August 22 is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 131 days remaining until the end of the year.
- 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor.
- 476 - Odoacer is named Rex italiae by his troop.
- 565 - St. Columba reports seeing a monster in Loch Ness, Scotland.
- 851 - Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland.
- 1138 - Battle of the Standard between Scotland and England.
- 1485 - The Battle of Bosworth Field, the death of Richard III and the end of the House of Plantagenet.
- 1559 - Bartolomé Carranza, Spanish archbishop, is arrested for heresy.
- 1639 - Madras (now Chennai), India, is founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers.
- 1642 - Charles I calls the English Parliament traitors. The English Civil War begins.
- 1654 - Jacob Barsimson arrives in New Amsterdam. He is the first known Jewish immigrant to America.
- 1717 - Spanish troops land on Sardinia.
- 1770 - James Cook's expedition lands on the east coast of Australia.
- 1775 - King George III declares the American colonies to be in open rebellion.
- 1780 - James Cook's ship HMS Resolution returns to England (Cook having been killed on Hawaii during the voyage).
- 1791 - Beginning of the Haitian Slave Revolution in Saint-Domingue.
- 1798 - French troops land in Kilcummin harbour, County Mayo, Ireland to aid Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen's Irish Rebellion.
- 1827 - José de La Mar becomes President of Peru.
- 1831 - Nat Turner's slave rebellion commences just after midnight in Southampton, Virginia, leading to the deaths of more than 50 whites and several hundred African Americans who were killed in retaliation for the uprising.
- 1848 - The United States annexes New Mexico.
- 1849 - The first air raid in history. Austria launches pilotless balloons against the Italian city of Venice.
- 1851 - The first America's Cup is won by the yacht America.
- 1875 - The Treaty of Saint Petersburg between Japan and Russia is ratified, providing for the exchange of Sakhalin for the Kuril Islands.
- 1864 - Twelve nations sign the First Geneva Convention. The Red Cross is formed.
- 1901 - Cadillac Motor Company is founded.
- 1902 - Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to ride in an automobile.
- 1911 - Theft of the Mona Lisa is discovered.
- 1914 - World War I: in Belgium, British and German troops clash for the first time in the war.
- 1922 - Michael Collins, Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Free State Army is shot dead during an Anti-Treaty ambush at Beal na mBlath, County Cork, during the Irish Civil War.
- 1926 - Gold is discovered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- 1932 - The BBC first experiments with television broadcasting. (See also Timeline of the BBC.)
- 1941 - World War II: German troops reach Leningrad, leading to the siege of Leningrad.
- 1942 - World War II: Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
- 1944 - World War II: Romania is captured by the Soviet Union.
- 1949 - Queen Charlotte earthquake: Canada's largest earthquake since the 1700 Cascadia earthquake
- 1950 - Althea Gibson becomes the first black competitor in international tennis.
- 1952 - The penal colony on Devil's Island is permanently closed.
- 1962 - An attempt to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle fails.
- 1962 - The NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered cargo ship, completes its maiden voyage.
- 1963 - Joe Walker in an X-15 test plane reaches an altitude of 106 km (67 miles).
- 1966 - Labor movements NFWA and AWOC merge to become the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), predecessor of the United Farm Workers.
- 1968 - Pope Paul VI arrives in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the first visit of a pope to Latin America.
- 1971 - J. Edgar Hoover and John Mitchell announce the arrest of 20 of the Camden 28.
- 1972 - Rhodesia is expelled by the IOC for its racist policies.
- 1978 - The Frente Sandinista de Liberacion or FSLN occupies national palace in Nicaragua.
- 1989 - The first ring of Neptune is discovered.
- 1989 - Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.
- 1992 - FBI HRT sniper Lon Horiuchi shoots and kills Vicki Weaver during an 11-day siege at her home at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
- 2003 - Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended after refusing to comply with a federal court order to remove a rock inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court building.
- 2004 - A version of The Scream and Madonna, two paintings by Edvard Munch, are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.
- 2007 - The Texas Rangers rout the Baltimore Orioles 30-3, the most runs scored by a team in modern MLB history.
