lankan scholar and academic (d. 1980)

1914 – Félix Leclerc, Canadian singer-songwriter, actor, and poet (d. 1988)

1914 – Big Walter Price, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2012)

1914 – Beatrice Straight, American actress (d. 2001)

1915 – Gary Merrill, American actor (d. 1990)

1916 – Alfonso A. Ossorio, Filipino-American painter and sculptor (d. 1990)

1919 – Nehemiah Persoff, Israeli-American actor

1920 – Louis Pauwels, French journalist and author (d. 1997)

1920 – Augustus Rowe, Canadian physician and politician (d. 2013)

1921 – Alan Whicker, Egyptian-English journalist (d. 2013)

1922 – Gábor Agárdy, Hungarian actor (d. 2006)

1922 – Betsy Bloomingdale, American philanthropist and socialite (d. 2016)

1922 – Geoffrey Dutton, Australian historian and author (d. 1998)

1923 – Shimon Peres, Polish-Israeli lawyer and politician, 9th President of Israel (d. 2016)

1923 – Ike Williams, American boxer (d. 1994)

1924 – James Baldwin, American novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1987)

1924 – Joe Harnell, American pianist and composer (d. 2005)

1924 – Carroll O'Connor, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2001)

1925 – K. Arulanandan, Ceylon-American engineer and academic (d. 2004)

1925 – John Dexter, English director and producer (d. 1990)

1925 – John McCormack, Canadian ice hockey player

1925 – Jorge Rafael Videla, Argentinian general and politician, 43rd President of Argentina (d. 2013)

1927 – Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, English mathematician and academic

1928 – Malcolm Hilton, English cricketer (d. 1990)

1929 – Roy Crimmins, English trombonist and composer (d. 2014)

1929 – John Gale, English director and producer

1929 – K. M. Peyton, English author and educator

1929 – Vidya Charan Shukla, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (d. 2013)

1929 – David Waddington, Baron Waddington, English lawyer and politician, Governor of Bermuda

1930 – Vali Myers, Australian painter and dancer (d. 2003)

1931 – Pierre DuMaine, American bishop and academic

1931 – Eddie Fuller, South African cricketer (d. 2008)

1931 – Karl Miller, English journalist and critic (d. 2014)

1931 – Viliam Schrojf, Czech footballer (d. 2007)

1932 – Lamar Hunt, American businessman, co-founded the American Football League and World Championship Tennis (d. 2006)

1932 – Peter O'Toole, British-Irish actor and producer (d. 2013)

1933 – Ioannis Varvitsiotis, Greek politician, Greek Minister of Defence

1934 – Valery Bykovsky, Russian general and astronaut

1935 – Amidou, Moroccan-French actor (d. 2013)

1935 – Betty Brosmer, American model and author

1935 – Hank Cochran, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)

1936 – Anthony Payne, English composer and author

1937 – Ron Brierley, New Zealand businessman

1937 – Billy Cannon, American football player and dentist

1937 – Garth Hudson, Canadian keyboard player, songwriter, and producer

1938 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2007)

1938 – Pierre de Bané, Israeli-Canadian lawyer and politician

1938 – Paul Jenkins, American actor (d. 2013)

1938 – Terry Peck, Falkland Islander soldier (d. 2006)

1939 – Benjamin Barber, American theorist, author, and academic

1939 – Wes Craven, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)

1939 – John W. Snow, American businessman and politician, 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury

1940 – Angel Lagdameo, Filipino archbishop

1940 – Beko Ransome-Kuti, Nigerian physician and activist (d. 2006)

1940 – Will Tura, Belgian singer-songwriter and guitarist

1941 – Doris Coley, American singer (d. 2000)

1941 – Jules A. Hoffmann, Luxembourgian-French biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

1941 – Ede Staal, Dutch singer-songwriter (d. 1986)

1941 – François Weyergans, Belgian director and screenwriter

1942 – Isabel Allende, Chilean-American novelist, essayist, essayist

1942 – Juan Formell, Cuban singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2014)

1943 – Herbert M. Allison, American lieutenant and businessman (d. 2013)

1943 – Tom Burgmeier, American baseball player and coach

1943 – Jon R. Cavaiani, English-American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2014)

1943 – Rose Tremain, English novelist and short story writer

1944 – Jim Capaldi, English drummer and songwriter (d. 2005)

1944 – Naná Vasconcelos, Brazilian singer and berimbau player (d. 2016)

