Disaster and Drama in August (Not Doldrums)
August is supposed to be as slow as barbecue cooking on the grill, as languid as a lazy day floating in the middle of the pool. Time for long sleeps and pulp fiction on the beach. A lot of Europe takes the month off, and the trend in America seems to be in the same direction: In New York, you can actually find a parking space and snag a seat at a hot restaurant. But the truth is, the dog days can really howl.
On August 25 a powerful category 3 hurricane churned up the Atlantic, pummeling the Bahamas and barreling toward Florida and the rest of the northeast coast. Residents and state and local officials scrambled to prepare for its lan (August 25-28, 2011)
On August 25 a powerful category 3 hurricane churned up the Atlantic, pummeling the Bahamas and barreling toward Florida and the rest of the northeast coast. Residents and state and local officials scrambled to prepare for its landfall and the resulting storm damage. Planalytics, the weather research firm, estimated that Irene will stop 80 million shoppers in their tracks this weekend. NOAA
A rare East Coast earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 shuttered federal government buildings and schools throughout Washington, sent scores of D.C. residents to shelters, and even put a crack in the Washington Monument. At least three (August 24, 2011)
A rare East Coast earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 shuttered federal government buildings and schools throughout Washington, sent scores of D.C. residents to shelters, and even put a crack in the Washington Monument. At least three of the four top stones on the central tower of the Washington National also fell off. The quake’s epicenter was in tiny Mineral, Va., but effects were felt as far away as the Empire State Building. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
Talk about turmoil – or frenzy, fear or whatever you want to call it. On August 4, the Dow dropped 512 points, while a stream of weak economic numbers, worries about European banks and a downbeat forecast for global growth continued to (August, 2011)
Talk about turmoil – or frenzy, fear or whatever you want to call it. On August 4, the Dow dropped 512 points, while a stream of weak economic numbers, worries about European banks and a downbeat forecast for global growth continued to spook investors for more than two weeks. By August 23, when stocks surged to big gains, it was clear traders were pushing aside fears of a double dip. And while Ben Bernanke's speech on Friday seemed to soothe markets, the roller coaster ride is probably not over. AP Photo/Michael Probst
It was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history – its estimated total cost was $81 billion, not adjusted for inflation – and one of the deadliest hurricanes ever. The storm caused severe damage along the Gulf Coast from Florida (August 29, 2005)
It was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history – its estimated total cost was $81 billion, not adjusted for inflation – and one of the deadliest hurricanes ever. The storm caused severe damage along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, with the most significant destruction occurring after the levees broke in New Orleans and nearly 80 percent of the city flooded. More than 1,800 people died in the hurricane and floods. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
A power outage far and wide occurred throughout parts of the Northeast and Midwestern U.S. and Ontario, Canada, in the late afternoon of August 14 and into the night. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in Ontario an (August 14, 2003)
A power outage far and wide occurred throughout parts of the Northeast and Midwestern U.S. and Ontario, Canada, in the late afternoon of August 14 and into the night. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. Robert Giroux/Getty Images
When Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris – the driver of the car, Henri Paul, was intoxicated and lost control of the Mercedes Benz – the whole world seemed to stand (August 31, 1997)
When Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris – the driver of the car, Henri Paul, was intoxicated and lost control of the Mercedes Benz – the whole world seemed to stand still. Diana's public funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 6 drew an estimated 3 million mourners and onlookers as well as worldwide coverage on television. Serge Arnal/scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk via Getty Images
The invasion of tiny Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq led to the seven-month long Iraqi occupation of that country, and subsequently, direct military intervention by United States-led forces in the Gulf War. The invasion began on Augus (August 2, 1990)
The invasion of tiny Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq led to the seven-month long Iraqi occupation of that country, and subsequently, direct military intervention by United States-led forces in the Gulf War. The invasion began on August 2, and within just a few days of combat, most of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces were either overrun by the Iraqi army or fled to Saudia Arabia or Bahrain. Iraq later annexed Kuwait. The Week
He was a 24-year-old Yonkers postal worker named David Berkowitz, and beginning in the summer of 1977, he terrorized much of New York City by slaying attractive young women, one after the other. His weapon of choice: a .44 caliber gu (August 10, 1978)
He was a 24-year-old Yonkers postal worker named David Berkowitz, and beginning in the summer of 1977, he terrorized much of New York City by slaying attractive young women, one after the other. His weapon of choice: a .44 caliber gun. His victims: 13 people shot in all. When police, working off a tip, finally surrounded his apartment and captured him on August 10, 1978, his words to them were, "Well, you got me." He managed to avoid the death penalty. Life
He was the first and perhaps the greatest rock-and-roll star of all time. When the King of Rock and Roll passed away at age 42, bloated, in ill health and addicted to prescription drugs, he broke the hearts of millions who considered (August 16, 1977)
He was the first and perhaps the greatest rock-and-roll star of all time. When the King of Rock and Roll passed away at age 42, bloated, in ill health and addicted to prescription drugs, he broke the hearts of millions who considered “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Blue Suede Shoes” living anthems to teen-age longing and angst. The death of the legend “was a national punch in the gut,” says journalist Alanna Nash. “He seemed destined to live forever, so his mortality was a reminder of our own." The Sun
In the face of almost-certain impeachment after the Watergate scandal broke and his political support eroded, Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the U.S., resigned the office of the presidency in disgrace, the only President (August 9, 1974)
In the face of almost-certain impeachment after the Watergate scandal broke and his political support eroded, Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the U.S., resigned the office of the presidency in disgrace, the only President in American history to do so – all this less than two years after he’d been reelected in a landslide victory. He was later pardoned, controversially, by his successor, Gerald R. Ford. Office of the President of the United States
It may not have been a disaster (unless you consider the bad acid dropped by some), but it was undeniably dramatic. The three-day music festival in upstate New York, named by Rolling Stone one of the 50 moments that changed the hi (August 15-18, 1969)
It may not have been a disaster (unless you consider the bad acid dropped by some), but it was undeniably dramatic. The three-day music festival in upstate New York, named by Rolling Stone one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll, featured 32 iconic musicians who performed on Max Yagur's 600-acre dairy farm for 500,000 people. Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, the Who, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix -- they were all there, turning the 1969 summer of love into a cultural touchstone.
He was the Babe, the Sultan of Swing, the Great Bambino. He was also one of the biggest sports heroes in American history. George Herman Ruth, Jr., was a mainstay of the New York Yankees lineup that won four World Series and seven pe (August 16, 1948)
He was the Babe, the Sultan of Swing, the Great Bambino. He was also one of the biggest sports heroes in American history. George Herman Ruth, Jr., was a mainstay of the New York Yankees lineup that won four World Series and seven pennant titles during his time in pinstripes. From 1914 to 1935 the Babe made men cheer, women weep and children want to grow up to be baseball players. One of the first five men elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame, he died in August of '48 from complications of cancer.
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