August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 149 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about August 4th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about August 4th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- Coast Guard Day
- Assistance Dog Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – August 4
1984: The Republic of Upper Volta is Renamed Burkina Faso
The West African country was first created in 1958 as a self-governing French colony. It gained its independence from the French in 1960. Between then and 1983, several coups dotted its political landscape. In 1983, a military coup installed Captain Thomas Sankara as the country’s president. He changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso a year later on the coup’s anniversary.
1983: The Military Stages a Coup in Upper Volta
A military coup in Upper Volta installed Thomas Sankara, a captain in the Upper Volta Army as its president. A year later, he changed the name of Upper Volta to Burkina Faso.
1944: Anne Frank is captured
One of the most well-known figures of the 20th century and a victim of the Holocaust, 14-year old Frank and her family were captured and arrested by the Germans from their hiding place in Amsterdam.
1914: Britain declares war on Germany
Seen by many as the decision that began the first World War, Britain declared war on Germany after Germany refused to accept its ultimatum of getting out of Belgium.
1892: Abby and Andrew Borden are murdered
The bloody murders of the two Fall River, Massachusetts residents in their own home gained media and public attention in the United States because their daughter Lizzie Borden was accused of the crime.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, August 4
1961: Barack Obama, American politician, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate
1955: Alberto Gonzales, American politician, 80th United States Attorney General
1912: Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat
1901: Louis Armstrong, American trumpeter, singer
1900: Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, August 4
2007: Raul Hilberg, Austrian/American political scientist, historian
1922: Enver Pasha, Ottoman military officer
1875: Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author, poet
1792: John Burgoyne, English general
1598: William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, English statesman
