This Day In History : August 1

1774 United Kingdom

In 1774, Joseph Priestley identified a gas which he called "dephlogisticated air" -- later known as oxygen

In 1774, Joseph Priestley, a British Presbyterian minister and chemist, identified a gas he initially called "dephlogisticated air," which is now known as oxygen. Priestley's discovery was significant in the field of chemistry and contributed to the understanding of gases and their properties. He made this discovery by conducting experiments involving the heating of mercuric oxide, during which he observed the release of a gas that supported combustion much more effectively than ordinary air.

Also on This Day in History August 1

Discover what happened on August 1 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, August 1
  • 1927 Franklyn Perring

    English botanist and conservationist, who was was one of the most influential botanists of his generation.

  • 1818 Maria Mitchell

    American astronomer who was the first professional woman in the field in the United States.

  • 1744 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

    Pioneer French biologist and pre-Darwinian evolutionist who proposed that acquired traits are inheritable (Lamarckism), which was replaced by Darwinian theory.

  • 1779 Lorenz Oken

    German naturalist who offered early evolutionary ideas and stimulated comparative anatomy.

  • 1905 Helen Hogg

    Helen Battles Sawyer Hogg was an American-Canadian astronomer who pioneered research into globular clusters and variable stars.

Deaths on This Day, August 1
  • 1896 William Robert Grove

    Sir William Robert Grove, Welsh physicist, who first offered proof of the thermal dissociation of atoms within a molecule.

  • 2004 Philip Abelson

    Philip Hauge Abelson was an American physical chemist who proposed the gas diffusion process for separating uranium-235 from uranium-238 which was essential to the development of the atomic bomb.

  • 1996 Tadeus Reichstein

    Tadeusz Reichstein, also known as Tadeus Reichstein, was a Polish-Swiss chemist and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, which was awarded for his work on the isolation of cortisone.

  • 1708 Edward Tyson

    Edward Tyson was an English scientist and physician. He is commonly regarded as the founder of modern comparative anatomy, which compares the anatomy between species.

  • 1920 Bal Gangadhar Tilak

    Indian scholar, mathematician, philosopher, and militant nationalist who helped lay the foundation for India's independence.

1951

Japan Airlines is established

Japan Airlines (JAL), also known as Nihon Kōkū, was established on August 1, 1951. It was created under the name Japan Air Lines Co., Ltd. as the flag carrier airline of Japan. Initially, it started with domestic flights before expanding its operations to international routes.
1965

Cigarette advertising banned on British TV

Cigarette advertising was banned on British TV on August 1, 1965, under the Television Act of 1964. This legislation marked a significant milestone in public health efforts to reduce smoking rates by restricting the promotion of tobacco products on television. The ban was introduced to protect public health, particularly in light of growing concerns about the harmful effects of smoking on individuals' health and well-being.
1876

Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. State

Colorado was admitted as the 38th U.S. state on August 1, 1876. This event took place during the centennial year of the United States, earning Colorado the nickname the "Centennial State." Colorado's admission to the Union marked the culmination of a series of efforts by its residents and leaders to establish statehood, which included drafting a state constitution and demonstrating the territory's population growth and economic stability.
1946

The Atomic Energy Commission was established

The Atomic Energy Commission in the United States was established by the Atomic Energy Act, which President Harry S. Truman signed into law on August 1, 1946. The purpose of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission was to control the development and production of nuclear weapons and to direct research and development related to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
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