So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

August 4th


- Christian Feast Day
- Constitution Day (Cook Islands)
- Matica Slovenská Day (Slovakia)
- Revolution Day (Burkina Faso)
- The first day of Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

August 4th


- 2010 - California's Proposition 8, the ballot initiative prohibiting same-sex marriage passed by the state's voters in 2008, was overturned by Judge Vaughn Walker in the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
- 2007 - NASA's Phoenix spaceship is launched.
- 2007 - Airport police officer María del Luján Telpuk discovers a suitcase containing the undeclared sum of US$800,000 as it goes through an x-ray machine in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, sparking an international scandal involving Venezuela and Argentina known as "Maletinazo".
- 2006 - A massacre, is carried out by Sri Lankan government forces, killing 17 employees of the French INGO Action Against Hunger (known internationally as Action Contre la Faim, or ACF).
- 2005 - Prime Minister Paul Martin announces that Michaëlle Jean will be Canada's 27th Governor General.
- 2002 - Soham murders: 10 year old school girls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells go missing from the town of Soham, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
- 1995 - Operation Storm begins in Croatia.
- 1993 - A federal judge sentences LAPD officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell to 30 months in prison for violating motorist Rodney King's civil rights.
- 1991 - The Greek cruise ship MTS Oceanos sinks off the Wild Coast of South Africa.
- 1987 - The Federal Communications Commission rescinds the Fairness Doctrine which had required radio and television stations to present controversial issues "fairly".
- 1984 - The Republic of Upper Volta changes its name to Burkina Faso.
- 1977 - US President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy.
- 1975 - The Japanese Red Army takes more than 50 hostages at the AIA Building housing several embassies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The hostages include the U.S. consul and the Swedish chargé d’affaires. The gunmen win the release of five imprisoned comrades and fly with them to Libya.
- 1974 - A bomb explodes in the Italicus Express train at San Benedetto Val di Sambro, Italy, killing 12 people and wounding 22.
- 1969 - Vietnam War: at the apartment of French intermediary Jean Sainteny in Paris, American representative Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese representative Xuan Thuy begin secret peace negotiations. The negotiations will eventually fail.
- 1965 - The Constitution of Cook Islands comes into force, giving the Cook Islands self-governing status within New Zealand.
- 1964 - American civil rights movement: civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney are found dead in Mississippi after disappearing on June 21.
- 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Incident: U.S. destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy report coming under attack in the Gulf of Tonkin.
- 1958 - The Billboard Hot 100 is founded.
- 1954 - The Government of Pakistan approves Qaumi Tarana, written by Hafeez Jullundhry and composed by Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla, as the national anthem.
- 1947 - The Supreme Court of Japan is established.
- 1946 - An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hits northern Dominican Republic. 100 are killed and 20,000 are left homeless.
- 1944 - The Holocaust: a tip from a Dutch informer leads the Gestapo to a sealed-off area in an Amsterdam warehouse where they find Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family.
- 1936 - Prime Minister of Greece Ioannis Metaxas suspends parliament and the Constitution and establishes the 4th of August Regime.
- 1924 - Diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Soviet Union are established.
- 1916 - World War I: Liberia declares war on Germany.
- 1914 - World War I: Germany invades Belgium. In response, the United Kingdom declares war on Germany. The United States declare their neutrality.
- 1906 - Central Railway Station, Sydney opens.
- 1902 - The Greenwich foot tunnel under the River Thames opens.
- 1892 - The parents of Lizzie Borden are found murdered in their Fall River, Massachusetts home.
- 1873 - Indian Wars: whilst protecting a railroad survey party in Montana, the United States 7th Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer clashes for the first time with the Sioux near the Tongue River; only one man on each side is killed.
- 1863 - Matica slovenská, Slovakia's public-law cultural and scientific institution focusing on topics around the Slovak nation, is established in Martin.
- 1854 - The Hinomaru is established as the official flag to be flown from Japanese ships.
- 1824 - The Battle of Kos is fought between Turk and Greek forces.
- 1821 - Atkinson & Alexander publish the Saturday Evening Post for the first time as a weekly newspaper.
- 1791 - The Treaty of Sistova is signed, ending the Ottoman-Habsburg wars.
- 1790 - A newly passed tariff act creates the Revenue Cutter Service (the forerunner of the United States Coast Guard).
- 1789 - In France members of the National Constituent Assembly take an oath to end feudalism and abandon their privileges.
- 1704 - War of the Spanish Succession: Gibraltar is captured by an English and Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke and allied with Archduke Charles.
- 1693 - Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Perignon's invention of Champagne.
- 1578 - Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir – the Moroccans defeat the Portuguese. King Sebastian of Portugal is killed in the battle, leaving his elderly uncle, Cardinal Henry, as his heir. This initiates a succession crisis in Portugal.
- 1532 - the Duchy of Brittany is annexed to the Kingdom of France.
- 1265 - Second Barons' War: Battle of Evesham – the army of Prince Edward (the future king Edward I of England) defeats the forces of rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, killing de Montfort and many of his allies.
- 367 - Gratian, son of Roman Emperor Valentinian I, is named co-Augustus by his father and associated to the throne aged eight.
- 70 - The destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans.

