This Month in History - August

Month Year Day Event
August 1689 5 Lachine Massacre starts new series of Iroquois raids.
August 1701 3 Iroquois sign lasting peace with New France
August 1784 16 Province of New Brunswick formed.
August 1792 28 Captains Vancouver and Quadra meet at Nootka Sound to settle British and Spanish claims to the Pacific coast.
August 1793 27 York (Toronto) founded.
August 1812 12 Detroit surrenders to British general Isaac Brock and Tecumseh, leader of the Native nations allied to Britain.
August 1862 21 Billy Barker strikes gold on Williams Creek in the Caribou country of British Columbia
August 1876 Scottish-born Alexander Graham Bell, who has been working on the invention of the telephone since 1874, makes the world's first long-distance call, from Brantford to Paris, Ontario.
August 1876 3 The first intelligible telephone call between two buildings is made groom Brantford, Ont,. To Mount Pleasant, two miles away.
August 1876 10 The world's first long-distance phone call connects the Bell residence with a shoe and boot store in nearby Paris, Ontario (Aug. 10). 
August 1896 16 Gold is discovered in the Klondike.
August 1896 17 George Carmack stakes a claim after striking gold on Rabbit Creek in the Klondike.
August 1900 1 Boer War-Siege : Schweizer-Reneke
August 1900 2 Boer War-Skirmish, Silkaatsnek, South African Republic
August 1900 3 Boer War-Incident, Holfontein station
August 1900 7 Boer War-Engagement, Tierpoort (Venterskroon); Skirmish, Amersfoort (Rooikoppies)
August 1900 9 Boer War-Skirmish: Leeuwfontein en Lindeques Drift, South African Republic
August 1900 10 Boer War-Skirmishes:Buffelsdoorns; Beginderlyn, South African Republic
August 1900 12 Boer War-Skirmishes: Modderfontein, Ventersdorp; Syferbult, South African Republic
August 1900 13 Boer War-Skirmish, Klipstapel, Ermelo, South African Republic
August 1900 14 Boer War-Skirmish, Carolina; engagement, Spitzkop (Rietfontein), OFS
August 1900 15 Boer War-Skirmish, Twyfelaar, South African Republic
August 1900 16 Boer War-Siege of Eland River (Brakfontein)
August 1900 16 Boer War-Skirmishes: Magatonek; Olifantsnek, South African Republic
August 1900 17 Boer War-Skirmish, Kameeldrif, South African Republic
August 1900 21 Boer War-Battle of Bergendal (Dalmanutha), South African Republic
August 1900 22 Boer War-Skirmish, Roodepoortpas (Warmbad), South African Republic
August 1900 23 Boer War-Engagement: Ottoshoop, Geluk, South African Republic; Skirmishes: Ingogo, Newcastle, Natal; Buiskoppas, Warmbad, South African Republic
August 1900 24 Boer War-Skirmish, Wonderfontein (Belfast), South African Republic
August 1900 25 Boer War-Skirmish, Kalkfontein, Zeerust, South African Republic
August 1900 31 Boer War-Incident, Klip River stasie; engagement, Quaggafontein, Krugersdorp, South African Republic
August 1901 1 Boer War-Skirmish, Grootvlei, Hoopstad
August 1901 6 Boer War-Engagement, M’piaanstad, Tvl
August 1901 7 Boer War-Incident, Brandfort: blockhouseline, OFS; attack Vanrhynsdorp, Cape Colony
August 1901 10 Boer War-Engagement, Bethesda Road, Cape Colony
August 1901 16 Boer War-Skirmish, Vrieskraal (Fourieskraal), Elands River, Tvl
August 1901 20 Boer War-Skirmish, Bronkhorstspruit Station, Tvl
August 1901 25 Boer War-Engagement, Liebenbergspan, OFS
August 1901 27 Boer War-Skirmish, Bastersdrif, Caledon River
August 1901 31 Boer War-Incident, Waterval/Hammanskraal; engagement: Kromdraai,Tvl; Brandwacht, Calvinia, Cape Colony
August 1906 31 Roald Amundsen's Gjoa  reaches Nome, Alaska, after becoming the first ship to sail the Northwest Passage.
August 1914 Canada goes off the gold standard, breaking forever the link between national gold reserves and the money supply.
August 1914 1 Germany declares war on Russia
August 1914 2 Canada offers Britain troops for overseas service.
August 1914 3 Germany declares war on France
August 1914 4 Britain declares war on Germany, automatically drawing Canada into the conflict. 
August 1914 4 Britain declares war on Germany. Canada is automatically at war too.
August 1914 4 Germany invades Belgium, establishing the Western Front war, Britain declares war
August 1914 5 Canada commits 25,000 troops to support England.
August 1914 5 Britain declares war. Canada is automatically at war.
August 1914 6 Britain accepts Canada's offer of troops.
August 1914 8 US declares itself neutral
August 1914 19 The first volunteers begin to arrive at Valcartier camp.
August 1914 23 Germans and British troops engage for the first time at Mons. British slow the German advance
August 1917 15 Battle of Hill 70
August 1917 15 Battle for Hill 70. First use of mustard gas against Canadians.
August 1917 16 Langemarck
August 1917 29 Conscription became law in Canada.
August 1918 8 Battle of Amiens (code named "Llandovery Castle"). On 8 August, 'the Black Day of the German Army' - Canadian and Australian troops, plus 600 tanks, shatter German forces and reach Hindenburg line.
August 1918 8 Canadians break through the German trenches at Amiens, France, beginning "Canada's Hundred Days." 
August 1918 8 The Battle of Amiens. The beginning of what is known as Canada's Hundred Days.
August 1918 15 Actions around Damery
August 1918 21 Albert (1st Pioneer Battalion on detached duty)
August 1918 26 The Battle of the Scarpe.
August 1918 26 Scarpe (Capture of Monchy-le-Preux). Part of the 2nd Battle of Arras.
August 1919 Following the death of Laurier, William Lyon Mackenzie is chosen to be leader of the Liberal Party.
August 1922 Omar Roberts poured gasoline on Elora Gray and set fire to her and his house in Kemptville, Nova Scotia, because she had turned down his marriage proposal and was in love with another man. Police found Gray before she died, however, and she was able the t
August 1923 The Home Bank goes bankrupted with losses to depositors as well as shareholders. The failure led to the creation of the federal office of the Inspector General of Banks.
August 1935 William Aberhart is elected premier of Alberta on a Social Credit platform and begins issuing his own in the form of prosperity certificates which could be used as currency. The Supreme Court of Canada, however, disallowed the practice, ruling that bankin
August 1942 19 In a disastrous raid on Dieppe, France, 900 out of 5 000 Canadians are killed and almost 2 000 are taken prisoner.
August 1942 19 Dieppe raid leaves 907 Canadians dead. 1, 946 capture.
August 1942 19 The Dieppe raid, Canada's first participation in the European theatre, is a disaster.
August 1944 The Family Allowance Act is passed. 
August 1977 26 Québec passes Bill 101, restricting English schooling to children of parents who had been educated in English schools. 
August 1986 5 Canada adopts sanctions against South Africa for its apartheid policies. 
August 1986 11 Tamil refugees are found drifting off the coast of Newfoundland. 
August 1987 30 Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson sets a new world record for the 100-metre dash. 
August 1992 28 Canadian leaders adopt the Charlottetown Accord to reform Canada's constitution, but in a national referendum in October, Canadians reject it.


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