Major Events of August 2017: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from August 2017 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of August 2017: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Aug 2017 Christopher A. Wray Confirmed as FBI Director: In a decisive vote of 92-5, the United States Senate confirmed Christopher A. Wray as the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), signaling a significant leadership transition in a critical law enforcement agency.
02 Aug 2017 Climate Change Threat to South Asia: Research suggests that high humidity levels could render large areas of Southern Asia uninhabitable by 2100, highlighting the severe potential impacts of global climate change.
03 Aug 2017 Mueller Launches Grand Jury Investigation into Russian Election Interference: Special Counsel Robert Mueller appointed a grand jury to investigate claims of Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Grand jury subpoenas were issued for a June 2016 meeting involving Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and a Russian lawyer.
04 Aug 2017 U.S. Job Market Improvement: DUPE
05 Aug 2017 UN Security Council Sanctions North Korea: The United Nations Security Council unanimously votes 15-0 to impose sanctions on North Korea in response to its continued intercontinental ballistic missile testing, escalating international pressure on the regime.
06 Aug 2017 Venezuelan Military Rebellion Against Maduro: An armed group led by ex-National Guard captain Juan Carlos Caguaripano attacked a Venezuelan Army base near Valencia, declaring rebellion against President Nicolas Maduro and the National Constituent Assembly. Two people were reported killed during the incident.
07 Aug 2017 Secret Ballot Vote of No Confidence Against Zuma: South African National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete announced a historic secret ballot vote of confidence in President Jacob Zuma, scheduled for August 8, 2017. This would be the eighth no-confidence vote against Zuma and the first conducted via secret ballot.
08 Aug 2017 North Korea Crisis: Trump's 'Fire and Fury' Threat: U.S. President Donald Trump escalated tensions with North Korea by promising 'fire and fury like the world has never seen' in response to potential threats. Hours after his inflammatory remarks, North Korea announced it was 'carefully examining' a potential missile attack against Guam, a U.S. territory.
09 Aug 2017 Nawaz Sharif Returns After Supreme Court Disqualification: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, returns home after being disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers investigation, marking a significant moment in Pakistani political history.
10 Aug 2017 North Korea Threatens Missile Launch Near Guam: North Korea dismissed President Trump's 'fire and fury' warning, announcing plans to finalize a missile launch strategy targeting waters near Guam, a U.S. territory with 163,000 residents and a military base. The statement escalated tensions between the two nations.
11 Aug 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville: Over 200 white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right groups gathered at the University of Virginia, chanting inflammatory slogans like 'white lives matter' and 'Jews will not replace us', setting the stage for a highly controversial and racially charged demonstration.
12 Aug 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally Violence: A white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, escalated into violent confrontations between white supremacists, counterprotesters, and law enforcement. The rally centered on the proposed removal of a Robert E. Lee sculpture. A white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one person and injuring many others. The violence culminated in the death of two Virginia State Police officers when their helicopter monitoring the protests crashed.
13 Aug 2017 Ouagadougou Restaurant Attack: A terrorist attack on a Turkish-themed restaurant in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, resulted in at least 17 fatalities and eight injuries. Islamic extremists were suspected to be responsible for the assault.
14 Aug 2017 North Korea Missile Engine Acquisition Report: The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported that North Korea likely acquired a high-performance liquid-propellant missile engine through illegal networks in Russia or Ukraine. Ukraine denied the allegations, adding complexity to the ongoing North Korea missile crisis.
15 Aug 2017 Trump's Controversial Charlottesville Press Conference: During a press conference at Trump Tower, President Donald Trump defended his previous comments about the Charlottesville incident, controversially blaming both sides and criticizing the 'alt-left' while drawing equivalence between white supremacists and counter-protesters.
16 Aug 2017 Corporate Leaders Protest Trump's Charlottesville Response: In a powerful statement against racial intolerance, 3M CEO Inge Thulin and Campbell CEO Denise Morrison resigned from the American Manufacturing Council to protest President Trump's response to the alt-right actions in Charlottesville. Their resignations were part of a broader exodus, with a total of 8 CEOs withdrawing from the council this week, ultimately leading President Trump to disband both the Strategic and Policy Forum and American Manufacturing Council.
