August 8: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

New South Wales, Australia, announced they were 100 percent in drought.

A staggering 77 percent was in drought, while 23 percent suffered extreme drought.

The South Korean band “Blackpink” released their debut single album “Square One.”

The World Health Organization announced the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

A male cheerleader shot and killed four people, and injured four more at two locations in Dallas, Texas.

When the attacker was found, he pretended he was one of the victims too.

Flooding in Manila, Philippines, claimed the lives of at least 72 people, and 850,000 others were forced to leave their homes.

The EF2 tornado ripped through Brooklyn, New York, for 18 minutes, causing nine injuries and $20 million in damages.

Coolio’s hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise” was released.

The single sold over 6 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling songs ever.

During a tour in Montreal, Canada, James Hetfield from the band Metallica received third-degree burns to his arms, face, hands, and legs.

The Warsaw Radio Mast in Poland malfunctioned and collapsed.

When it was constructed in 1974, it was the tallest structure in the world at 2,120.7 ft tall. It remained the tallest until it collapsed on this day.

The Space Shuttle Colombia launched from the Kennedy Space Center for a secret military mission.

Mission STS-28 was the thirtieth of NASA's Space Shuttle missions and the fourth mission on behalf of the US Department of Defense. The details are classified, of course, but it's believed that the shuttle was used to deploy a military communications satellite.

Richard Nixon announced his resignation from being President of the United States of America.

The Defence of the Realm Act was introduced in Britain.

The act gave the government of Britain full power over the country's economy and daily life. The concept behind DORA was that the government could keep the country going while they were at war.

Smith and Wesson patented the first metal bullet cartridges.

The US Congress made a final decision on the use of the US Dollar as currency.

In a meeting with the Board of Treasury on this day, it was decided precisely how the US Dollar would work, its value, and how the currency would be made.

Estonian tribes defeated Sweden in the Battle of Lihula.