In History, Today on August 21

Steve Bannon, former advisor to President Donald Trump, was arrested and charged with fraud related to the 'We Build the Wall' fundraising campaign.

US President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations. The plea implicated President Trump in coordinating illegal payments during the 2016 presidential election.

A total solar eclipse, known as the 'Great American Eclipse,' was visible across the contiguous United States, the first such event since 1918.

A chemical attack occurred in the Ghouta region of Damascus, Syria, during the Syrian Civil War. The attack involved the use of sarin gas and resulted in significant civilian casualties.

The American Radio Relay League hosts the ARRL National Centennial Convention to commemorate its 100th anniversary, celebrating amateur radio and its history.

Pirates hijacked a German cargo ship, MV BBC Trinidad, off the coast of Somalia, emphasizing the ongoing international issue of piracy in the region.

Hurricane Dean makes landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula as a Category 5 hurricane. It was the third most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin.

Latvia declares its independence from the Soviet Union following the failed coup attempt in Moscow.

The Lake Nyos disaster occurs in Cameroon when a limnic eruption releases a large amount of carbon dioxide, suffocating over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock.

Benigno Aquino Jr., a prominent Filipino opposition leader, is assassinated at Manila International Airport upon returning from exile, sparking widespread protests against the Marcos regime.

The Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations invade Czechoslovakia to suppress the Prague Spring.

The Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam escalates as government forces attack Buddhist pagodas, leading to widespread international condemnation and contributing to the eventual downfall of President Ngo Dinh Diem.

Hawaii becomes the 50th state of the United States.

Dumbarton Oaks Conference began in Washington, D.C., where representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China met to discuss the formation of the United Nations.

The Guadalcanal Campaign, a significant battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, begins as the Battle of the Tenaru takes place.

Leon Trotsky, a Russian revolutionary and political theorist, died from injuries inflicted by an assassin's ice axe attack on August 20 in Mexico City. The attack was ordered by Joseph Stalin.

The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre by a museum employee.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Ischia Island in Italy, causing severe damage and resulting in the deaths of over 2,000 people. The earthquake led to an increase in studies and developments in seismology and earthquake-resistant construction.

The catastrophic Tay Bridge disaster investigation published its findings. The inquiry concluded that the bridge had been 'badly designed, badly constructed and badly maintained', which led to its collapse in December 1879 while a train was crossing, resulting in the deaths of 75 people.

The first of the seven famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas at Ottawa, Illinois. This series of debates, part of the Illinois senatorial campaign, focused on the issue of slavery in the United States and showcased Lincoln's emerging leadership and moral stance against slavery.

Nat Turner's slave rebellion begins in Southampton County, Virginia, leading to the deaths of approximately 60 white people and the execution of about 55 black people.

The first Partition of Poland was ratified by the Polish Sejm, dividing Polish territories among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Monarchy.

The Battle of Leutershausen took place during the Seven Years' War as an encounter between French forces under the command of Maurille Joseph La Tour Maubourg and the Prussian army led by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.

The Battle of Dunkeld took place in Scotland during the Jacobite rising of 1689. Government forces successfully defended the town against Jacobite forces.

The Pueblo Revolt ends with the Pueblo people expelling Spanish settlers from present-day New Mexico.

The Treaty of Edinburgh, aimed at ending the fighting between Scotland, France, and England, was signed and required French and English troops to withdraw from Scotland.

The Battle of Płowce, part of the Polish-Teutonic Wars, was fought between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order, ending with a Polish victory.

The French army, led by Prince Louis (the future Louis VIII of France), was defeated by the English forces at the Battle of Lincoln.

Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan.

Eric the Victorious is proclaimed King of Sweden.

The Battle of Yarmouk concludes with a decisive victory for the Rashidun Caliphate over the Byzantine Empire, leading to Muslim control of Syria.