The Old Farmer's Almanac daily calendar gives you quick reference for the significant events on any day throughout the year.

Victory Day (Rhode Island)

This day marks the anniversary of the Allies’ victory during World War II. Japan agreed to surrender unconditionally, virtually ending the war. The world didn't hear this announcement until the following day, and the surrender wasn't official until September 2, when U.S. general Douglas MacArthur presided over the signing of the surrender document on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. MacArthur had already set up headquarters in Yokohama, becoming the first foreign conquering general to enter Japan in more than 2,000 years. Victory Day is a state holiday in Rhode Island in the United States on the second Monday of August each year.

Every Year

• Victory Day (Rhode Island)

• International Youth Day

1670s

• 1676: Philip, chief of the Wampanog tribe, was killed by a renegade Indian of his own tribe, bringing to an end the first and bloodiest war between American Indians and white settlers of New England, a war that had raged for nearly two years and was known as King Philip's War

1820s

• Died 1827: William Blake (poet)

1850s

• 1851: Isaac Singer received a patent for the continuous-stitch sewing machine

1870s

• 1877: Thomas Edison received a patent for his phonograph

1880s

• Born 1880: Christy Mathewson (baseball hall-of-famer)

• Born 1881: Cecil B. DeMille (director)

1910s

• Born 1911: Cantinflas (aka Mario Moreno Reyes [actor])

1930s

• 1936: Marjorie Gestring, at age 13, won an Olympic gold medal for springboard diving

• Born 1939: George Hamilton (actor)

1940s

• Died 1941: The Viscount Willingdon (Canadian Governor General 1926-1931)

• Died 1944: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (oldest child of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy; brother of President John F. Kennedy)

1950s

• Born 1955: Ann M. Martin (author)

• Born 1956: Bruce Greenwood (actor)

• 1956: Actor William Shatner married Gloria Rand

1960s

• 1960: The first successful communications satellite, Echo I, was launched

• Died 1964: Ian Fleming (writer, creator of Agent 007 James Bond)

• Born 1965: Peter Krause (actor)

1970s

• Born 1971: Michael Ian Black (comedian & actor)

• Born 1971: Pete Sampras (tennis player)

• Born 1974: Matt Clement (baseball player)

• Born 1975: Casey Affleck (actor)

• 1977: Space shuttle Enterprise completed its first free-flight test

• Born 1979: Cindy Klassen (Olympic speed skater; only Canadian Olympian to win five medals in a single Olympic games)

1980s

• 1981: The IBM PC was introduced

• Died 1982: Henry Fonda (actor)

• 1986: Patent issued for therapeutic horseshoe

1990s

• 1990: Cathy Gerring won the Stratton Mountain LPGA Golf Classic, in Vermont

• 1990: Fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson found Tyrannosaurus rex bones near Faith, South Dakota

• 1994: 232-day baseball strike began, causing World Series to be canceled

2000s

• Died 2000: Loretta Young (actress)

• Died 2002: Enos "Country" Slaughter (baseball player)

• Died 2002: Ed Headrick (designed the frisbee)

• Died 2007: Merv Griffin

2010s

• Died 2014: Lauren Bacall (actress)