August 1 in History

30BC — Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor — 27BC-14AD) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic after defeating Mark Antony at the Battle of Alexandria. Mark Antony, 53, in the mistaken belief that Cleopatra had already done so, stabs himself with his sword. When he finds out that Cleopatra is still alive, his friends bring him to her monument where she is hiding. He dies in her arms. Cleopatra, 39, ends her own life on August 10 by poisoning. Octavian has Cleopatra buried in royal fashion next to Antony in her tomb.

1819 — Herman Melville, American author (“MobyDick; or, The Whale”, 1851), is born in NYC.

1831 — The New London Bridge is opened, replacing the one that had been in use since 1209.

1931 — Trevor Goddard, SA cricket all-rounder and captain (41 Tests from 1955-70: 2,516 runs, average 34.46; 123 wickets, average 26.22), is born in Durban. 1936 — The SABC, established this year through an act of parliament, buys African Broadcasting Company (ABC). IW Schlesinger, a wealthy businessman, founded ABC in 1930 after taking over the struggling three existing broadcasting services. He grew it from 20,000 to 125,000 licence holders. 1936 — The 11th Olympic Games, dubbed “The Nazi Games”, open in Berlin.

1952 — Kemmons Wilson of Memphis, Tennessee, inspired to build his own motel after being disappointed by poor quality and inconsistent roadside accommodation during a family road trip to Washington, D.C, opens the first Holiday Inn just outside Memphis.

1962 — Jacob (Baby Jake) Matlala, SA world flyweight boxing champion (68 fights, 53 wins, 2 draws), is born in Meadowlands, Soweto.

1970 — W Lain Guthrie, a commercial pilot for Eastern Airlines, refuses to dump kerosene into the atmosphere as is common practice. He keeps his DC-8 on the ground at Miami Airport and orders the ground crew to drain the waste fuel from the previous flight. The airline fires him but other pilots rally around him, also refusing to dump fuel. The resulting outcry forces Eastern to reinstate him with full pay and the industry to cease aerial dumping.

1976 — Trinidad & Tobago becomes a republic.

1985 — Tendai (The Beast) Mtawarira, the thirdmost capped Springbok to date (117 caps from 2008 to 2019), is born in Harare.

2008 — Eleven mountaineers from international expeditions die on K2 (Karakoram Range in Kashmir), the second-highest mountain on Earth, in the worst single accident in the history of K2 mountaineering.