August 6
August 6 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 147 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Leo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On August 6 the Sun's declination is approximately +16.3°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a August 6.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian holidays and observances Transfiguration of Jesus
- Christian holidays and observances Anna Maria Rubatto
- Christian holidays and observances Hormisdas
- Christian holidays and observances Justus and Pastor
- Christian holidays and observances August 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2015 — A suicide bomb attack kills at least 15 people at a mosque in the Saudi city of Abha. ↗(11 years ago)more
The 2015 Abha mosque bombing occurred on 6 August 2015, when a suicide bomb attack killed 17 people at a mosque in the south-western Saudi Arabian city of Abha.
2012 — NASA's Curiosity rover lands on the surface of Mars. ↗(14 years ago)more
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program and for research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the U.S.
2011 — War in Afghanistan: A United States military helicopter is shot down, killing 30 American special forces members and a working dog, seven Afghan soldiers, and one Afghan civilian. It was the deadliest single event for the United States in the War in Afghanistan. ↗(15 years ago)more
The war in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict lasting from 2001 to 2021. It began with an invasion by a United States–led coalition under the name Operation Enduring Freedom in response to the September 11 attacks (9/11) carried out by the Taliban-allied and Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda.
2010 — Flash floods across a large part of Jammu and Kashmir, India, damages 71 towns and kills at least 255 people. ↗(16 years ago)more
The 2010 Ladakh floods occurred on 6 August 2010 across a large part of Ladakh, then part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 71 towns and villages were damaged, including the main town in the area, Leh.
2008 — A military junta led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stages a coup d'état in Mauritania, overthrowing president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. ↗(18 years ago)more
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is a retired Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the 8th President of Mauritania from 2009 to 2019.
2001 — Erwadi fire incident: Twenty-eight mentally ill persons tied to a chain are burnt to death at a faith based institution at Erwadi, Tamil Nadu. ↗(25 years ago)more
The Erwadi fire incident was an incident that occurred on 6 August 2001, when 28 inmates of a faith-based mental asylum died in the fire. All these inmates were bound by chains at the Moideen Badusha Mental Home in Erwadi village in Tamil Nadu, India.
1997 — Korean Air Flight 801 crashed at Nimitz Hill, Guam, killing 229 of the 254 people on board. ↗(29 years ago)more
Korean Air Flight 801 was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Korean Air, from Gimpo International Airport, Seoul to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam. On August 6, 1997, the Boeing 747-300 operating the flight crashed on Bijia Peak, south of Nimitz Hill, in Asan-Maina, Guam, while on approach to the destination airport, ki...
- 1996 — NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms. ↗(30 years ago)
more
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program and for research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the U.S.
1991 — Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW makes its first appearance as a publicly available service on the Internet. ↗(35 years ago)more
Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, also known as TimBL, is an English computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, HTML, the URL system, and HTTP. He is a professorial research fellow at the University of Oxford and a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
1991 — Takako Doi, chair of the Social Democratic Party, becomes Japan's first female speaker of the House of Representatives. ↗(35 years ago)more
Takako Doi was a Japanese politician. She was leader of the Japan Socialist Party from 1986 to 1991 and its successor party the Social Democratic Party from 1996 to 2003. In the former role, she became the first female leader of a major Japanese political party, and the country's first female opposition leader.
1990 — Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. ↗(36 years ago)more
The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of K...
1986 — A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ↗(40 years ago)more
New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state.
Notable births
2004 — Takhmina Ikromova, Uzbekistani rhythmic gymnast ↗(22 years ago)more
Takhmina Ikromova is an Uzbekistani rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2022 Asian Games all-around and team gold medalist, a three-time Asian all-around champion and the 2025 World University Games all-around silver medalist.
2002 — Nessa Barrett, American singer-songwriter ↗(24 years ago)more
Janesa Jaida "Nessa" Barrett is an American singer-songwriter and social media personality. She rose to prominence on TikTok and began uploading song covers as a teenager, which led her to sign a recording contract with Warner Records. She released her debut single, Pain, in 2020.
1999 — Hunter Greene, American baseball player ↗(27 years ago)more
Christian Hunter Greene is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Reds selected him second overall in the 2017 MLB draft.
1999 — Rebeka Masarova, Spanish-Swiss tennis player ↗(27 years ago)more
Rebeka Masarova is a Swiss professional tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of No. 62 in singles and No. 125 in doubles, achieved in 2023. Masarova won the juniors' 2016 French Open.
1995 — Rebecca Peterson, Swedish tennis player ↗(31 years ago)more
Rebecca Peterson is a Swedish inactive professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 43 in singles and No. 87 in doubles by the WTA.
1991 — Wilmer Flores, Venezuelan baseball player ↗(35 years ago)more
Wilmer Alejandro Flores Garcia, nicknamed "Catire", is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Francisco Giants.
Notable deaths
2024 — Billy Bean, American baseball player (born 1964) ↗(2 years ago)more
William Daro Bean was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers (1987–1989), Los Angeles Dodgers (1989), and San Diego Padres (1993–1995), as well as the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 1992.
2024 — Connie Chiume, South African actress and filmmaker (born 1952) ↗(2 years ago)more
Connie Temweka Gabisile Chiume was a South African actress and filmmaker. She was known for her film roles in Black Panther, Black Is King and Blessers. On television, she appeared in S'gudi S'nyasi, Yizo Yizo 2, Zone 14, Rhythm City and Gomora.
2024 — James Bjorken, American theoretical physicist (born 1934) ↗(2 years ago)more
James Daniel "BJ" Bjorken was an American theoretical physicist. He was a Putnam Fellow in 1954, received a BS in physics from MIT in 1956, and obtained his PhD from Stanford University in 1959. Bjorken was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in the fall of 1962.
2020 — Vern Rumsey, American bass guitarist (born 1973) ↗(6 years ago)more
Vernon Emmry Aldo Rumsey was an American musician. He is best known for his work as the bassist of the post-hardcore band Unwound, in which he was a co-founding member. He was also in the bands Long Hind Legs, Oslo, Fitz of Depression, and Witchypoo, and was playing in the band Flora v. Fauna.
2018 — Joël Robuchon, French Chef (born 1945) ↗(8 years ago)more
Joël Robuchon was a French chef and restaurateur. He was named "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in cuisine in 1976. He published several cookbooks, two of which have been translated into English, chaired the committee for the Larousse Gastronomique, and hosted culinary television shows in ...
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (219) | 3 × 73 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (147) | 3 × 7^2 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 06082026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +16.25° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 47 days |