Today in History: August 19, Iran’s elected prime minister overthrown in US-backed coup
Today is Wednesday, Aug. 19, the 231st day of 2026. There are 134 days left in the year.
Today in History:
On Aug. 19, 1953, Iran’s elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeq, was overthrown in a coup backed by the U.S. and U.K. that ultimately restored Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power.
Also on this date:
In 1692, four men and one woman were hanged after being convicted of witchcraft at Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay; the story of one of the men, John Proctor, inspired Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.”
In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, with the objective of capturing Washington, D.C.
In 1854, 31 U.S. soldiers were killed after one of the soldiers fatally shot Brule Lakota Chief Conquering Bear, sparking the First Sioux War.
In 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted its first automobile race.
In 1934, German voters approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler.
In 1955, torrential rains caused by Hurricane Diane resulted in severe flooding in the northeastern U.S., claiming some 200 lives.
In 1960, a tribunal in Moscow convicted American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. (Although sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, Powers was returned to the United States in 1962 as part of a prisoner exchange.)
In 1980, 301 people aboard Saudia Flight 163 died as the jetliner made a fiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport.
In 2010, the last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after a U.S.-led invasion marked the beginning of the Iraq War.
In 2013, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was indicted in Pretoria, South Africa, on charges of murder and illegal possession of ammunition in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home on Valentine’s Day; Pistorius maintained he’d mistaken her for an intruder. (Pistorius would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to prison; he was released on parole in January 2024.)
In 2022, armed Islamic militants stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital, engaging in an hourslong firefight with security forces that left at least 20 people dead and dozens wounded. Authorities said more than 100 hostages were rescued during the 30-hour siege in Mogadishu.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Former tennis player & coach Renee Richards is 92.
- Actor Jill St. John is 86.
- Author Jack Canfield is 82.
- Rock singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is 81.
- Former President Bill Clinton is 80.
- Actor Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”) is 78.
- Rock bassist John Deacon (Queen) is 76.
- Actor-director Jonathan Frakes is 74.
- Actor Peter Gallagher is 71.
- Actor Adam Arkin is 70.
- Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz is 68.
- Musician Ivan Neville is 67.
- Football Hall of Famer Morten Andersen is 66.
- Actor John Stamos is 63.
- Actor Kyra Sedgwick is 61.
- Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 59.
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is 59.
- Country singer Clay Walker is 57.
- Olympic gold medal tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez is 55.
- Actor Erika Christensen is 44.
- Actor Melissa Fumero is 44.
- Author Veronica Roth is 38.
- Actor Ethan Cutkosky (TV: “Shameless”) is 27.
- Actor Brighton Sharbino is 24.