Key Historical Events on August 25

Key Historical Events on August 25

1944 – Liberation of Paris: Allied forces freed Paris after four years under Nazi occupation .

1609 – Galileo demonstrates the first telescope, marking a pivotal moment in astronomy .

1825 – Uruguay declares independence from the Brazilian Empire .

1835 – The “Great Moon Hoax” begins publication in the New York Sun, claiming life on the Moon—one of the most famous media hoaxes in history .

1875 – Captain Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim across the English Channel, completing the feat in under 22 hours .

1916 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs the National Park Service Organic Act, officially creating the National Park Service to preserve America's natural and historic treasures .

1928 – Richard E. Byrd embarks on a pioneering expedition to Antarctica .

1948 – The first-ever televised congressional hearing is held by the House Un-American Activities Committee. A noted confrontation takes place between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss .

1981 – NASA’s Voyager 2 passes within approximately 63,000 miles of Saturn, providing unprecedented images and data of the ringed planet .

2001 – Singer Aaliyah tragically dies in a plane crash in the Bahamas, at just 22 years old .

2012 – Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, pass away at age 82 .

---

Other Interesting Moments on August 25

1931 – The Yangtze River floods catastrophically in Gaoyou, China, killing between 10,000 and 15,000 people in a single night .

1939 – “The Wizard of Oz” premieres in U.S. theaters—a beloved film that would become iconic in cinema history .

---

Recap Table

Year Event

1609 Galileo demonstrates the first telescope

1825 Uruguay declares independence

1835 “Great Moon Hoax” published

1875 Matthew Webb swims the English Channel

1916 National Park Service (U.S.) established

1928 Richard Byrd’s Antarctic expedition departs

1931 Devastating Yangtze River flood in China

1939 Premiere of The Wizard of Oz

1944 Liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation

1948 First televised congressional hearing (Chambers vs. Hiss)

1981 Voyager 2 flyby of Saturn

2001 Death of singer Aaliyah

2012 Death of astronaut Neil Armstrong