What Happened on August 10

Naval Affairs

1628 — Vasa Sinks in Stockholm Harbor on Maiden Voyage

Warship founders after a mile — Privy Council inquiry finds no one punished — salvage recovers 333 years later

The great warship Vasa, built by command of King Gustavus Adolphus for the war against Poland-Lithuania, sank this day in the harbor of Stockholm, having sailed but 1,300 meters on her maiden voyage. The vessel, intended to bear the King's arms into the Thirty Years' War, heeled over and went down before the eyes of the multitude gathered to watch her departure.

The disaster, which hath cost the Crown a ship of surpassing strength and ornament, hath moved the Swedish Privy Council to hold an inquiry. Yet, by the Council's finding, no man hath been punished for the loss. The cause is much debated; some say the ship was overladen with cannon, others that she was unsteady in a light wind.

She was built as part of His Majesty's military expansion in the present war with Poland-Lithuania, begun in 1621. From the seafloor she shall not soon rise, though many ages hence, men may raise her again. In the year 1961, after 333 years beneath the water, her hull was brought up whole, with thousands of artifacts and the bones of at least fifteen souls found within her. Since that recovery, more than 45 million visitors have beheld her, preserved as a monument to this day's sorrow.

• Vasa sank after sailing roughly 1,300 meters into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628.
• The ship was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961 after spending 333 years on the seabed.
• Between her recovery in 1961 and the beginning of 2025, Vasa has been seen by over 45 million visitors.
• During the 1961 recovery, thousands of artifacts and the remains of at least 15 people were found in and around Vasa's hull.
• An inquiry by the Swedish Privy Council found no one punished for the disaster.

Fine Arts

1793 — Louvre Opens to Public with 537 Paintings

The Louvre opens its doors, displaying 537 paintings and 184 objets d'art from royal and church collections.

In the great palace of the Louvre, once the abode of kings, the doors are thrown open this day to all citizens, who may now gaze upon 537 paintings and 184 objets d'art, the choicest treasures of the realm. The exhibition, the first of its kind, is drawn in large part from the royal collections and from the confiscated property of the Church, now placed at the service of the Republic.

The spectacle is one of unmatched splendor: the galleries, newly fitted, display the works of the Italian and Flemish masters alongside the triumphs of French art. The people, long denied such sights, throng the halls with wonder and applause.

Yet the building itself is not without fault.

• The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings.
• The majority of the works displayed were royal and confiscated church property.
• Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed from 1796 until 1801.

Imperial Chronicle

1270 — Yekuno Amlak Takes Throne, Founds Solomonic Line

Last Zagwe king deposed — new emperor claims descent from Solomon — dynasty to rule for seven centuries

The throne of Ethiopia hath passed to a new house, and the reign of the Solomonic dynasty hath begun, a line that shall endure for more than seven hundred years. Yekuno Amlak, a lord of Bete Amhara, in the lands of Wollo and northern Shewa, hath deposed the last king of the Zagwe and seized the imperial crown, taking the throne name Tesfa Iyasus.

• Yekuno Amlak, throne name Tesfa Iyasus, became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1270 after defeating the last Zagwe king.
• He founded the Solomonic dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia until 1974.
• He claimed direct male-line descent from the former Aksumite royal house and the biblical King Solomon.
• The Zagwe dynasty was depicted as 'non-Israelite' usurpers by Yekuno Amlak's propagandists.
• The 1955 Ethiopian constitution enshrined the Solomonic dynasty's claimed descent from Solomon.

National Desk

2019 — Epstein Found Dead in Jail Cell; Suicide Ruled

Financier dies at 6:30 a.m. in Manhattan jail — guards slept and falsified records — Barr calls it 'a perfect storm of screw-ups'

The death of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, closes a chapter that began with his arrest and ended with the failure of the very institutions meant to guard him. He was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City at 6:30 a.m. on August 10, 2019, and the medical examiner and the Justice Department Inspector General have ruled his death a suicide by hanging.