August 4th


- 2001 - Seishiro Kato, Japanese child actor
- 1994 - Mayuko Fukuda, Japanese actress
- 1992 - Tiffany Evans, American singer
- 1992 - Cole Sprouse, American actor
- 1992 - Dylan Sprouse, American actor
- 1991 - Thiago Cardoso, Brazilian footballer
- 1989 - Jessica Mauboy, Australian singer (Young Divas)
- 1987 - Jang Geun Suk, Korean actor
- 1985 - Crystal Bowersox, American singer
- 1985 - Mark Milligan, Australian footballer
- 1985 - Ha Seung-Jin, Korean basketball player
- 1985 - Luis Antonio Valencia, Ecuadorean footballer
- 1985 - Kina Grannis, American musician
- 1984 - Mardy Collins, American basketball player
- 1981 - Frédérick Bousquet, French swimmer
- 1981 - Marques Houston, American singer (IMx) and actor
- 1981 - Ben Scott, English cricketer
- 1980 - Richard Dawson, English cricketer
- 1979 - Robin Peterson, South African cricketer
- 1978 - Kurt Busch, American race car driver
- 1977 - Frankie Kazarian, American professional wrestler
- 1977 - Luís Boa Morte, Portuguese footballer
- 1976 - Andrew McLeod, Australian footballer
- 1975 - Andy Hallett, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1975 - Nikos Liberopoulos, Greek footballer
- 1975 - Daniella van Graas, Dutch model and actress
- 1974 - Kily González, Argentine footballer
- 1974 - Keenan Milton, American professional skater (d. 2001)
- 1973 - Eva Amaral, Spanish singer and songwriter
- 1973 - Xavier Marchand, French swimmer
- 1972 - Stefan Brogren, Canadian actor
- 1971 - Jeff Gordon, American race car driver
- 1970 - John August, American screenwriter
- 1970 - Steve House, American mountaineer
- 1970 - Steven Jack, South African cricketer
- 1969 - Michael DeLuise, American actor
- 1969 - Troy O'Leary, American baseball player
- 1969 - Max Cavalera, Brazilian vocalist and guitarist (Sepultura, Soulfly)
- 1968 - Daniel Dae Kim, American actor
- 1968 - Marcus Schenkenberg, Swedish model
- 1967 - Timothy Adams, American actor
- 1967 - Michael Marsh, American sprinter
- 1966 - Kensuke Sasaki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1965 - Dennis Lehane, American crime writer
- 1965 - Fredrik Reinfeldt, 42nd Prime Minister of Sweden
- 1965 - Crystal Chappell, American actress
- 1964 - Andrew Bartlett, Australian politician and activist
- 1964 - Gary King, British radio presenter
- 1962 - Roger Clemens, American baseball player
- 1962 - Paul Reynolds, British guitarist (A Flock of Seagulls)
- 1961 - Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
- 1961 - Lauren Tom, American actress
- 1960 - Dean Malenko, American professional wrestler
- 1960 - Bernard Rose, English director
- 1960 - Tim Winton, Australian writer
- 1960 - José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, 5th Prime Minister of Spain
- 1959 - Robbin Crosby, American guitarist (Ratt) (d. 2002)
- 1959 - John Gormley, Irish politician
- 1958 - Ian Broudie, English music producer and vocalist (Lightning Seeds)
- 1958 - Allison Hedge Coke, American poet and writer
- 1958 - Mary Decker, American middle-distance runner
- 1958 - Kym Karath, American actress
- 1957 - Brooks D. Simpson, American historian
- 1957 - John Wark, Scottish footballer
- 1956 - Gerry Cooney, American boxer
- 1955 - Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer
- 1955 - Alberto Gonzales, 80th U.S. Attorney General
- 1955 - Billy Bob Thornton, American actor and writer
- 1954 - François Valéry, French singer-songwriter and composer
- 1952 - Moya Brennan, Irish singer
- 1952 - Gábor Demszky, Hungarian politician
- 1949 - John Riggins, American football player
- 1948 - Johnny Grubb, American baseball player
- 1947 - Klaus Schulze, German composer
- 1946 - Maureen Starkey, English ex-wife of Ringo Starr (d. 1994)
- 1945 - Alan Mulally, American businessman
- 1944 - Richard Belzer, American actor and comedian
- 1944 - Doudou Ndoye?, Senegalese lawyer and politician
- 1943 - Bjørn Wirkola, Norwegian ski jumper
- 1943 - Vicente Alberto Álvarez Areces, Spanish politician
- 1942 - Cleon Jones, American baseball player