- 2007 - The Storm botnet, a botnet created by the Storm Worm, sends out a record 57 million e-mails in one day
- 1601 - Georges de Scudéry, French writer (d. 1667)
- 1624 - Jean Renaud de Segrais, French writer (d. 1701)
- 1647 - Denis Papin, French physicist and inventor (d. c. 1712)
- 1679 - Pierre Guérin de Tencin, French cardinal (d. 1758)
- 1760 - Pope Leo XII (d. 1829)
- 1764 - Charles Percier, French architect (d. 1838)
- 1771 - Henry Maudslay, English inventor (d. 1831)
- 1773 - Aimé Bonpland, French explorer (d. 1858)
- 1779 - James Kirke Paulding, American author (d. 1860)
- 1800 - William S. Harney, U.S. general (d. 1889)
- 1800 - Samuel David Luzzatto, Italian-Jewish scholar (d. 1865)
- 1811 - William Kelly, American inventor (d. 1888)
- 1822 - Virginia Clemm Poe, wife of Edgar Allan Poe (d. 1847)
- 1827 - Ezra Butler Eddy, Canadian businessman, industrialist and politician (d. 1906)
- 1834 - Samuel Pierpont Langley, American astronomer (d. 1906)
- 1836 - Archibald MacNeal Willard, American artist (d. 1918)
- 1845 - William Lewis Douglas, 42nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1924)
- 1848 - Melville E. Stone, American newspaper publisher (d. 1929)
- 1854 - Milan I, King of Serbia (d. 1901)
- 1857 - Ned Hanlon, American baseball player and manager (d. 1937)
- 1860 - Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, German inventor (d. 1940)
- 1860 - Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, tsaritsa of Bulgaria (d. 1917)
- 1862 - Claude Debussy, French composer (d. 1918)
- 1867 - Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (d. 1939)
- 1873 - Alexander Bogdanov, Russian physician and philosopher (d. 1928)
- 1874 - Max Scheler, German philosopher (d. 1928)
- 1880 - George Herriman, American cartoonist (d. 1944)
- 1880 - Gorch Fock, German author and poet (d. 1916)
- 1887 - Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, German minister of finance (d. 1977)
- 1891 - Jacques Lipchitz, Lithuanian/American sculptor (d. 1973)
- 1893 - Dorothy Parker, American writer (d. 1967)
- 1893 - Wilfred Kitching, British Salvation Army general (d. 1977)
- 1895 - Paul Comtois, French Canadian politician (d. 1966)
- 1900 - Sergei Ozhegov, Russian lexicographer (d. 1964)
- 1902 - Leni Riefenstahl, German film director (d. 2003)
- 1902 - Thomas Pelly, American politician (d. 1973)
- 1904 - Deng Xiaoping, Premier of the People's Republic of China (d. 1997)
- 1908 - Henri Cartier-Bresson, French photographer (d. 2004)
- 1909 - Julius J. Epstein, American screenwriter (d. 2000)
- 1909 - Mel Hein, American football player (d. 1992)
- 1909 - Lucille Ricksen, American actress (d. 1925)
- 1913 - Bruno Pontecorvo, Italian physicist (d. 1993)
- 1915 - David Dellinger, American social rights and peace movement leader (d. 2004)
- 1915 - Hugh Paddick, British actor (d. 2000)
- 1915 - James Hillier, Co-inventor of the electron microscope (d. 2007)
- 1915 - Edward Szczepanik, Polish Prime Minister (d. 2005)
- 1917 - John Lee Hooker, American musician (d. 2001)
- 1918 - Mary McGrory, American journalist (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Ray Bradbury, American writer
- 1920 - Denton Cooley, American heart surgeon
- 1922 - Micheline Presle, French actress
- 1925 - Honor Blackman, English actress
- 1925 - James Kirkwood, Jr., American playwright and author (d. 1989)
- 1928 - Tinga Seisay, Sierra Leonean diplomat and pro-democracy advocate
- 1928 - Karlheinz Stockhausen, German composer (d. 2007)
- 1930 - Gilmar, Brazilian football player
- 1932 - Gerald P. Carr, American astronaut
- 1934 - Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. general
- 1934 - Sir Donald McIntyre, English bass-baritone
- 1935 - E. Annie Proulx, American author
- 1936 - Dale Hawkins, American singer and songwriter
- 1938 - Paul Maguire, American football commentator
- 1939 - George Reinholt, American actor
- 1939 - Carl Yastrzemski, American baseball player
- 1940 - Valerie Harper, American actress
- 1940 - Bill McCartney, American football coach
