August 1 is Emancipation Day, officially designated on March 24, 2021. It marks the day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect across the British Empire. Many Canadians are not aware that Black and Indigenous people were once enslaved on the land that is now Canada. Those who fought enslavement were pivotal in shaping our society to be as diverse as it is today.
August is Immunization Awareness Month, celebrated in Canada, as well as in some (but sadly not all) U.S. states.
On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to U.S. President Roosevelt about the potential of nuclear weapons. Six years later, on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
August 8 is International Cat Day.
On August 18, 1868, French astronomer Jules Janssen noticed an unexpected spectral line during his observation of a solar eclipse. The element was called helium. Having never been identified on Earth, it was the first “extra-terrestrial” element discovered.
August 30 is Frankenstein Day — the anniversary of the birthday of author Mary Shelley (born in 1797).