- 1942 - David Lange, New Zealand politician (d. 2005)
- 1942 - Don S. Davis, American actor and painter (d. 2008)
- 1941 - Martin Jarvis, English actor
- 1941 - Ted Strickland, American politician
- 1940 - Timi Yuro, American singer (d. 2004)
- 1939 - Frank Vincent, American actor
- 1938 - Ellen Schrecker, American college professor
- 1937 - David Bedford, English keyboardist and composer
- 1932 - Liang Congjie, Chinese environmentalist (d. 2010)
- 1931 - Naren Tamhane, Indian cricketer (d. 2002)
- 1930 - Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iranian Shi'a cleric
- 1929 - Kishore Kumar, Indian singer and actor (d. 1987)
- 1928 - Christian Goethals, Belgian racing driver (d. 2003)
- 1927 - Jess Thomas, American tenor (d. 1993)
- 1926 - George Irving Bell, American mountaineer (d. 2000)
- 1923 - Reg Grundy, Australian media and television mogul
- 1923 - Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi, Pakistani satirical and humor writer
- 1921 - Herb Ellis, American jazz guitarist (d. 2010)
- 1921 - Maurice Richard, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2000)
- 1920 - Helen Thomas, American journalist
- 1919 - Michel Déon, French writer
- 1918 - Iceberg Slim, American author (d. 1992)
- 1915 - Warren Avis, American entrepreneur (d. 2007)
- 1913 - Robert Hayden, American poet (d. 1980)
- 1912 - Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov, Russian mathematician and mountaineer (d. 1999)
- 1912 - Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat (d. 1947)
- 1910 - William Schuman, American composer (d. 1992)
- 1910 - Anita Page, American actress (d. 2008)
- 1910 - Hedda Sterne, Romanian-born American painter and printmaker
- 1909 - Glenn Cunningham, American middle-distance runner (d. 1988)
- 1909 - Saunders Mac Lane, American mathematician (d. 2005)
- 1908 - Kurt Eichhorn, German conductor (d. 1994)
- 1906 - Marie-José of Belgium, consort of Umberto II of Italy (d. 2001)
- 1906 - Eugen Schuhmacher, German zoologist (d. 1973)
- 1904 - Witold Gombrowicz, Polish novelist and dramatist (d. 1969)
- 1904 - Helen Kane, American singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1966)
- 1904 - Joe Tate, English footballer (d. 1973)
- 1902 - Wild Bill Hallahan, American baseball player (d. 1981)
- 1901 - Louis Armstrong, American jazz trumpeter and singer (d. 1971)
- 1901 - Clarence Passailaigue, Jamaican cricketer (d. 1972)
- 1900 - Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Scottish consort of George VI (d. 2002)
- 1899 - Ezra Taft Benson, American religious figure (d. 1994)
- 1890 - Dolf Luque, Cuban baseball player (d. 1957)
- 1888 - Syedna Taher Saifuddin, Indian Dawoodi Bohra leader, 51st Da'i al-Mutlaq (d. 1965)
- 1884 - Henri Cornet, French cyclist (d. 1941)
- 1870 - Sir Harry Lauder, Scottish entertainer (d. 1950)
- 1867 - Jake Beckley, American baseball player (d. 1918)
- 1865 - Gus Kempis, South African cricketer (d. 1890)
- 1859 - Knut Hamsun, Norwegian writer, Nobel Laureate (d. 1952)
- 1848 - Vladimir Sukhomlinov, Russian general (d. 1926)
- 1844 - Henri Berger, German composer and royal bandmaster (d. 1929)
- 1834 - John Venn, English mathematician (d. 1923)
- 1821 - James Springer White, American theologian (d. 1881)
- 1821 - Louis Vuitton, French designer (d. 1892)
- 1805 - William Rowan Hamilton, Irish mathematician (d. 1865)
- 1792 - Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet (d. 1822)
- 1755 - Nicolas-Jacques Conté, French painter and inventor (d. 1805)
- 1721 - Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, English politician (d. 1803)
- 1719 - Johann Gottlob Lehmann, German minerologist and geologist (d. 1767)
- 1701 - Thomas Blackwell, Scottish classical scholar (d. 1757)
- 1604 - François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac, French writer (d. 1676)
- 1521 - Pope Urban VII (d. 1590)
- 1290 - Duke Leopold I of Austria (d. 1326)
- 1222 - Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, English soldier (d. 1262)