On This Day In History: The Liberation of Paris

1944

Paris is liberated after four years of Nazi occupation

Born on This Day

Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein

1918 - 1990

Composer and conductor known for "West Side Story," "Candide" and televised classical music lectures popularizing the genre.

Sean Connery

Sean Connery

1930 - 2020

Scottish actor known for portraying James Bond. Oscar-winner for "The Untouchables."

This June 1951 file picture shows US tennis player

Althea Gibson

1927 - 2003

Tennis player who was the first African American to win a Grand Slam title, breaking racial barriers in the sport.

1921

AUG

25

Franklin D. Roosevelt, age 39, is diagnosed with polio, also called infantile paralysis because it typically strikes much younger people. He will never regain the full use of his legs.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on August 25th

1835

“The Great Moon Hoax” is published in the “New York Sun”

On August 25, 1835, the first in a series of six articles announcing the supposed discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper.

1875

Englishman swims the Channel

Matthew Webb, a 27-year-old merchant navy captain, becomes the first known person to successfully swim the English Channel. Captain Webb accomplished the grueling 21-mile crossing, which really entailed 39 miles of swimming because of tidal currents, in 21 hours and 45 minutes. Webb set out to much fanfare the day before, on August 24. During the overnight crossing from Dover, England, to Calais, France, Captain Webb drank brandy, coffee and beef tea to keep his strength and heat up. He was hailed as a national hero upon his return to England, and a triumphal arch was erected in his honor in his hometown in Shropshire. The Daily Telegraph proclaimed, “At this moment the Captain is probably the best-known and most popular man in the world.”

1896

Outlaw Bill Doolin is killed

The outlaw Bill Doolin is killed by a posse at Lawson, Oklahoma on the night of August 25, 1896.

1914

Germans burn Belgian town of Louvain

Over the course of five days, beginning August 25, 1914, German troops stationed in the Belgian village of Louvain during the opening month of World War I burn and loot much of the town, executing hundreds of civilians.

1931

Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000

On August 25, 1931, after months of torrential flooding, levees around the city of Gaoyou, China, break and the Yangtze River overflows, killing between 10,000 and 15,000 in a single night. The disastrous breach was part of a catastrophic flood that killed an estimated 3.7 million people directly and indirectly over the next several months, and left some 40 million without homes. This was perhaps the worst natural disaster of the 20th century.

1939

“The Wizard of Oz” opens in U.S. theaters

On August 25, 1939, The Wizard of Oz, which will become one of the best-loved movies in history, opens in theaters around the United States.

1945

John Birch, inspiration to conservatives, killed by Chinese communists

On August 25, 1945, John Birch, an American missionary to China before the war and a captain in the Army during the war, is killed by Chinese communists days after the surrender of Japan, for no apparent reason. His death would inspire a small but vocal group of conservative anticommunists.

1950

Truman orders army to seize control of railroads

On August 25, 1950, in anticipation of a crippling strike by railroad workers, President Harry S. Truman issues an executive order putting America’s railroads under the control of the U.S. Army, as of August 27, at 4:00 pm.

1958

Momofuku Ando creates the first mass-market instant ramen

To help address the food shortage crisis in Japan after World War II, inventor and businessman Momofuku Ando develops Chicken Ramen, the first-ever instant noodles, on August 25, 1958. The shelf-stable noodles are readily available, take two minutes to cook and fill hungry bellies. Today, instant noodles are a ubiquitous global fast food—and not just in college dorms. More than 100 billion servings of the just-add-water meals are consumed annually, the World Instant Noodles Association reports.

1962

Little Eva earns a #1 hit with “Loco-Motion”

On August 25, 1962, a diminutive, 17-year-old singer named Eva Narcissus Boyd scored her first and only #1 pop hit with “The Loco-Motion.”

1979

Hurricane David is born

On August 25, 1979, the storm that will become Hurricane David forms near Cape Verde off the African coast in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It would go on to devastate the island of Dominica, and then the Dominican Republic, [killing at least 2,000 people](http://Its winds increased further as it moved west-northwestward toward the island of Hispañola and had peak sustained winds at 175 mph (280 km/hr) just prior to its landfall at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The winds and heavy rain caused 2000 deaths and US$1 billion in damage in that country.).

1982

U.S. Marines deployed to Lebanon

During the Lebanese Civil War, a multinational force including 800 U.S. Marines lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was the beginning of a problem-plagued mission that would stretch into 17 months and leave 262 U.S. servicemen dead.

1984

Truman Capote, author of “In Cold Blood,” dies

Truman Capote, the author of the pioneering true-crime novel In Cold Blood, dies at age 59 in Los Angeles.

1985

Samantha Smith dies in plane crash

Samantha Smith, the 13-year-old “ambassador” to the Soviet Union, dies in a plane crash. Smith was best known for writing to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov in 1982 and visiting the Soviet Union as Andropov’s guest in 1983.

2009

Ted Kennedy, “liberal lion of the Senate,” dies at 77

On August 25, 2009, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. senator from Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009, dies of brain cancer at age 77 at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Kennedy, one of the longest-serving senators in American history, was a leader of the Democratic Party and a spokesman for liberal causes who also was known for his ability to work with those on both sides of the political aisle.

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us