August 1 is Emancipation Day. 192 years ago, the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire.
On August 5, the position of the moon will affect the speed of Earth’s rotation, making it 1.3 to 1.51 milliseconds shorter than normal (so you have an excuse if you can’t complete everything on your todo list).
August 6 and August 9 mark the 80th year since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
August 12 is World Elephant Day
August 29 is the UN’s International Day against Nuclear Tests
100 years ago – Notable birthdays in August 1925 include:
- Musician, teacher and computer scientist Leland Smith (August 6)
- Agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan, leader of the Green Revolution in India (August 7)
- Computer scientist David A. Huffman, creator of Huffman coding (August 9)
- Norris and Ross McWhirter, authors of The Guinness Book of World Records (August 12)
- Pianist and composer Oscar Peterson, (August 15)
If you observe any of these, or have suggestions for upcoming celebrations or observances, please drop us a line or send a picture to CriticalLinks@centreforinquiry.ca.