The circumstances have drawn scrutiny to the jail's operations. Two guards, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, who were assigned to check Epstein's cell overnight, fell asleep for about three hours and later falsified records to cover their lapse. His cellmate had been transferred the previous day, August 9, and no replacement was brought in, a violation of jail procedures. Attorney General William Barr, declaring the death 'a perfect storm of screw-ups,' removed the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In the days before his death, Epstein signed his last will and testament on August 8, naming two longtime employees as executors and placing his assets in a trust. The case, which had drawn international attention, has now passed from the courts to the history books, leaving unanswered questions about the extent of his network and the failings that allowed a high-profile inmate to die in federal custody.

• Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at 6:30 a.m. on August 10, 2019, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.
• The New York City medical examiner and the Justice Department Inspector General ruled Epstein's death a suicide by hanging.
• Two guards assigned to check Epstein's cell overnight, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, fell asleep for about three hours and later falsified records.
• Epstein's cellmate was transferred on August 9, and no replacement was brought in, violating jail procedures.
• Epstein signed his last will and testament on August 8, 2019, naming two longtime employees as executors and gifting his assets to a trust.

Foreign Desk

2019 — Typhoon Lekima Kills 45 in Zhejiang After Philippine Flooding

Storm hits Wenling with 185 km/h winds — 71 dead across China, losses top CN¥65.37 billion

Typhoon Lekima, which already brought severe flooding to the Philippines, slammed into the Chinese coast early Saturday, killing 45 people in Zhejiang province. The storm made landfall in Wenling at 1:45 a.m. CST with two-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), equivalent to a Category 2 typhoon. Damage across mainland China has been catastrophic, with 71 deaths and losses exceeding CN¥65.37 billion (US$9.26 billion). Officials said Lekima now ranks as the fourth costliest typhoon in Chinese history, as rescue crews continued searching flooded villages on Sunday.

• Typhoon Lekima made landfall in Wenling, Zhejiang at 1:45 a.m. CST on August 10, 2019.
• Lekima struck with two-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), equivalent to a Category 2 typhoon.
• The typhoon caused catastrophic damage in mainland China, with 71 deaths and over CN¥65.37 billion (US$9.26 billion) in losses.
• Lekima was the fourth costliest typhoon in Chinese history.

Paris Chronicle

1792 — Insurgents Storm Tuileries, King Seeks Refuge With Assembly

On the 10th of August, the palace fell and the monarchy was suspended; it would be restored only in 1814.

The first cannon fired at the Tuileries at dawn, and by midday the palace had fallen. A combined force of the Paris National Guard and provincial fédérés attacked on the 10th of August, killing many Swiss Guards who protected the royal residence. The King and his family took refuge with the Assembly, which voted to relieve him temporarily, suspending the monarchy. The insurrection followed the Brunswick Manifesto, which reached Paris on the 1st of August, threatening 'unforgettable vengeance' against opponents of the crown. Military reverses since April had inflamed the capital. The monarchy, restored only in 1814, now lies in ruins.

• Military defeats after the French Revolutionary Wars began in April 1792 led to the insurrection of 10 August 1792.
• On 1 August 1792, the Brunswick Manifesto reached Paris, threatening 'unforgettable vengeance' against opponents of the monarchy.
• On 10 August, a combined force of Paris National Guard and provincial fédérés attacked the Tuileries Palace.
• Many Swiss Guards protecting the Tuileries Palace were killed during the attack on 10 August.
• Louis XVI and his family took refuge with the Assembly, which voted to temporarily relieve the king, suspending the monarchy.

Washington Bureau

1988 — Reagan Signs Reparations Bill for Japanese American Internees

President Reagan signs 1988 law providing $20,000 to surviving internees.

President Reagan today signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, authorizing $20,000 in compensation for each surviving Japanese American interned during World War II. The legislation, sponsored by former internee Norman Mineta and Sen. Spark Matsunaga, cited “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.” Some 82,219 survivors are eligible for payments.

• The act granted each surviving internee $20,000 in compensation, equivalent to $46,000 in 2024.
• A total of 82,219 Japanese Americans received redress checks under the act.
• The legislation stated government actions were based on 'race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership'.
• The act was sponsored by former internee Norman Mineta in the House and Spark Matsunaga in the Senate.
• President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 into law on August 10, 1988.

