What Happened on August 22?

August 22 is National Tooth Fairy Day — a playful nod to lost-tooth traditions — on the same date Althea Gibson broke the tennis color barrier in 1950, Richard III fell at Bosworth in 1485, and yacht America won the first America's Cup race in 1851.

• 1485 — Henry Tudor wins the Battle of Bosworth Field

  On August 22, 1485, Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III at Bosworth Field — ending the Wars of the Roses and launching the Tudor dynasty. Read the full story →

• 1851 — Yacht America wins the first America's Cup race

  On August 22, 1851, the schooner America beat a fleet of British yachts around the Isle of Wight — claiming a trophy later named the America's Cup. Read the full story →

• 1864 — Twelve nations sign the first Geneva Convention

  On August 22, 1864, delegates in Switzerland signed the first Geneva Convention — rules protecting wounded soldiers and medical workers in war. Read the full story →

• 1902 — Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first sitting president to ride in a car

  On August 22, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt took a public automobile ride in Hartford, Connecticut — a first for a sitting U.S. president. Read the full story →

• 1950 — Althea Gibson is accepted into the U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills

  On August 22, 1950, officials accepted Althea Gibson into the U.S. national tennis championship — making her the first African American to compete at that level. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) · Dorothy Parker (1893–1967) · Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997) · Kristen Wiig (1973)

Days & observances

National Tooth Fairy Day · Be an Angel Day · National Eat a Peach Day · National Pecan Torte Day