2007 Peru earthquake
The 2007 Peru earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale, hit the central coast of Peru on August 15 at 23:40:57 UTC (18:40:57 local time) and lasted two minutes. The epicenter was located 150 km (93 mi) south-southeast of Lima at a depth of 39 km (24 mi). The United States Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center reported that it was a Very strong earthquake. The Peruvian government stated that 595 people were killed by the quake.
Ludwig Prandtl died
Ludwig Prandtl was a German fluid dynamicist, physicist and aerospace scientist. He was a pioneer in the development of rigorous systematic mathematical analyses which he used for underlying the science of aerodynamics, which have come to form the basis of the applied science of aeronautical engineering. In the 1920s, he developed the mathematical basis for the fundamental principles of subsonic aerodynamics in particular; and in general up to and including transonic velocities. His studies identified the boundary layer, thin-airfoils, and lifting-line theories. The Prandtl number was named after him.
1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake
The 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake, also known as the Assam earthquake, occurred on 15 August and had a moment magnitude of 8.7. The epicentre was located in the Mishmi Hills. It is the strongest earthquake ever recorded on land and is tied with the 2012 Indian Ocean Earthquakes as the strongest Strike-slip earthquake to date. Occurring on a Tuesday evening at 7:39 pm Indian Standard Time, the earthquake was destructive in both Assam (India) and Tibet (China), and approximately 4,800 people were killed. The earthquake is notable as being the largest recorded quake caused by continental collision rather than subduction, and is also notable for the loud noises produced by the quake and reported throughout the region.
Haneda Airport opened
Haneda Airport, officially Tokyo International Airport, and sometimes referred to as Tokyo Haneda Airport or Haneda International Airport, is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. Haneda handled 87,098,683 passengers in 2018; by passenger throughput, it was the third-busiest airport in Asia and the fourth-busiest in the world, after Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport (Asia's busiest), and Dubai International Airport. It is able to handle 90 million passengers per year following its expansion in 2018. With Haneda and Narita combined, Tokyo has the third-busiest city airport system in the world, after London and New York.
Panama Canal completed
Located in Panama, the Panama Canal is an artificial 82 km (51 mi) waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. Initially controlled by the United States, the canal was taken over by the Panamanian government in 1999. It has a length of 82 km (51 miles) and has been ranked by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
John Metcalf was born
John Metcalf, known as Blind Jack of Knaresborough or Blind Jack Metcalf, was the first professional road builder to emerge during the Industrial Revolution. Blind from the age of six, Metcalf had an eventful life, which was documented by his own account just before his death. He was an accomplished diver, swimmer, card player and fiddler, but was better known for the period between 1765 and 1792 when he built about 180 miles (290 km) of turnpike road, mainly in the north of England and as such, he became known as one of the fathers of the modern road. His work on the roads in the north has been commemorated in a pub named after him, a statue in Knaresborough town centre and part of the A658 in Harrogate being named John Metcalf Way.
Cologne Cathedral foundation stone laid
Cologne Cathedral is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. At 157 m (515 ft), the cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church of any kind in the world. The foundation stone was laid on Saturday, 15 August 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden.
