Anniversary of Nagasaki

August 9: On this date in 1945, Americans dropped the second of two nuclear bombs over Imperial Japan in an effort to bring World War II to a close. More than 80,000 were counted dead as an effect of the detonation from the bomb called "Fat Man" by the end of 1945. And while the previous Hiroshima bombing proved the Americans had entered the nuclear age, the Nagasaki bomb proved the Yankees had both the engineering prowess and the political will to deliver multiple devices. Japan surrendered six days later.

Football season kicks off

August 9: NFL football returns Aug. 9 in the league's exhibition opener featuring Buffalo and Tennessee from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Preseason football often invokes snoozing, but at least in this game, both the Bills and Titans will wear AFL throwback jerseys. The move is a harbinger for the rest of the season as numerous teams around the NFL honor their American Football League past by donning old uniforms.

Anniversary of Camille

August 17: Before Katrina rushed ashore in Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, older Gulf residents would give you two words to explain why they would prefer to ride out any hurricane: Hurricane Camille. If residents of the area could survive Camille in 1969, what threat could Katrina pose? Now, four decades later, Camille remains in the top 10 list of costliest recorded U.S. hurricanes.

Woodstock anniversary

August 18: Few performances are quite as emblematic of an era as Jimi Hendrix's fuzzed-out electric guitar rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the final day of Woodstock four decades ago today. At its peak, roughly 500,000 were on site in Bethel, N.Y., to witness the climax of the Hippie movement and a three-day turned four-day parade of all-star musical performers.

Afghans vote

August 20: Afghans will head to the polls to elect a president amidst an ongoing violent struggle with former ruling Taliban forces within the nation's borders. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai runs for another five-year term against a bevy of candidates including top opponent and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

Hawaiian Statehood

August 21: Half a century ago today, a 50th star was added to the blue field of the American flag when Hawaii was admitted to the union in 1959. Today as festivities are being prepared, Hawaiian Sen. Daniel Akaka is trying to push a bill through Congress that would give native Hawaiians land rights and self-rule similar to Native Americans and native Alaskans.