• 1492 – Christopher Columbus (pictured) sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain.
• 1527 – First known letter was sent from North America by John Rut while at St. John's, Newfoundland.
• 1958 – The nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels beneath the Arctic ice cap.
• 1975 – A privately chartered Boeing 707 impacts the mountainside near Agadir, Morocco killing 188.
• 1981 – In the United States, Air traffic controllers affiliated with the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walk off the job. President Ronald Reagan ultimately responds by firing those who ignore his order to return to work.

More events: August 2 – August 3 – August 4