19689 events recorded

August

World War II · August 20
Tanks Roll Into Prague

Warsaw Pact troops and roughly 2,000 tanks invaded Czechoslovakia overnight to crush the reforms of the Prague Spring.

September

Politics · September 6
Eswatini's Independence

The Kingdom of Swaziland (now Eswatini) gained independence from Britain, restoring sovereignty to King Sobhuza II under a new constitutional monarchy.

Politics · September 10
Swaziland Gains Independence

The Kingdom of Swaziland (now Eswatini) became fully independent from Britain, with King Sobhuza II as head of a new constitutional monarchy.

October

Space · October 11
Apollo 7 Launches

NASA launched Apollo 7, its first crewed mission after the fatal Apollo 1 fire, testing the redesigned command module in Earth orbit for eleven days.

Culture · October 11
National Farm Workers Grape Boycott Grows

Cesar Chavez's grape boycott gained major momentum as consumer support surged, pressuring California growers toward historic labor agreements.

Culture · October 16
Olympic Black Power Salute

Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists on the medal podium at the Mexico City Olympics, a silent protest against racism that stunned the world.

November

Space · November 5
Zond 6 Slingshots Around the Moon

The Soviet uncrewed spacecraft Zond 6 looped around the Moon and photographed its far side before a parachute failure crash-landed it back on Earth.

December

Space · December 16
Apollo 8 Splashes Down

Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders returned safely to Earth after humanity's first crewed voyage around the Moon.

Space · December 18
Apollo 8 Circles the Moon

Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders continue their historic lunar orbits, the first humans ever to leave Earth's gravitational pull and circle another world.