This Month in History: August

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:

Heroes for My Son by Brad Meltzer
How to Become Famous: Lost Einsteins, Forgotten Superstars, and How the Beatles Came to Be by Cass R. Sunstein
The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski

Children:

Extraordinary People: A Semi-Comprehensive Guide to Some of the World’s Most Fascinating Individuals by Michael Hearst
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:

The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation by Linda Hirshman
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
Speeches & Writings by Frederick Douglass

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
The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights by Dorothy Wickenden
Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell
Unsung: Unheralded Narratives of American Slavery & Abolition edited by Michelle D. Commander
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
Resistance to Slavery: From Escape to Everyday Rebellion by Cicely Lewis

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:

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
How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History’s Deadliest Catastrophes by Cody Cassidy
The Time Traveler’s Handbook: 18 Experiences from the Eruption of Vesuvius to Woodstock by James Wyllie

Children:

Abandoned Places by Hailey Scragg
Bodies from Ash by James M. Deem
You Wouldn’t Want to Live in Pompeii!: A Volcanic Eruption You’d Rather Avoid by John Malam

Learn more about volcanoes:

Adult:

Adventures in Volcanoland: What Volcanoes Tell Us About the World and Ourselves by Tamsin A. Mather
Aerial Geology: A High-Altitude Tour of North America’s Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks by Mary Caperton Morton
Mountains of Fire: The Menace, Meaning, and Magic of Volcanoes by Clive Oppenheimer
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
Kaboom!: A Volcano Erupts by Jessica Kulekjian
Volcanoes by Nell Cross Beckerman

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: