August 2008 calendar

August 2008
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Learn the most interesting events and historical facts that happened in August 2008.
The US president was George W. Bush (Republican), the UK Prime Minister was Gordon Brown (Labour), Pope Benedict XVI was leading the Catholic Church.

But much more happened on August 2008: find out below

Historical Events

Which were the important events of August 2008?

Events

01 Aug 2008 General Motors of the USA reports a second quarter loss of US$15.5Billion, the worst in the company’s history.
02 Aug 2008 Latvia held a constitutional referendum to decide whether it would allow referendums on the dissolution of parliament and early elections. The vote was null because turnout was not at the required 50% level, but the results (96% for the change) will likely push politicians to adopt similar measures.
03 Aug 2008 North Korea says that it will expel ampquotunnecessaryampquot South Korean staff from the Kumgangsan resort and threatens military action in an escalation of tension over the shooting of a South Korean tourist. (Reuters)amp/bramp
04 Aug 2008 Robert Novak, a conservative American political commentator, has retired after 45 years. A previously diagnosed brain tumour was the only reason Novak decided to retire. Novak was also implicated in the CIA leak scandal.
05 Aug 2008 Rwanda officially accuses French officials, including Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister, and Francois Mitterrand, for their involvement in the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
06 Aug 2008 Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, a military junta, organizes a coup d’etat in Mauritania to overthrow Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
07 Aug 2008 Georgia launches a military offensive on South Ossetia in response to the alleged Russian invasion. This is the start of the South Ossetia War.
08 Aug 2008 Fannie Mae, the US mortgage lender, posts a loss of US$2.3B in its second quarter. This is its fourth consecutive quarter loss. Its total loss for the year has been US$9.44B.
09 Aug 2008 At 50 years old, American comedian Bernie Mac dies from complications of pneumonia in a Chicago hospital.
10 Aug 2008 American singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes, who was 65 years old, has died at his Memphis home.
11 Aug 2008 25 Taliban militants are killed in an air raid by the United States. 8 civilians were also killed in Oruzgan Province, southern Afghanistan.
12 Aug 2008 A class action lawsuit was filed against Facebook Inc., Blockbuster Inc. and Overstock.com. Fandango.com. Hotwire.com. GameFly.com. Zappos.com. And any other ampquotJohn Doeampquot companies that activated Facebook Beacon to release their common members' personal information to their Facebook friend without their consent through Facebook Beacon. The lawsuit claims that the information was released in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act.
13 Aug 2008 American swimmer Michael Phelps won his 10th and 11th career Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics. He was in the men's 200m butterfly and in the 4x200 freestyle relay. His world record time of 6:58.56 is the fastest. Phelps holds the record for most Olympic gold medals in a career.
14 Aug 2008 Donald Tusk is the Prime Minister of Poland and announces that the United States has reached an agreement with Poland to base missile defense in Poland.
15 Aug 2008 The US and Poland have signed a deal to share a part of their new missile defense shield. The US will place ten interceptor missiles on a base along the Baltic coast and strengthen Polish air defenses.
16 Aug 2008 2008 South Ossetia war:
17 Aug 2008 Michael Phelps won his eighth record-breaking gold medal at the Beijing Games in the 4x100 Medley Relay in record time of 3;29.34. Phelps holds the Olympic record for most gold medals.
18 Aug 2008 Pressure from the opposition forces Pervez Musharaf, President of Pakistan, to resign.
19 Aug 2008 Frank Bainimarama, Fiji's leader, boycotts the 39th Annual Pacific Islands Leaders Forum in Niue.
20 Aug 2008 Spanair Flight 5022 from Madrid to Gran Canaria skids off of the runway and crashes at Barajas Airport. The crash results in the deaths of 146 people and 8 more. Only 18 survivors survive the crash.
21 Aug 2008 Somali pirates captured three vessels in just two days.
22 Aug 2008 Ten people, including four Americans, were killed in an aircraft crash in Guatemala. They were on a humanitarian mission.
23 Aug 2008 War in Somalia (2006-09). Two journalists and three others are taken hostage by gunmen close to Elasha, Somalia.
24 Aug 2008 Ten people, including four Americans on humanitarian missions, were killed when an aircraft crashed in Guatemala.
25 Aug 2008 The 2008 Alaska quarter-dollar coin is now in circulation at the US Mint
26 Aug 2008 Russia unilaterally recognizes independence of former Georgian separatist republics Abkhazia, South Ossetia.
27 Aug 2008 Alberto Gonzales resigns as US Attorney General as of September 17.
28 Aug 2008 September 7, 2007 - Hurricane Hanna causes seven deaths in the United States and 529 in Haiti. This is mainly due to deluges or mudslides.
29 Aug 2008 At the Alaska State Fair, the US Mint officially launched the 2008 Alaska State quarter-dollar coin.
30 Aug 2008 More than 70 cities in Mexico host mass marches calling for stronger enforcement of laws against violent crime.
31 Aug 2008 Hurricane Gustav:
06 Aug 2008 A military junta led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stages a coup d'état in Mauritania, overthrowing president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.