1945 – Joanna Cassidy, American actress

1945 – Alex Jesaulenko, Austrian-Australian footballer and coach

1945 – Bunker Roy, Indian educator and activist

1945 – Eric Simms, Australian rugby league player and coach

1946 – James Howe, American journalist and author

1947 – Ruth Bakke, Norwegian organist and composer

1947 – Lawrence Wright, American journalist, author, and screenwriter

1948 – Andy Fairweather Low, Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

1948 – Dennis Prager, American radio host and author

1948 – James Street, American football and baseball player (d. 2013)

1948 – Snoo Wilson, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2013)

1949 – James Fallows, American journalist and author

1949 – Bertalan Farkas, Hungarian general and astronaut

1950 – Jussi Adler-Olsen, Danish author and publisher

1950 – Ted Turner, British guitarist (Wishbone Ash)

1951 – Andrew Gold, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)

1951 – Steve Hillage, English guitarist

1951 – Joe Lynn Turner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1951 – Freddie Wadling, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

1951 – Per Westerberg, Swedish businessman and politician, Speaker of the Parliament of Sweden

1953 – Marjo, Canadian singer-songwriter

1953 – Donnie Munro, Scottish singer and guitarist

1953 – Anthony Seldon, English historian and author

1954 – Sammy McIlroy, Northern Irish footballer and manager

1955 – Caleb Carr, American historian and author

1955 – Tony Godden, English footballer and manager

1956 – Fulvio Melia, Italian-American physicist, astrophysicist, and author

1958 – Arshad Ayub, Indian cricketer and manager

1959 – Victoria Jackson, American actress and singer

1959 – Johnny Kemp, Bahamian singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2015)

1959 – Apollonia Kotero, American singer and actress

1960 – Linda Fratianne, American figure skater

1960 – Neal Morse, American singer and keyboard player

1960 – David Yow, American singer-songwriter

1961 – Cold 187um, American rapper and producer

1961 – Pete de Freitas, Spanish drummer and producer (d. 1989)

1962 – Lee Mavers, English singer, songwriter and guitarist

1963 – Laura Bennett, American architect and fashion designer

1963 – Uğur Tütüneker, Turkish footballer and manager

1964 – Frank Biela, German race car driver

1964 – Mary-Louise Parker, American actress

1965 – Joe Hockey, Australian lawyer and politician, 38th Treasurer of Australia

1965 – Hisanobu Watanabe, Japanese baseball player and coach

1966 – Takashi Iizuka, Japanese wrestler

1966 – Grainne Leahy, Irish cricketer

1966 – Tim Wakefield, American baseball player and sportscaster

1967 – Aaron Krickstein, American tennis player

1967 – Aline Brosh McKenna, American screenwriter and producer

1968 – Stefan Effenberg, German footballer and sportscaster

1968 – John Stanier, American drummer

1969 – Jan Axel Blomberg, Norwegian drummer and songwriter

1969 – Cedric Ceballos, American basketball player

1969 – Fernando Couto, Portuguese footballer and manager

1970 – Tony Amonte, American ice hockey player and coach

1970 – Kevin Smith, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

1970 – Philo Wallace, Barbadian cricketer

1971 – Jason Bell, Australian rugby league player

1971 – Michael Hughes, Irish footballer and manager

1972 – Mohamed Al-Deayea, Saudi Arabian footballer

1972 – Jacinda Barrett, Australian model and actress

1973 – Hiroyuki Goto, Japanese game designer, created Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan

