Home   On This Day   On this day in history - August 4

On this day in history - August 4

What Happened On This Day – August 4

  • 1984 The Republic of Upper Volta is Renamed Burkina Faso

    The West African country was first created in 1958 as a self-governing French colony. It gained its independence from the French in 1960. Between then and 1983, several coups dotted its political landscape. In 1983, a military coup installed Captain Thomas Sankara as the country's president. He changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso a year later on the coup's anniversary.

  • 1983 The Military Stages a Coup in Upper Volta

    A military coup in Upper Volta installed Thomas Sankara, a captain in the Upper Volta Army as its president. A year later, he changed the name of Upper Volta to Burkina Faso.

  • 1944 Anne Frank is captured

    One of the most well-known figures of the 20th century and a victim of the Holocaust, 14-year old Frank and her family were captured and arrested by the Germans from their hiding place in Amsterdam.

  • 1914 Britain declares war on Germany

    Seen by many as the decision that began the first World War, Britain declared war on Germany after Germany refused to accept its ultimatum of getting out of Belgium.

  • 1892 Abby and Andrew Borden are murdered

    The bloody murders of the two Fall River, Massachusetts residents in their own home gained media and public attention in the United States because their daughter Lizzie Borden was accused of the crime.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
August 4

  • 1961 Barack Obama

    American politician, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate

  • 1955 Alberto Gonzales

    American politician, 80th United States Attorney General

  • 1912 Raoul Wallenberg

    Swedish diplomat

  • 1901 Louis Armstrong

    American trumpeter, singer

  • 1900 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
August 4

  • 2007 Raul Hilberg

    Austrian/American political scientist, historian

  • 1922 Enver Pasha

    Ottoman military officer

  • 1875 Hans Christian Andersen

    Danish author, poet

  • 1792 John Burgoyne

    English general

  • 1598 William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley

    English statesman