August 8 in Pop Culture History
1786 – Mont Blanc on the French/Italian border was climbed for the first time by Jacques Balmat and Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard.
1786 – Coinage of US money was established by Congress
1876 – Thomas Edison received a patent (#180,857) for his mimeograph (Autographic Printing).
1908 – Wilbur Wright made his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France; the Wright Brothers’ first public flight.
1953 – #1 Hit August 8, 1953 – October 9, 1953: Les Paul and Mary Ford – Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)
1960 – #1 Hit August 8, 1960 – August 14, 1960: Brian Hyland – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
1963 – In England, a gang of 15 train robbers stole £2.6 million in bank notes in the Great Train Robbery. They were later caught.
1969 – At a ‘zebra crossing’ in London, photographer Iain Macmillan took one of the most famous photographs of all time, the cover of the Beatles album, Abbey Road.
1974 – President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announced his resignation from the office of the President of the United States, effective noon the next day.
1975 – Hank Williams, Jr. fell from a mountain in Montana, requiring reconstructive surgery to his face.
1987 – #1 Hit August 8, 1987 – August 21, 1987: U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
1989 – STS-28 Mission: Space Shuttle Columbia took off on a secret five-day military mission. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 13. That’s all we know.
1991 – The Warsaw Radio Mast was the world’s tallest structure until its collapse today. It was 2,120 feet tall, and was built 1970-1974.
1992 – #1 Hit August 8, 1992 – August 14, 1992: Madonna – This Used To Be My Playground