What Happened on August 1?

August 1 is National Girlfriends Day — celebrating friendship — on the same date MTV launched in 1981, Colorado joined the Union in 1876, British emancipation took effect in 1834, and Joseph Priestley isolated oxygen in 1774.

• 1774 — Joseph Priestley isolates oxygen

  On August 1, 1774, English chemist Joseph Priestley heated mercuric oxide and collected a gas that made candles burn brighter — later named oxygen. Read the full story →

• 1790 — The United States begins its first census

  On August 1, 1790, U.S. marshals began counting the new nation's people — the first census required by the Constitution. Read the full story →

• 1834 — Slavery is abolished across most of the British Empire

  On August 1, 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act took effect, freeing enslaved people in most British colonies after decades of abolitionist campaigning. Read the full story →

• 1876 — Colorado becomes the 38th U.S. state

  On August 1, 1876 — the nation's centennial year — President Ulysses S. Grant proclaimed Colorado the 38th state, earning it the nickname Centennial State. Read the full story →

• 1914 — Germany declares war on Russia — World War I widens

  On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, accelerating the cascade of alliances that became World War I. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Herman Melville (1819–1891) · Francis Scott Key (1779–1843) · Yves Saint Laurent (1936–2008) · Jerry Garcia (1942–1995)

Days & observances

National Girlfriends Day · Swiss National Day · World Wide Web Day · National Raspberry Cream Pie Day