1973 – Danie Keulder, Namibian cricketer

1973 – Miguel Mendonca, Zimbabwean journalist and author

1973 – Susie O'Neill, Australian swimmer

1974 – Phil Williams, English journalist and radio host

1975 – Mineiro, Brazilian footballer

1975 – Xu Huaiwen, Chinese-German badminton player and coach

1975 – Tamás Molnár, Hungarian water polo player

1976 – Reyes Estévez, Spanish runner

1976 – Jay Heaps, American soccer player and coach

1976 – Michael Weiss, American figure skater

1976 – Sam Worthington, English-Australian actor and producer

1976 – Mohammad Zahid, Pakistani cricketer

1977 – Edward Furlong, American actor

1977 – Mark Velasquez, American photographer

1978 – Goran Gavrančić, Serbian footballer

1978 – Matt Guerrier, American baseball player

1978 – Deividas Šemberas, Lithuanian footballer

1978 – Dragan Vukmir, Serbian footballer

1979 – Marco Bonura, Italian footballer

1979 – Reuben Kosgei, Kenyan runner

1980 – Ivica Banović, Croatian footballer

1980 – Dingdong Dantes, Filipino actor, singer, director, and producer

1981 – Alexander Emelianenko, Russian mixed martial artist and boxer

1981 – Tim Murtagh, English cricketer

1982 – Hélder Postiga, Portuguese footballer

1982 – Kerry Rhodes, American football player

1982 – Grady Sizemore, American baseball player

1983 – Michel Bastos, Brazilian footballer

1983 – Kim Jung-ah, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress

1984 – Britt Nicole, American singer, songwriter and producer

1984 – Giampaolo Pazzini, Italian footballer

1985 – Stephen Ferris, Irish rugby player

1985 – David Hart Smith, Canadian wrestler

1986 – Mathieu Razanakolona, Canadian skier

1987 – Csilla Borsányi, Hungarian tennis player

1987 – Yura Movsisyan, Armenian footballer

1988 – Rob Kwiet, Canadian ice hockey player

1988 – Alice Moran, Canadian actress and screenwriter

1989 – Nacer Chadli, Belgian footballer

1990 – Ima Bohush, Belarusian tennis player

1990 – Skylar Diggins, American basketball player

1991 – Evander Kane, Canadian ice hockey player

1992 – Charli XCX, English singer and songwriter

1992 – Hallie Eisenberg, American actress

1994 – Laura Pigossi, Brazilian tennis player

1994 – Laremy Tunsil, American football player

1995 – Kristaps Porziņģis, Latvian basketball player

Deaths

216 – Gnaeus Servilius Geminus, Roman consul

216 – Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Roman consul and general

216 – Marcus Minucius Rufus, Roman consul

257 – Pope Stephen I

640 – Pope Severinus

686 – Pope John V (b. 635)

923 – Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury

924 – Ælfweard of Wessex (b. 904)

1075 – Patriarch John VIII of Constantinople

1100 – William II of England (b. 1056)

1222 – Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse (b. 1156)

1277 – Mu'in al-Din Sulaiman Pervane, Chancellor and Regent of the Sultanate of Rum

1316 – Louis of Burgundy (b. 1297)

1332 – King Christopher II of Denmark (b. 1276)

1415 – Thomas Grey, conspirator against King Henry V (executed) (b. 1384)

1445 – Oswald von Wolkenstein, Austrian poet and composer (b. 1376)

1511 – Andrew Barton, Scottish admiral (b. 1466)

1512 – Alessandro Achillini, Italian physician and philosopher (b. 1463)

1546 – Peter Faber, French priest and theologian, co-founded the Society of Jesus (b. 1506)

1589 – Henry III of France (b. 1551)

1611 – Katō Kiyomasa, Japanese daimyo (b. 1562)

1667 – Francesco Borromini, Swiss architect, designed San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Sant'Agnese in Agone (b. 1599)

1696 – Robert Campbell of Glenlyon (b. 1630)

1769 – Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1689)

1776 – Louis François, Prince of Conti (b. 1717)

1788 – Thomas Gainsborough, English painter (b. 1727)

1815 – Guillaume Brune, French general and politician (b. 1763)

1823 – Lazare Carnot, French mathematician, general, and politician, President of the National Convention (b. 1753)

1834 – Harriet Arbuthnot, English diarist (b. 1793)

1849 – Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Ottoman Albanian commander (b. 1769)

1854 – Heinrich Clauren, German author (b. 1771)

1859 – Horace Mann, American educator and politician (b. 1796)

1876 – "Wild Bill" Hickok, American sheriff (b. 1837)

1889 – Eduardo Gutiérrez, Argentinian author (b. 1851)

1890 – Louise-Victorine Ackermann, French poet and author (b. 1813)

1903 – Eduard Magnus Jakobson, Estonian missionary and engraver (b. 1847)

1903 – Edmond Nocard, French veterinarian and microbiologist (b. 1850)

1913 – Ferenc Pfaff, Hungarian architect and academic, designed Zagreb Central Station (b. 1851)

1917 – Jaan Mahlapuu, Estonian military pilot (b. 1894)

1920 – Ormer Locklear, American pilot and actor (b. 1891)

1921 – Enrico Caruso, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1873)

1922 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-Canadian engineer, invented the telephone (b. 1847)

1923 – Warren G. Harding, American journalist and politician, 29th President of the United States (b. 1865)

1929 – Mae Costello, American actress (b. 1882)

1934 – Paul von Hindenburg, German field marshal and politician, 2nd President of Germany (b. 1847)

1937 – Artur Sirk, Estonian soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1900)

1939 – Harvey Spencer Lewis, American mystic and author (b. 1883)

1945 – Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer and educator (b. 1863)

