August 5, 1926 - Harry Houdini Performs His Greatest Stunt
In July 1926, Egyptian magician Rahman Bey spent 90 minutes in a coffin underwater and then dared Houdini to try and outlast him. Houdini loved a challenge, so he spent 91 minutes in a 700-pound coffin at the bottom of the pool in the Hotel Shelton in New York City. Houdini would die two months later from complications of appendicitis. (Images from the American Memory Collections of the Library of Congress)
Learn more about Harry Houdini:
Adults:
- The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski
Children:
- Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
- Who Was Harry Houdini? by Tui Sutherland
Learn more about magic:
Adults:
- David Copperfield’s History of Magic by David Copperfield
- How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters by Joshua Jay
- Magic is Dead: My Journey into the World’s Most Secretive Society of Magicians by Ian Frisch
Children:
- Abracadabra: The Story of Magic Through the Ages by H.P. Newquist
- Everyday Magic for Kids: 30 Amazing Magic Tricks that You Can Do Anywhere by Justin Flom
- Magic Tricks with Coins, Cards, and Everyday Objects by Jake Banfield
August 11, 1841 - Frederick Douglass First Major Speech
During an anti-slavery convention on Nantucket Island, Frederick Douglass gave a powerful speech on his life as a slave. After the speech, Douglass was asked to become a full-time lecturer for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Douglass gained an international reputation as a powerful orator and author. He would spend the rest of his life fighting against injustice.
Learn more about Frederick Douglass:
Adults:
- Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass
- The President and the Freedom Fighter: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Their Battle to Save America’s Soul by Brian Kilmeade
Children:
- Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man by Tonya Bolden
- Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History by Walter Dean Myers
- Frederick Douglass: Voice for Justice, Voice for Freedom by Frank Murphy
Learn more about abolitionists:
Adult:
- An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World by Patrisse Cullors
- Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell
- Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad by Andrew K. A Diemer
Children:
- Abolitionism: The Movement to End Slavery by Elliott Smith
- I am Harriet Tubman by Brad Meltzer
- If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad by Ebony Wilkins
August 24, 79 A.D. - Vesuvius Erupts and Destroys Pompeii
On Aug. 23, the Feast Day of the Roman God of Fire, Mount Vesuvius began rumbling. The next day Vesuvius, an active volcano in southern Italy, erupted and buried several cities, including Pompeii. In 1748, explorers found the site under layers of dust and debris but realized Pompeii was mostly intact. The ongoing excavation of the city has taught us much about life in the ancient world.
Learn more about Vesuvius and Pompeii:
Adults:
- The Complete Pompeii by Joanne Berry
- Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz
- From Pompeii: The Afterlife of a Roman Town by Ingrid D. Rowland
Children:
- Bodies from Ash by James M. Deem
- Pompeii: The Day a City was Buried by Melanie Rice
- What Was Pompeii? by Jim O’Connor
- You Wouldn’t Want to Live in Pompeii!: A Volcanic Eruption You’d Rather Avoid by John Malam
Learn more about volcanoes:
Adult:
- Aerial Geology: A High-Altitude Tour of North America’s Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks by Mary Caperton Morton
- Fire and Ice: Volcanoes of the Solar System by Natalie Starkey
- Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond by Robin George Andrews
Children:
- Eruption! by Anita Ganeri
- Famous Volcanoes by Julie Murray
- I’m a Volcano! by Bridget Heos
August 31, 1997 - Princess Diana Dies in Car Crash
The mother of Princes William and Harry was often bombarded by photographers. While in Paris, Diana and her boyfriend were trying to flee the paparazzi, when they crashed inside a tunnel by the Seine River. Her funeral was five days later at Westminster Abbey and 1 million mourners lined the route of her procession. She is fondly remembered for her many charitable causes. (Image of Diana photos from Flickr)
Learn more about Princess Diana:
Adults:
- The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
- Diana, A 60th Birthday Tribute by HELLO! Magazine, Collectors’ Special
- The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes by Eloise Moran
- Princess Diana by Life Magazine
Children:
- Princess Diana by Claire L’Hoër
- Who Was Princess Diana? by Ellen Labrecque
Learn more about British royalty:
Adults:
- Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II by Tracy Borman
- Elizabeth & Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage, and Monarchy by Tessa Dunlop
- George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage that Saved the Monarchy by Sally Bedell Smith
- Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War between the Windsors by Tom Bower
Children:
- The Corgi and the Queen by Caroline L. Perry
- King Charles III: Claiming the British Crown by Mari Bolte
- Queen Elizabeth II by Brenda Williams
- Queen Elizabeth II and Her Family by DK Publishing