What happened in August 1987?
The top front-page story of each day in August 1987, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Aug 1🌪️ Tornado Kills 31 – A tornado tore through Edmonton, Alberta, killing at least 31 people and injuring over 150, according to civil and rescue officials.
- Aug 2🌪️ Canada Tornado Death Toll – Tornadoes in Canada have killed at least 27 people and injured over 200, prompting extensive rescue efforts in devastated areas.
- Aug 3🏨 World's First Floating Resort – The world's first floating luxury resort, featuring a hotel with various amenities, is nearing completion in Singapore.
- Aug 4🚀 Shuttle Discovery Test – Technicians powered up the space shuttle Discovery, marking a significant step towards its first flight since the Challenger disaster.
- Aug 5🚀 Space Shuttle Joint Tested – NASA successfully tested a redesigned joint for space shuttle booster rockets, marking a significant advancement in safety and performance.
- Aug 6🎾 Agassi Upsets Cash – Seventeen-year-old Andre Agassi upset Wimbledon champion Pat Cash at the Volvo International tennis tournament in Vermont.
- Aug 7🌍 Palau Drops Nuclear-Free Status – Voters in Palau voted to drop their antinuclear status in exchange for economic survival, marking a significant policy shift.
- Aug 8🌉 Dam's 50th Anniversary – Northwest Indians marked the 50th anniversary of Bonneville Dam with a 50-hour vigil to highlight the losses suffered by tribes.
- Aug 9🏅 Pan Am Games Begin – The 10th Pan American Games opened at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, featuring nearly 4,500 athletes and Vice President Bush.
- Aug 10🎭 Theater: 'The Longboat' – John Chodes's new play, ''The Longboat,'' explores Captain Bligh's remarkable navigation of 3,600 miles across the Pacific after the Bounty mutiny.
- Aug 11🔬 Louganis Wins Third Gold – Greg Louganis became the first three-time winner of a diving event at the Pan American Games, winning the three-meter springboard competition.
- Aug 12🌍 Forest Fires Rage – Forest fires raged out of control on the island of Rhodes, Greece, despite firefighting reinforcements being deployed from across the country.
- Aug 13🔬 Colon Cancer Gene Link – Scientists in Britain found strong evidence of a genetic defect contributing to colon cancer, a common malignant disease.
- Aug 14🚢 Titanic Strongbox Raised – A French expedition plans to raise a strongbox from the Titanic wreck, sparking criticism over the ethics of disturbing the site.
- Aug 15🌧️ Record Rain Floods Chicago – A record 9.2 inches of rain fell in Chicago, flooding homes and expressways, stranding passengers at O'Hare Airport.
- Aug 16🏞️ New National Park Dedicated – A 77,109-acre expanse in Nevada was dedicated as the first new national park in the contiguous U.S. in 15 years.
- Aug 17🌪️ Tornado Hits Minnesota – A tornado struck a resort in west-central Minnesota, killing one man and injuring seven others, some with serious injuries.
- Aug 18🛰️ Neptune Rendezvous – Voyager 2, launched 10 years ago, has explored the outer planets and is on course for a rendezvous with Neptune in two years.
- Aug 19🏛️ Greek Church Leader Visits – Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios of the Greek Orthodox Church began a historic 12-day visit to Russian Orthodox churches, the first in 400 years.
- Aug 20🚀 Shuttle Booster Test – The first full-scale test firing of a redesigned booster rocket for the space shuttle is scheduled for August 27 in Utah.
- Aug 21💎 Titanic Jewels Recovered – A French expedition retrieved a valise containing jewels, coins, and currency from the wreckage of the Titanic.
- Aug 22🏛️ Nuclear Plant Restarted – The Nine Mile Point 2 nuclear plant was restarted after a planned shutdown, entering a testing phase to produce electricity for the state power grid.
- Aug 23🏛️ Palau Chooses Link With U.S – Palau's citizens approved new ties with the U.S., ending its status as the last United Nations trust territory.
- Aug 24🎨 Spain to Get Dali Works – An Irish art collector donates 300 works by Salvador Dali to the Spanish state, enriching the nation's cultural heritage.
- Aug 25🪨 Stone Tools Discovery – Newly found crude stone tools suggest human ancestors may have migrated out of Africa a million years earlier than thought.
- Aug 26🏛️ Titanic Salvors Speak – Salvage teams recovered over 300 artifacts from the Titanic wreck, defending their efforts amid scrutiny.
- Aug 27🌊 Rains Cause Flooding – Volunteers filled sandbags as rains raised swollen waterways in already flooded areas of Chicago, prompting emergency measures.
- Aug 28🔬 Nobel Chemist Dies – Dr. Georg Wittig, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, passed away in Heidelberg, West Germany at the age of 90.
- Aug 29🌍 Bangladesh Storms Kill 200 – Rainstorms in the Bay of Bengal resulted in at least 200 deaths, with reports indicating up to 3,000 people missing.
- Aug 30🔬 New Alzheimer's Diagnosis Method – A new, simple method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease based on speech hesitations was announced at the American Psychological Association meeting.
- Aug 31🚀 Rocket Test Success – A redesigned shuttle booster rocket passed a key test, marking a milestone for NASA's efforts to resume shuttle flights.
Happy Birthday! 1987 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1987 in real headlines. See the 1987 book →
Born in August? Pick the day
Every birthday in August has its own On This Day in Headlines book: