Goodyear tire company

Goodyear tire company was founded on August 29, 1898. The photograph below, courtesy of California Historical Society Digital Archive collection, shows how the company advertised itself in 1920s.

Goodyear Blimp flying beside two sailing yachts, ca.1929

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Edison’s motion picture camera and Panama Canal

On August 24, 1891, Thomas Edison patented the motion picture camera. Eighteen years later, on August 24, 1909, workers started pouring concrete for the Panama Canal. The digital item featured below commemorates both of these historic events, because this 1927 documentary, “The story of the Panama Canal”, was filmed using Edison’s motion picture camera. The documentary courtesy of the Edison Motion Pictures digital collection, Library of Congress.

The story of the Panama Canal

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The Nineteenth Amendment

On August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women’s suffrage — the right of women to vote, which historically includes the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage to women.

The item featured below, courtesy of Harvard University, Women Working, 1800-1930 digital collection, is a full-text of 1913 official publication of the US Committee on Woman Suffrage proceedings on what seven years later became the 19th amendment.

United States, Committee on Woman Suffrage. Woman suffrage amendment. Washington: G.P.O., 1913.

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Hawaii transfer of sovereignty to United States

On August 12, 1898, the Hawaiian flag was lowered from Iolani Palace in an elaborate annexation ceremony and replaced with the American flag to signify the transfer of sovereignty from the Republic of Hawaii to the United States.

The Opening History aggregation includes three digital collections focusing on Hawaiian history —BYU Hawaii Photograph Collection, Hawaii War Records Depository, and Hawaiian Language Newspapers — and several more collections containing items about Hawaii.

Hawaiian Queen Lydia Liliuokalani (1838-1917)

The portrait of Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalami above, courtesy of University of Pennsylvania, Celebration of Women Writers collection — is an illustration from the full-text digitized version of her book, Hawaii’s Story, by Hawaii’s Queen (1898). The photograph below, from the same book, shows throne room in Iolani Palace.

Throne room at Iolani palace

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Ralph J. Bunche

African American statesman and Nobel Peace Prize recipient of 1950 Ralph Johnson Bunche (1904-1971) was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August, 7, 1904. In 1949, as a mediator for the United Nations, he helped bring an end to hostilities in the war between Israel and the Arab League.

The Ralph J. Bunche Papers collection is part of the Opening History aggregation of digital collections. One of the items from this collection is featured below.

United Nations Under-Secretary Ralph J. Bunche comes to Gaza, 1957

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Louis Armstrong birthday

Jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901. Known as “Satchmo,” he appeared in many films and is best known for his renditions of It’s a Wonderful World and Hello, Dolly.

The photograph of Louis Armstrong below, courtesy of San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Newspaper Photograph Archive digital collection.

Louis Satchmo Armstrong learns Chinese moon guitar, Fairmont Hotel, 1963

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