Darius Heald (1822–1904), son of Captain Nathan Heald, who commanded Fort Dearborn during its evacuation on August 15, 1812.

The War of 1812 had drawn U.S. forces into a volatile frontier, where British alliances with Native nations—including the Potawatomi—challenged American expansion. As Heald’s column departed the fort, it was attacked near the Chicago River. The fort was destroyed. Half the party was killed, including William Wells, Heald’s brother-in-law and interpreter.
In this portrait, Darius holds a sword—its meaning unmistakable. It stands as a marker of inherited duty, shaped by conflict and survival. The formal setting suggests stability; the blade, a reminder of a day marked not by victory, but by violence, displacement, and the contested memory of a young republic.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

August 15 marks the birthday of Florence Mabel Kling Harding (1860–1924). Born in Marion, Ohio, she parlayed piano studies into a keen talent for newspaper management, co-steering the Marion Star with Warren G. Harding. As First Lady (1921–23), she became one of the most visible presidential partners in decades—championing women’s suffrage, animal welfare, and Prohibition enforcement, and bringing boardroom savvy to the White House. Today we celebrate her resilience, strategic vision, and lasting impact on the role of America’s hostess.

A photo of President Dwight D. Eisenhower inspecting the capsule of Discover XIII on August 15, 1960 that landed in the Pacific Ocean after orbiting the earth 17 times four days earlier.

Wow!”: A Signal from the Unknown
Was it a message from another world? A comet’s hydrogen cloud? A cosmic coincidence?
On this day—August 15, 1977—a narrowband radio signal burst from the direction of Sagittarius, lasting just 72 seconds. It was so intense and precise that astronomer Jerry Ehman circled the data and scribbled “Wow!” in red ink—a rare moment of astonishment captured in the margins of science.
The signal’s intensity pattern, `6EQUJ5`, matched the frequency of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe—exactly where some scientists believed an intelligent civilization might try to make contact. Yet despite decades of searching, the signal has never returned.
Nearly fifty years later, astronomers proposed a compelling natural explanation: the Wow! Signal may have originated from a cold hydrogen cloud briefly energized by a powerful burst of radiation—perhaps from a magnetar flare or soft gamma repeater. Such rare events can produce maser-like emissions that mimic the precision of a technosignature.
The Wow! Signal remains one of the most tantalizing mysteries in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It reminds us that science is not just a quest for answers, but a celebration of the questions that endure.

On August 15, 1824 at nearly 67 years of age, The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in New York to begin his tour of the United States. Lafayette was accompanied by his son named Georges Washington.
It was 41 years after the American Revolutionary War and only 37 years until the start of the American Civil War.
Image of Lafayette via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On August 15, 1914 the S.S. Ancon became the first ship to make her way through the length of the Panama Canal.
Image via LOC via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the U.S.

On August 15, 1958
21 year old rock and roll star Buddy Holly married María Elena Santiago in Lubbock, Texas (the town he was born.)
Image of Buddy Holly via Alamy

On August 15, 1965
Over 55,000 spectators watched the Beatles perform at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.
The event set a U.S. concert attendance record which stood for about 8 years.
Image of the Beatles from the early 1960s via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On this day in 1964, Dean Martin’s ‘Everybody Loves Somebody’ knocked The Beatles off the top of the Billboard Hot 100—proof that crooner charm could still triumph in the age of rock. With velvet vocals and timeless sentiment, Martin reminded America that love songs never go out of style.
Image via Alamy

American celebrity chef Julia Child was born on August 15, 1912 in Pasadena, California.
During WWII, while serving with the Office of Strategic Services, Julia developed repellents that deterred sharks from setting off underwater defense explosives.
Photo of Julia Child in the 1970s via Alamy

“The Wizard of Oz” made its Hollywood premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on August 15, 1939.
While the film had earnings of over $3 million in 1939 it really wasn’t profitable until its rerelease in 1949.
The movie aired on TV for the first time in 1956.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright, public domain in the US

Woodstock began on August 15, 1969
Evolution of the Woodstock Monument

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The interior of St. Mary’s Chapel at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, England where John Carroll of Maryland was consecrated on August 15, 1790 to serve as the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States.

Operation Dragoon, an Allied Invasion of Provence, France during WWII began on August 15, 1944.
The Allies had control of the Island of Corsica which was one of the areas where the operation was launched. Corsica was also the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte where he was born exactly 175 years earlier on August 15, 1769.

American actress Ethel Barrymore was born on August 15, 1879 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She began acting at sixteen and continued into her late seventies.
Image: Ethel Barrymore c. 1909 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On August 15, 1935, Will Rogers and aviation pioneer Wiley Post were killed in a plane crash in Alaska. Rogers gained fame for his humorous commentary, often political, as he performed rope tricks on stage. A member of the Cherokee nation, his personal motto was “I never met a man I didn’t like.”
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright, public domain in the US

Born August 15, 1923, Rose Marie Mazzetta began her astounding 91-year show business career as Baby Rose Marie at age 3. A film actor, recording artist, and nightclub performer, Rose Marie was a television mainstay on the Dick Van Dyke Show and Hollywood Squares.
Images via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright, public domain in the US