- 1941 - Bill Parcells, American football coach
- 1941 - Hannspeter Winter, Austrian plasma physicist
- 1942 - Uğur Mumcu, Turkish journalist and writer (d. 1993)
- 1943 - Masatoshi Shima, Japanese computer scientist
- 1945 - Ron Dante, American songwriter and record producer (The Archies)
- 1945 - Erol Gelenbe, Turkish computer scientist and mathematician
- 1947 - Cindy Williams, American actress
- 1947 - Donna Godchaux, singer (Grateful Dead)
- 1948 - Eleonora Brown, Italian actress
- 1949 - Diana Nyad, American swimmer
- 1949 - Doug Bair, baseball player
- 1949 - Þórarinn Eldjárn, Icelandic writer
- 1950 - Ray Burris, baseball player
- 1950 - I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, White House Chief of Staff
- 1951 - Chandra Prakash Mainali, Nepalese politician
- 1952 - Peter Laughner, American musician (Rocket From the Tombs, Pere Ubu) (d. 1977)
- 1953 - Paul Ellering, American wrestling manager
- 1955 - Will Shetterly, writer
- 1955 - Chiranjeevi, Telugu film actor
- 1956 - Paul Molitor, baseball player
- 1957 - Steve Davis, English snooker player
- 1958 - Colm Feore, American actor
- 1958 - Lane Huffman, American professional wrestler
- 1958 - Vernon Reid, American musician (Living Colour)
- 1959 - Juan Croucier, American musician
- 1959 - Pia Gjellerup, Danish politician
- 1961 - Roland Orzabal, British musician (Tears for Fears)
- 1961 - Debbi Peterson, American musician (The Bangles)
- 1963 - Tori Amos, American singer/songwriter
- 1963 - Terry Catledge, American basketball player
- 1964 - Mats Wilander, Swedish tennis player
- 1965 - Tom Gibis, American voice actor
- 1966 - Eric Andolsek, American football player (d. 1992)
- 1966 - GZA, American rapper
- 1966 - Rob Witschge, Dutch footballer
- 1967 - Layne Staley, American musician (Alice in Chains) (d. 2002)
- 1967 - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, British actor
- 1967 - Ant, American comedian
- 1967 - Ty Burrell, American actor
- 1967 - Alfred Gough, American screenwriter
- 1967 - Yukiko Okada, Japanese singer (d. 1986)
- 1968 - Paul Colman, Australian guitarist (Newsboys)
- 1968 - Casper Christensen, Danish comedian
- 1968 - Rich Lowry, American magazine editor
- 1968 - Alexander Mostovoi, Russian footballer
- 1968 - Horst Skoff, Austrian tennis player (d. 2008)
- 1970 - Charlie Connelly, English writer
- 1970 - Giada De Laurentiis, Italian/American chef and television host
- 1971 - Richard Armitage, English actor
- 1971 - Rick Yune, American actor
- 1972 - Steve Kline, American baseball player
- 1972 - Okkert Brits, South African pole vaulter
- 1972 - Max Wilson, Brazilian racing driver
- 1973 - Kristen Wiig, American comedian
- 1973 - Howie Dorough, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- 1974 - Brimstone, American professional wrestler
- 1974 - Agustín Pichot, Argentine rugby player
- 1974 - Stefano Verderi, Italian guitarist
- 1975 - Clint Bolton, Australian footballer
- 1975 - Sheree Murphy, British actress
- 1975 - Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian actor
- 1977 - Heiðar Helguson, Icelandic footballer
- 1977 - Jenna Leigh Green, American actress
- 1978 - Jeff Stinco, Canadian musician (Simple Plan)
- 1979 - Brandon Quintin Adams, American actor
- 1979 - Matt Walters, American football player
- 1980 - Christi Shake, American model and actress
- 1980 - Roland Benschneider, German footballer
- 1980 - Nicolas Macrozonaris, French-Canadian track-and-field athlete
- 1981 - Alex Holmes, American football player
- 1982 - Philip Austin, OIF Veteran [Mechanic]
- 1983 - Theo Bos, Dutch cyclist
- 1983 - Laura Breckenridge, American actress
- 1984 - Lee Camp, English footballer
- 1986 - Keiko Kitagawa, Japanese actress
- 408 - Stilicho, Roman general (b. 359)
- 1155 - Konoe, Emperor of Japan (b. 1139)
- 1188 - Ferdinand II, King of Leon (b. 1137)
- 1241 - Pope Gregory IX, (b. c.1143)
- 1280 - Pope Nicholas III (b. c.1216)
- 1304 - John II, Count of Hainaut (b. 1247)
- 1350 - Philip VI, King of France (b. 1293)