1955 – Alfred Lépine, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1901)

1955 – Wallace Stevens, American poet and educator (b. 1879)

1963 – Oliver La Farge, American anthropologist and author (b. 1901)

1967 – Walter Terence Stace, English-American epistemologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1886)

1970 – Angus MacFarlane-Grieve, English academic, mathematician, rower, and soldier (b. 1891)

1972 – Brian Cole, American bass player (b. 1942)

1972 – Paul Goodman, American psychotherapist and author (b. 1911)

1972 – Helen Hoyt, American poet and author (b. 1887)

1973 – Jean-Pierre Melville, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1917)

1974 – Douglas Hawkes, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1893)

1976 – László Kalmár, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1905)

1976 – Fritz Lang, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1890)

1978 – Carlos Chávez, Mexican composer and conductor (b. 1899)

1978 – Antony Noghès, French businessman, founded the Monaco Grand Prix (b. 1890)

1979 – Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)

1981 – Stefanie Clausen, Danish diver (b. 1900)

1983 – James Jamerson, American bassist (b. 1936)

1986 – Roy Cohn, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)

1988 – Joe Carcione, American activist and author (b. 1914)

1988 – Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet (b. 1938)

1990 – Norman Maclean, American short story writer and essayist (b. 1902)

1990 – Edwin Richfield, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1921)

1992 – Michel Berger, French singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)

1996 – Michel Debré, French lawyer and politician, 150th Prime Minister of France (b. 1912)

1996 – Obdulio Varela, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1917)

1997 – William S. Burroughs, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1914)

1997 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian singer-songwriter and activist (b. 1938)

1998 – Shari Lewis, American television host and puppeteer (b. 1933)

1999 – Willie Morris, American writer (b. 1934)

2003 – Peter Safar, Austrian-American physician and academic (b. 1924)

2004 – Ferenc Berényi, Hungarian painter and academic (b. 1929)

2004 – François Craenhals, Belgian illustrator (b. 1926)

2004 – Heinrich Mark, Estonian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Estonia in exile (b. 1911)

2005 – Steven Vincent, American journalist and author (b. 1955)

2007 – Chauncey Bailey, American journalist (b. 1950)

2008 – Fujio Akatsuka, Japanese illustrator (b. 1935)

2011 – José Sanchis Grau, Spanish author and illustrator (b. 1932)

2012 – Gabriel Horn, English biologist and academic (b. 1927)

2012 – Magnus Isacsson, Canadian director and producer (b. 1948)

2012 – Jimmy Jones, American singer-songwriter (b. 1930)

2012 – John Keegan, English historian and journalist (b. 1934)

2012 – Bernd Meier, German footballer (b. 1972)

2012 – Marguerite Piazza, American soprano (b. 1920)

2012 – Mihaela Ursuleasa, Romanian pianist (b. 1978)

2013 – Julius L. Chambers, American lawyer and activist (b. 1936)

2013 – Richard E. Dauch, American businessman, co-founded American Axle (b. 1942)

2013 – Alla Kushnir, Russian–Israeli chess player (b. 1941)

2013 – Mirka Yemendzakis, Greek actress, musician, voice coach, and director

2014 – Ed Joyce, American journalist (b. 1932)

2014 – Billie Letts, American author and educator (b. 1938)

2014 – Barbara Prammer, Austrian social worker and politician (b. 1954)

2014 – James Thompson, American-Finnish author (b. 1964)

2014 – Pete van Wieren, American sportscaster (b. 1944)

2015 – Forrest Bird, American pilot and engineer (b. 1921)

2015 – Giovanni Conso, Italian jurist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (b. 1922)

2015 – Piet Fransen, Dutch footballer (b. 1936)

2015 – Jack Spring, American baseball player (b. 1933)

2016 – Terence Bayler, New Zealand actor (b. 1930)

2016 – David Huddleston, American actor (b. 1930)

2016 – Franciszek Macharski, Polish cardinal (b. 1927)

2016 – Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1946)

Holidays and observances

Airmobile Forces Day (Ukraine)

Christian feast day:

Basil Fool for Christ (Russian Orthodox Church)

Blessed Justin Russolillo

Eusebius of Vercelli

Peter Faber

Peter Julian Eymard

Pope Stephen I

Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula (Franciscan Order)

Samuel David Ferguson (Episcopal Church)

August 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Day of Azerbaijani cinema (Azerbaijan)

Our Lady of the Angels Day (Costa Rica)

Paratroopers Day (Russia)

Republic Day (Republic of Macedonia)