Last Week of August: Famous Week in History

The last week of August is full of historical events. Some of them just happened in 2008, the week this article was written. It's an exciting week for the history buffs, and a great one to learn about if you want to be excited. Here are some incredible historical events that took place during the last week of August in our history:

1. First female Republican Vice Presidential Candidate. On August 29th, 2008, John McCain, the Republican candidate for the Presidential Election in November, announced today that Sarah Palin will be his running mate. Sarah Palin thus joins history as she is the first female Republican vice presidential candidate in history. You will recall that Geraldine Ferraro was on the ticket in 1984 with Walter Mondale, but as a Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate.

2. First African American becomes a Presidential candidate for a major party. On August 28th, 2008, Barack Obama accepted the nomination to be the Democratic candidate for President for the upcoming election on November 4th, 2008. This is a significant moment in history.

3. Same day, August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech. Forty five years prior to Barack Obama accepting the Democratic Nomination for President, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous speech. This was a truly remarkable day in history. I will never personally forget Martin Luther King, Jr., and the sacrifices he made for what he believed in. He is my own personal role model in whatever I do.

4. Women were given the right to vote, on August 26, 1920. Wow, that was many years ago. However, it's still an exciting historical moment in the last week of August, just like the others. This one holds significance for me, as a female voter myself. I can't imagine myself, or anyone for that matter, being denied the right to vote.

5. No longer is the Soviet Communist Party the head of Russia. Recall August 29, 1991. This marked the end of communism. This was a magnificent day in our history.

6. Spacecraft Voyager II flies past Saturn. This happened on August 25th, 1981. What an exciting moment for astronauts and the space mission!

7. Guy Bluford becomes the first black American in space. Mark August 30, 1093 in your history books, folks.

Well, it seems that many of the historical events this week centered around politics and space. Interesting. However, don't forget about this event:

8. Hurricane Katrina, on August 29, 2005, creates mass destruction in New Orleans and surrounding areas.