On 8th August…

1503 - King James IV of Scotland married Margaret Tudor, the 13-year-old daughter of King Henry VII at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh. Their great-grandson James would become the first monarch to reign over both Scotland and England, King James VI and I.

1988 - Princess Beatrice was born in London to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Princess Beatrice is currently tenth in line to the throne.

On 9th August…

On 10th August…

991 - The Battle of Maldon took place between the Anglo-Saxons and invading Vikings from Norway. The Anglo-Saxon army was led by Earl Brihtnoth, a local leader. His aim was to engage the Vikings in battle, defeat them and stop them from attacking other villages along the coastline. Brihtnoth decided to allow the Vikings safe passage across a river so that they could fight fairly. Unfortunately, he underestimated the Vikings’ power and was killed in the battle. When the Anglo-Saxon army realised their leader had fallen, they all fled into nearby woods leaving the Vikings victorious. The battle has been immortalised in a poem called The Battle of Maldon.

1945 - Following the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in World War II, Japan announced it was willing to surrender on the condition that the status of its ruler, Emperor Hirohito remained unchanged. This brought a stop to further bombing of Japan, but the surrender had not yet been accepted and the war was not yet over.

On 11th August…

480BCE - King Leonidas of Sparta died in the Battle of Thermopylae against an invading Persian army. With just 300 Spartan men the Spartans fought to the last man standing against an army of thousands in order to protect their country. (Some accounts state that there were about 1,000 Greek soldiers from various states and not just the 300 Spartan soldiers, but against an invading army of about 80,000 the odds were still stacked against them. To stand and fight knowing that your fate is certain death instead of running away is a true show of dedication to your country.)

1897 - English children’s author Enid Blyton was born in London. Some of her most famous stories include tales of the Famous Five a group of friends who solve mysteries. Her books have been translated into over 90 languages around the world.

On 12th August…

30BCE - Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt committed suicide by inviting an asp, a poisonous snake, to bite her. Cleopatra is possibly best known for her relationship with Marc Anthony, the Roman General. After her death, Egypt fell under the rule of the Roman Empire.

1914 - At the beginning of World War I, France and Great Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary at the same time that Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia.

1930 - Clarence Birdseye patented a method for quick freezing food. Before his invention frozen food became mushy and inedible when it thawed. Birdseye’s process allowed food to freeze and thaw and keep its fresh taste. By the time of his death Clarence Birdseye held nearly 300 patents.

On 13th August…

On 14th August…

1040 - King Duncan of Scotland was killed by his cousin and rival Macbeth in battle near Elgin, Morayshire near the northern coast of Scotland. Mac Bethad mac Findlaich (Macbeth) became King only to be killed in battle 17 years later by Duncan’s son, Malcolm. (The real story is quite different to Shakespeare’s play.)

1947 - Following the signing of the Indian Independence Act in July by King George VII, Pakistan, which was once a part of India, became an independent country. The day is celebrated every year in Pakistan and by Pakistani communities around the world.