Box-office #1
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · dir. Irvin Kershner
Wide US release on May 23, 1980. Goes on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Sci-fiStar Wars $538M worldwide
On this day
August 30 Sunday, August 30, 2026
A curious almanac of what happened on August 30 across the years — history, birthdays, the songs that ruled the charts, the films that packed cinemas, and the science that nudged the world forward.
12
Events
7
Birthdays
8
Holidays
1727
Royalty 299 years ago
Anne, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain, is given the title Princess Royal.
Anne, eldest daughter of King George II, becomes the first British princess to receive the newly created title Princess Royal.
History
What happened on August 30
12 verified entries Full timeline
- 70War
Titus ends the siege of Jerusalem after destroying Herod's Temple.
Titus ends the siege of Jerusalem, marking the destruction of Herod's Temple.
- 1057European history
Elderly Byzantine Emperor Michael VI Bringas abdicates after just one year on the throne.
Michael VI Bringas, elderly Byzantine emperor, abdicates after just one year of tumultuous rule marked by military revolt.
- 1060War
The Mirdasids defeat the Fatimid Caliphate at the Battle of al-Funaydiq, signalling the definitive loss of Aleppo for the Fatimids.
The Mirdasids defeat the Fatimid Caliphate at the Battle of al-Funaydiq, marking Aleppo's loss to the Fatimids.
- 1282European history
Peter III of Aragon lands at Trapani to intervene in the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
Peter III of Aragon arrives in Trapani, Sicily, to support the rebellion against Angevin rule in the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
- 1363War
The five-week Battle of Lake Poyang begins, in which the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders (Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang) meet to decide who will supplant the Yuan dynasty.
The five-week Battle of Lake Poyang begins as rival rebel leaders Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang clash to determine who will overthrow the Yuan dynasty.
- 1464Religion
Paul II succeeds Pius II as pope of the Catholic Church.
Paul II becomes the new pope, succeeding Pius II in the Catholic Church.
- 1590World history
Tokugawa Ieyasu enters Edo Castle. (Traditional Japanese date: August 1, 1590)
Tokugawa Ieyasu establishes his base in Edo Castle, marking the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule over Japan.
- 1594Royalty
King James VI of Scotland holds a masque at the baptism of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle.
King James VI of Scotland hosts a lavish masque at Prince Henry's baptism in Stirling Castle.
- 1721European history
The Great Northern War between Sweden and Russia ends in the Treaty of Nystad.
Sweden and Russia conclude the Great Northern War with the Treaty of Nystad, ending Swedish dominance in the Baltic region.
- 1727Royalty
Anne, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain, is given the title Princess Royal.
Anne, eldest daughter of King George II, becomes the first British princess to receive the newly created title Princess Royal.
- 1836US history
The city of Houston is founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen.
Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen found the city of Houston.
- 1967US history
Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Born today
Famous birthdays on August 30
7 this date All birthdays
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff
Dutch chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, the Dutch physical chemist who won the first Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions, was born today in 1852.
Born
1852
Died
1911
Huey Long
American lawyer and politician, 40th Governor of Louisiana
1893 – 1935
Elizabeth Ashley
American actress
b. 1939 · 87
Jonathan Aitken
Irish-British journalist and politician, Minister for Defence Procurement
b. 1942 · 84
Fred Hampton
American activist and revolutionary, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party
1948 – 1969
Timothy Bottoms
American actor
b. 1951 · 75
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Communications and IT
b. 1954 · 72
Music
The number one songs on August 30
Across the years Full chart history
🇬🇧 #1 on August 30, 1981
"Stand and Deliver"
by Adam and the Ants
The dandy highwayman spent five weeks at the top — a brash, glam-pop coronation.
#1 for 5 weeks
Also #1 on this day
- 1965"Ticket To Ride"— The Beatles
- 1972"Metal Guru"— T. Rex
- 2003"Make Luv"— Room 5 ft. Oliver Cheatham
Film & TV
At the movies
Box office #1 and premieres All releases
🏆 Sport August 30, 1936
The RMS Queen Mary wins the Blue Riband by setting the fastest transatlantic crossing.
The RMS Queen Mary sets a record for the fastest transatlantic crossing, winning the Blue Riband.
Read the story
🔬 Science August 30, 1909
Burgess Shale fossils are discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott.
Charles Doolittle Walcott discovers the Burgess Shale fossils, providing crucial insights into early Cambrian life.
Read the storyToday is also
Holidays & observances
8 celebrated today
Constitution Day (Kazakhstan)
International
Constitution Day of Kazakhstan is one of the main national holidays in Kazakhstan
Constitution Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)
International
A national day is a day on which celebrations mark the statehood or nationhood of a state or its people
Independence Day (Tatarstan, Russia not formally recognized)
International
A national day is a day on which celebrations mark the statehood or nationhood of a state or its people
International Day of the Disappeared
International
The International Day of the Disappeared, on August 30 of each year, is a day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relat
International Whale Shark Day
International
Popular Consultation Day (East Timor)
International
The culture of Timor-Leste reflects numerous cultural influences, including Portuguese, Roman Catholic, and Malay, on the indigenous Austronesian cultures in Timor-Leste