Campaign Chronicle

955 — Otto the Great Breaks Magyar Power at Lechfeld

5,000 invaders slain near Augsburg; German leaders among the fallen

On the plain near Augsburg, the Magyar host broke and fled, leaving some 5,000 warriors dead. King Otto's victory on August 10 checked their raids into western Europe for good. German losses were heavy, including Duke Conrad of Lorraine and counts Dietpald, Ulrich, and Berthold.

• The Magyars lost approximately 5,000 warriors at the Battle of Lechfeld on August 10, 955.
• German casualties were heavy, including Duke Conrad of Lorraine and counts Dietpald, Ulrich, and Berthold.
• The Germans captured Hungarian leaders Bulcsú, Lehel, and Sur on August 10–11.
• The Battle of Lechfeld finally checked Magyar expansion into western Europe.

Foreign Intelligence

1864 — Brazil Vows Reprisals; War With Uruguay Begins

Blanco Party spurns the ultimatum — the Imperial arms are ordered to exact satisfaction — Colorado chieftain Flores in the field

The refusal of Uruguay's ruling Blanco Party to heed the Brazilian ultimatum has changed the face of the Plate region, for the Imperial Government now prepares to exact reprisals by force of arms.

• José Antônio Saraiva announced Brazil's reprisals on August 10, 1864, after Uruguay's Blanco Party refused a Brazilian ultimatum.
• The Uruguayan War lasted from August 10, 1864, to February 20, 1865, and was an undeclared war for most of its duration.
• Brazil allied with the Uruguayan Colorado Party, led by Venancio Flores, who launched the Liberating Crusade in 1863 against the Blanco government.
• Almost one-fifth of Uruguay's population were Brazilians, some of whom joined Flores' rebellion due to Blanco policies.
• The Blanco government capitulated on February 20, 1865, after Brazilian-Colorado troops isolated them in Montevideo.

Colonial Chronicle

1755 — Acadian Expulsion Begins at Chignecto

British begin expelling Acadians on August 10, 1755, with the Bay of Fundy campaign at Chignecto.

In the midst of the French and Indian War, the British have at length resolved upon a stern measure, and the first wave of the expulsion of the Acadians from the Maritime provinces began this day, August 10, 1755, with the Bay of Fundy campaign at Chignecto.

• The first wave of the expulsion began on August 10, 1755, with the Bay of Fundy Campaign during the French and Indian War.
• The campaign started at Chignecto and then moved to Grand-Pré, Piziquid, and Annapolis Royal.
• Of an estimated 14,100 Acadians, approximately 11,500 were deported, of whom 5,000 died.
• Lieutenant Governor Charles Lawrence and the Nova Scotia Council on July 28, 1755, decided to deport the Acadians.
• On November 17, 1755, George Scott led 700 troops, attacked twenty houses at Memramcook, and killed 200 livestock.

Astronomical Intelligence

1844 — Bessel Divines an Unseen Companion to Sirius

The Königsberg astronomer, from the perturbations of the brightest star, announces the existence of a dark body — a discovery by calculation alone

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, the German astronomer of Königsberg, has announced that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is attended by an unseen companion, a body whose presence he has deduced solely from measurements of the star's motion.

• Bessel announced Sirius's 'dark companion' in 1844, the first correct claim of a previously unobserved companion by positional measurement.
• This announcement eventually led to Alvan Graham Clark's 1862 discovery of Sirius B.
• Sirius B was the first white dwarf ever discovered.

The Rebellion

1861 — Wilson's Creek: First Major Battle West of the Mississippi

Union General Lyon slain — Sturgis takes command — McCulloch and Price carry the field near Springfield

The first major battle west of the Mississippi was fought this day, August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, and ended in Union defeat. Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was killed, and Major Samuel D. Sturgis assumed command of the retreating Federals. Confederate forces under Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch and Major General Sterling Price won the field. The victory let Price lead the Missouri State Guard north toward the siege of Lexington. The site is now Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, where the Ray House still stands.

• The battle was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri.
• Union Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was killed during the battle, and Major Samuel D. Sturgis assumed command.
• Confederate forces under Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch and Major General Sterling Price defeated the Union army.
• The battle site is preserved as Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, established in 1960 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
• The Ray House, used as a field hospital after the battle, is still preserved on the battlefield and open for tours.