Year 295 BC
The first temple to Venus built, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
AUGUST 19
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
19 August: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 19 August.
Observances & Special Days
International Photography Day
World Humanitarian Day
Year 1600
Ahmednagar was captured by Akbar the great.
Year 1757
The first Rupee coin of East India Company was minted in Kolkata.
Year 1862
American Indian Wars: During an uprising in Minnesota, Lakota warriors decide not to attack heavily defended Fort Ridgely and instead turn to the settlement of New Ulm, killing white settlers along the way.
Year 1909
The first automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Year 1919
Afghanistan got independence from United Kingdom.
Year 1944
The last Japanese troops driven out of India.
Year 1946
Cabinet Mission's plan announced an interim government, which was formed by reconstituting the Viceroy's Executive Council. The Muslim League took umbrage and started direct action. Riots broke out as Muslims attacked Hindu's in Calcutta and the rest of Bengal. The Viceroy persuaded the Muslim League to join the government. But the League declined to join the Constituent Assembly unless the demand for a seperate state of "Pakistan" was conceded.
Year 1949
Bhuvaneshvar became the capital of Odisha.
Year 1976
Nagarjun Sagar University was established in Andhra Pradesh.
Year 1977
An earthquake measuring 7.7-8.9 on the Richter Scale hits the Indian Ocean. It is believed to be the strongest ever earthquake.
Year 1979
Pol Pot, ex-dictator of Cambodia, is sentenced to death for genocides in his absence by the Vietnamese-backed Cambodian government.
Year 1989
Poland became the first country in Eastern Europe to end one-party rule as Solidarity’s Tadeusz Mazowiecki took office as prime minister.
Year 1992
K.R.Narayanan elected the ninth Vice President of India.
Year 1994
Rupee made fully convertible on the current account.
Year 1999
India's role in ASEAN, ARF is lauded at a colloquium in Singapore.
Year 2013
The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar.
Born 1871
Orville wright, American engineer and pilot, co-founder of Wright Company. Best known for his invention of world-first motor-operated Aeroplane with his brother Wilbur Wright.
Born 1883
Coco Chanel, a French fashion designer who revolutionized women’s clothing.
Born 1887
Sundar Sastri Satyamurti, Indian freedom fighter and politician.
Born 1903
Gangadhar Devram Khanolkar, biographer and critic, was born.
Born 1907
Hajari Prasad Dwivedi, Indian historian and author.
Born 1910
Sister Alphonsa, teacher and social worker, was born at Kudamaloor, Kerala.
Born 1913
Peter Kemp, Indian-English soldier and author (d. 1993)
Born 1918
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, 9th president of India.
Born 1927
Ananta Narsinha Naik, social reformer and politician, was born at Bandora, Goa.
Born 1928
Shiv Prasaad Singh, Indian Hindi writer(d.1998)
Born 1946
Bill Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 42nd president of United States.
Born 1950
Sudha Murti, Indian social worker, and author. Chairperson of the Infosys foundation.
Born 1965
Hemant Birje, Indian actor\
Born 1967
Satya Nandella, Indian American engineer and business executive. He is the CEO of Microsoft succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014.
Born 1967
Khandro Rinpoche, Indian spiritual leader
Remembrance
14 AD Augustus, the Roman Emperor.
Died 1934
Dr. Hiralal died. He was a distinguished historian and contributed numerous articles to 'Indian Antiquary', 'Epigraphia Indica', The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, etc. He was also an honorary correspondent in Archaeology to the Government of India.
Died 1947
Vinayak Damodar Karnataki (Master Vinayak), famous Marathi actor, director and producer, died.
Died 1662
Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, and physicist who laid the foundation of the modern theory of probability.
Died 1968
George Gamow was a Russian theoretical physicist best known for his contribution to George Lemaitre’s theory of Big Bang.
Died 1976
Jan Nisar Akhtar, India poet of Urdu Gazal and Nazm. He was a part of the progressive writers’ movement.
Died 1980
Otto Frank, German Swiss businessman, father of Anne Frank.
Died 1993
Utpal Dutt, Indian actor and film director.
Died 1993
Y. D. Lokurkar, senior journalist, died.
Died 1994
Linus Pauling, American chemist and biologist. Nobel prize laureate.
Died 2000
Bineshwar Brahma, Indian poet, author, and educator (b. 1948)
Died 2015
Sanat Mehta, Indian activist and politician (b. 1935)