August 1 in history — What Happened Today in History

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is elected President of Iceland and becomes the world's first democratically elected female head of state.

A train crash kills 18 people and injures over 170 more in County Cork, Ireland.

Trinidad and Tobago officially became a republic.

Niki Lauda has a severe accident that almost claims his life at the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.

The final act of the CSCE meeting is signed in Helsinki, Finland.

Cyprus dispute: The United Nations Security Council authorizes the UNFICYP to create the "Green Line", dividing Cyprus into two zones.

The Concert for Bangladesh, organized by former Beatle George Harrison, is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The coronation of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, is held.

Charles Whitman kills 15 people at the University of Texas at Austin before being killed by the police.

Purges of intellectuals and imperialists becomes official China policy at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.

Frank Herbert's novel, Dune, is published for the first time. It was named as the world's best-selling science fiction novel in 2003.

The former Belgian Congo is renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara orders the creation of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the nation's first centralized military espionage organization.

Dahomey (later renamed Benin) declares independence from France.

Islamabad is declared the federal capital of the Government of Pakistan.

The United States and Canada form the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Guam is organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States as the President Harry S. Truman signs the Guam Organic Act.

Leaders of the Russian Liberation Army, a force of Russian prisoners of war that collaborated with Nazi Germany, are executed in Moscow, Soviet Union for treason.

World War II: The Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi German occupation breaks out in Warsaw, Poland.

World War II: Operation Tidal Wave, also known as "Black Sunday", is a failed American attempt to destroy Romanian oil fields.

Josip Broz Tito reads the resolution "Manifesto of constitutional congress of KPH" to the constitutive congress of KPH (Croatian Communist Party) in woods near Samobor.

The Olympics open in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler.

Anti-Fascist activists Bruno Tesch, Walter Möller, Karl Wolff and August Lütgens are executed by the Nazi regime in Altona.

The Nanchang Uprising marks the first significant battle in the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party. This day is commemorated as the anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.

Patrick Pearse gives his famous speech "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace" at O'Donovan Rossa's funeral in Dublin.

World War I: The German Empire declares war on the Russian Empire.

World War I: The Swiss Army mobilizes because of World War I.

Harriet Quimby takes her pilot's test and becomes the first U.S. woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator's certificate.

Saleh Gomaa, Egyptian footballer

Austin Rivers, American basketball player

Mrunal Thakur, Indian actress

Piotr Malarczyk, Polish footballer

Marco Puntoriere, Italian footballer

Aledmys Díaz, Cuban baseball player

Madison Bumgarner, American baseball player

Tiffany Young, Korean American singer, songwriter, and actress

Travis Boak, Australian footballer

Nemanja Matić, Serbian footballer

Karen Carney, English women's footballer

Taapsee Pannu, Indian actress

Sébastien Pocognoli, Belgian footballer

Valyantsin Byalkevich, Belarusian footballer and manager (born 1973)

Jan Roar Leikvoll, Norwegian author (born 1974)

Charles T. Payne, American soldier (born 1925)

Mike Smith, English radio and television host (born 1955)

John Amis, English journalist and critic (born 1922)

Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (born 1932)

Babe Martin, American baseball player (born 1920)

Toby Saks, American cellist and educator (born 1942)

Wilford White, American football player (born 1928)

Aldo Maldera, Italian footballer and agent (born 1953)

Douglas Townsend, American composer and musicologist (born 1921)

Barry Trapnell, English cricketer and academic (born 1924)

Lolita Lebrón, Puerto Rican-American activist (born 1919)