In History, Today on August 4

In a major development for women’s sports, the Netherlands defeated South Africa 2-0 in the knockout stage of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian House of Representatives passed the Climate Change Bill 2022, committing Australia to a 43% reduction in carbon emissions below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaskan Peninsula. The quake triggered early tsunami warnings which were later lifted without major incidents.

A mass shooting occurred in Dayton, Ohio, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuring 27 others. The attack happened just hours after a similar mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.

The Syrian government launched an offensive against the city of Hama, which had been a center of protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The United Nations declared a famine in parts of southern Somalia, the first time in 30 years that a famine had been declared in the region, due to a severe drought and ongoing conflict.

NASA's Phoenix spacecraft was launched on a mission to Mars to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil.

The President of Mauritania, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, was overthrown in a military coup while he was attending the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia.

Parliament House in Canberra was locked down due to a security scare. This action was taken as a precautionary measure following a terror threat email sent to Australian authorities.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rescinds the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to present both sides of controversial issues.

The Republic of Upper Volta changes its name to Burkina Faso.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy, a cabinet-level department responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety.

The Japanese Red Army takes more than 50 hostages at the AIA building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin orders the expulsion of 50,000 Asians with British passports from Uganda, leading to a mass migration crisis.

The bodies of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney are discovered in Mississippi, six weeks after their murder by the Ku Klux Klan.

Anne Frank and her family are arrested by the Gestapo in Amsterdam, Netherlands, after being betrayed by an unknown informant.

The Vichy government closed all labor unions in France, curtailing workers' rights under the collaborationist regime during World War II.

The United States signed the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, agreeing to purchase what is now the U.S. Virgin Islands from Denmark.

World War I: Germany invades Belgium, leading the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany.

The father and stepmother of Lizzie Borden were found murdered in their Fall River, Massachusetts home.

American Indian Wars: The Modoc War ends with the surrender of Captain Jack and his band to the U.S. Army, marking the conclusion of the conflict in California and Oregon.

The Hinomaru, a red circle on a white field, was first chosen as the national flag of Japan for merchant ships under a decree from the Tokugawa shogunate.

The Matale Rebellion, a revolt against the British colonial rule in Sri Lanka, was definitively ended with the arrest of the last insurgent leaders.

The Belgian Revolution against Dutch rule began, leading to Belgium's independence.

William Pitt the Younger, British Prime Minister, enforced the Income Tax Act, reintroducing income tax in the UK after public opposition had led to its previous abolition.

Napoleon Bonaparte marries Joséphine de Beauharnais in a civil ceremony, a significant personal event for the future French Emperor.

The Treaty of Sistova is signed, ending the Austro-Turkish War between Austria and the Ottoman Empire, aiming to maintain the status quo ante bellum.

The United States Coast Guard is established as the Revenue Marine by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, the Battle of Blenheim begins, marking a significant victory for the Grand Alliance against France and Bavaria.

Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, is traditionally credited with inventing champagne on this day, although the story is more myth than fact.

The Battle of Alcácer Quibir occurs, where the Portuguese forces led by King Sebastian are defeated by the Moroccan army, leading to the death of Sebastian and a succession crisis in Portugal.

The Second Barons' War: The Battle of Evesham takes place, where the forces of Prince Edward defeat the army of Simon de Montfort, effectively ending the rebellion against King Henry III of England.

The Siege of Constantinople ends as the Avar-Sassanid alliance fails to capture the Byzantine capital.

The Roman Empire faced the Great Conspiracy, a coordinated uprising of Picts, Scots, Saxons, and Franks against Roman Britain.