- 1358 - Isabella, Queen of England (b. c. 1295)
- 1485 - Richard III, King of England (b. 1452)
- 1553 - John Dudley, English admiral and politician (b. 1501)
- 1572 - Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland (b. 1528)
- 1584 - Jan Kochanowski, Polish writer (b. 1530)
- 1599 - Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman (b. 1577)
- 1599 - Luca Marenzio, Italian composer (b. c.1553)
- 1607 - Bartholomew Gosnold, English explorer and privateer (b. 1572)
- 1609 - Maharal of Prague, Jewish mystic and philosopher (b. 1525)
- 1652 - Jacob De la Gardie, Swedish soldier and statesman (b. 1583)
- 1680 - John George II, Elector of Saxony (b. 1613)
- 1701 - John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath, English royalist statesman (b. 1628)
- 1711 - Louis François, duc de Boufflers, French marshal (b. 1644)
- 1752 - William Whiston, English mathematician (b. 1667)
- 1773 - George Lyttelton, English writer and politician (b. 1709)
- 1793 - Louis, 4th duc de Noailles, Marshal of France (b. 1713)
- 1793 - Cäcilia Weber, German mother-in-law of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. 1727)
- 1797 - Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser, Alsatian-born Austrian general (b. 1724)
- 1806 - Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French artist (b. 1732)
- 1818 - Warren Hastings, British Governor-General of India (b. 1732)
- 1828 - Franz Joseph Gall, Austrian neuroscientist (b. 1758)
- 1850 - Nikolaus Lenau, Austrian poet (b. 1802)
- 1861 - Xianfeng, Emperor of China (b. 1831)
- 1891 - Jan Neruda, Czech author (b. 1834)
- 1903 - Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1830)
- 1914 - Giacomo Radini-Tedeschi Italian religious figure
- 1918 - Korbinian Brodmann, German neurologist (b. 1868)
- 1922 - Michael Collins, Irish revolutionary (b. 1890)
- 1926 - Charles William Eliot, American University president (b. 1834)
- 1940 - Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge, English physicist (b. 1851)
- 1942 - Michel Fokine, Russian choreographer and dancer (b. 1880)
- 1950 - Kirk Bryan, American geologist (b. 1888)
- 1951 - J. P. Bickell, Canadian businessman and sports team owner (b. 1884)
- 1953 - Jim Tabor, American baseball player (b. 1916)
- 1958 - Roger Martin du Gard, French writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
- 1960 - Eduard Pütsep, Estonian wrestler (b. 1898)
- 1965 - Ellen Church, American airline stewardess (b. 1904)
- 1967 - Gregory Goodwin Pincus, American endocrinologist (b. 1903)
- 1970 - Vladimir Propp, Russian structuralist scholar (b. 1895)
- 1973 - Louise Huff, American actress (b. 1895)
- 1974 - Jacob Bronowski, Polish-English mathematician & TV presenter (b. 1908)
- 1976 - Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, President of Brazil (b. 1902)
- 1976 - Gina Bachauer, Greek pianist (b. 1913)
- 1977 - Sebastian Cabot, English-born actor (b. 1918)
- 1978 - Jomo Kenyatta, first President of Kenya (b. c.1892)
- 1979 - James T. Farrell, American novelist (b. 1904)
- 1980 - James Smith McDonnell, American aircraft manufacturer (b. 1899)
- 1980 - Alfred Neubauer, German racing team manager (b. 1891)
- 1989 - Robert Grondelaers, Belgian cyclist (b. 1933)
- 1989 - Huey P. Newton, American activist (b. 1942)
- 1991 - Colleen Dewhurst, Canadian actress (b. 1924)
- 1994 - Gilles Groulx, French-Canadian film director (b. 1931)
- 2003 - Arnold Gerschwiler, Swiss figure skating trainer (b. 1914)
- 2003 - Generosa Ammon, American widow of Ted Ammon (b. 1956)
- 2003 - Imperio Argentina, Argentinian singer and actress (b. 1906)
- 2004 - Konstantin Aseev, Russian chess player (b. 1960)
- 2004 - Daniel Petrie, Canadian television and movie director (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Al Dvorin, American Elvis Presley concert announcer (b. 1922)
- 2005 - Luc Ferrari, French composer (b. 1929)
- 2006 - Bruce Gary, American rock drummer (The Knack) (b. 1951)
- 2008 - Gladys Powers, Canadian World War I veteran (b. 1899)
