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August 4
5 moments across history
Beirut Port Explosion
On August 4, 2020, a fire at Beirut’s port triggered the explosion of a large stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored there for years. The blast killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, displaced about 300,000, and devastated large parts of Lebanon’s capital. It became a symbol of official negligence and impunity, deepening public anger amid Lebanon’s severe economic and political crisis.
Event 1
Upper Volta Renamed Burkina Faso
Upper Volta Renamed Burkina Faso
Year: 1984
On August 4, 1984, President Thomas Sankara renamed Upper Volta as Burkina Faso, commonly translated as “Land of Incorruptible People.” The change replaced a French colonial-era name and promoted a new national identity rooted in local languages and revolutionary ideals. It occurred during Sankara’s broader campaign to end colonial influence and pursue political, social, and economic transformation after his 1983 rise to power.
Arrest of Anne Frank and the Secret Annex Residents
Arrest of Anne Frank and the Secret Annex Residents
Year: 1944
On August 4, 1944, German authorities raided the Secret Annex in Amsterdam and arrested Anne Frank, her family, and four other Jewish people in hiding. The arrest led to their deportation to Nazi concentration camps; Anne died at Bergen-Belsen, while her father, Otto Frank, was the only one of the eight to survive. Anne’s posthumously published diary became a defining testimony of the Holocaust, during which Nazi Germany and its collaborators murdered six million Jews.
Britain Declares War on Germany
Britain Declares War on Germany
Year: 1914
On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany after German forces invaded neutral Belgium. The decision brought British military, naval, imperial, and economic power into World War I against the Central Powers. It followed the crisis triggered by Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, as Europe’s alliances turned a Balkan conflict into a wider war.
The Borden Murders
The Borden Murders
Year: 1892
On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were found killed with a hatchet in their Fall River, Massachusetts, home. Andrew’s daughter Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted in 1893, but the unsolved murders became a lasting American crime legend. The case drew nationwide press attention during an era of sensational journalism and evolving methods of criminal investigation.