Historical Events
636 – Battle at Yarmuk: Muslims beat Byzantines [or August 15]
1888 – Longest US men’s single tennis tournament match Palmer Presbrey defeats T S Tailer, 19-21, 8-6, 6-1, 6-4, an 80 game 1st-round contest
1892 – The Transvaal National Union, a political organisation, is set up with J. Tudhope as president
1950 – 11th Venice Film Festival: “Justice est faite” directed by Andre Cayatte wins the Golden Lion
1961 – East Germany begins erecting 5′ high wall along the border with the west to replace the barbed wire put up Aug 13
1985 – 1st NL pitcher to strike out 200+ in 1st 2 seasons (Dwight Gooden)
Famous Birthdays
1886 – Paul Tillich, German/US theologist (Die sozial Entscheidung)
1906 – Henry Austin, British tennis player (3-time Grand Slam runner-up), born in London, England (d.2000)
1939 – Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor and politician (d. 2004)
1974 – Maxim Vengerov, Russian violinist
1990 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Dutch swimmer
1992 – Demi Lovato, American actress (Camp Rock) and singer/songwriter (Unbroken), born in Dallas, Texas
Famous Deaths
1825 – William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, Governor of Newfoundland, dies at 72
1910 – Arthur Coquard, French composer, dies at 64
1998 – Raquel Rastenni, Danish singer (Seven Lonely Days), dies at 82
2006 – Claude Blanchard, French-Canadian singer, comedian and actor (b. 1932)
2008 – Stephanie Tubbs Jones, American politician (b. 1949)
2017 – Jerry Lewis [Joseph Levitch], American comedian (Martin and Lewis, MDA Telethon), dies at 91