17 Aug 2017 Barcelona Terror Attack: A terrorist van attack occurred on La Rambla, a central commercial street in Barcelona, Spain. The attack killed 14 people and injured at least 100 pedestrians. Islamic State (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the incident.
18 Aug 2017 Barcelona Terror Attack Aftermath: Following the 2017 Barcelona terror attacks, Catalan police neutralized five terrorist suspects in Cambrils during a response to a second van attack. Initially reporting the suspects wore explosive vests, police later confirmed these were fake.
19 Aug 2017 Barcelona Terror Attack on Las Ramblas: A terrorist drove a van into crowds on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, killing 16 people and injuring 120 in a deliberate vehicular attack.
20 Aug 2017 Iraqi Civil War: Battle of Tal Afar 2017: Iraqi security forces launched a comprehensive ground offensive involving Shi'ite volunteers, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, and other allied troops to retake the city of Tal Afar from Islamic State (ISIL) militants. Following the liberation of Mosul, Tal Afar had been strategically isolated and remained under ISIL control.
21 Aug 2017 The Great American Eclipse: A total solar eclipse traversed the entire contiguous United States, a rare astronomical event visible from coast to coast. This eclipse was the first total solar eclipse to span the entire continental United States since June 8, 1918, attracting millions of Americans and tourists who witnessed this spectacular celestial phenomenon.
22 Aug 2017 India Bans Triple Talaq Practice: In a landmark legal decision, the Supreme Court of India declared the Islamic practice of 'triple talaq', which allowed men to instantly divorce their wives, unconstitutional. This ruling represents a significant step towards gender equality and women's rights in India.
23 Aug 2017 Trump's Controversial Charlottesville Rally Response: President Trump defended his response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville during a rally in Phoenix, reigniting national debates about racial tensions and presidential rhetoric.
24 Aug 2017 Samsung Heir Jailed for Corruption: Lee Jae-yong, heir to the Samsung corporate empire, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for corruption, signaling a landmark moment in South Korea's efforts to combat corporate malfeasance.
25 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey Makes Landfall in Texas: Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, the strongest hurricane to strike the United States since 2004. The hurricane caused catastrophic flooding and damage in the Houston metropolitan area and along the Texas Gulf Coast, becoming one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history.
26 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey Makes Devastating Landfall in Texas: Hurricane Harvey struck Texas's eastern coast as a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), marking the most powerful storm to hit the state since 1961. The hurricane was expected to remain a tropical storm for at least four more days, bringing heavy rains, severe flooding, and high winds.
27 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey Strikes Houston: Hurricane Harvey caused significant destruction in Houston, Texas, killing three people and prompting Governor Greg Abbott to activate the entire Texas National Guard for search and rescue operations. Weather forecasters predicted continued heavy rains and potential 'catastrophic' flooding.
28 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey Devastates Texas: Hurricane Harvey caused significant destruction in Texas, resulting in eight confirmed fatalities and forcing approximately 30,000 Houston residents to seek temporary emergency shelter.
29 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey Sets Rainfall Record: Hurricane Harvey established a new continental U.S. tropical cyclone rainfall record of 51.88 inches in Cedar Bayou, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, underscoring the storm's unprecedented intensity.
30 Aug 2017 Hurricane Harvey's Second Landfall in Louisiana: Tropical Storm Harvey, which had previously been a hurricane, made its second landfall in Louisiana. According to the New York Times, 38 people had died since the previous Friday. Meteorologists predicted the storm would likely weaken into a tropical depression as it moved northeast.
31 Aug 2017 Arkema Chemical Plant Explosions During Hurricane Harvey: During Hurricane Harvey, a series of small explosions occurred at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas. Floodwaters destroyed cooling systems, causing chemical instability. 21 people were treated at Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital, and residents within a 1.5-mile radius were evacuated.