This Day in History- August 4

1821: Russian Expedition
Russian Antarctic expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen returned to Kronshtadt after becoming the 1st to circumnavigate Antarctica in 1821. 

1879: Pope published Aeterni Patris
Pope Leo XIII published the encyclical Aeterni Patris on August 4, 1879. He is well known for his intellectualism and his attempts to define the position of the Catholic Church with regard to modern thinking.

1936: Jesse Owens won at Berlin Olympics
American athlete Jesse Owens won his 2nd gold medal at the Berlin Olympics; and won against German Luz Long in the long jump final with an Olympic record on August 4, 1936. 

1983: Thurston House published
Danielle Steel’s romance novel “Thurston House” was published on this day. Steel has produced several books a year, often juggling up to five projects at once. Steel has also published children’s fiction and poetry, as well as raising funds for the treatment of mental disorders. 

1996: Canadian Open Women’s Golf 
Laura Davies won by 2 from Karrie Webb and Nancy Lopez on August 4, 1996. Laura Davies has achieved the status of her nation’s most accomplished female golfer of modern times, being the first non-American to finish at the top of the LPGA money list as well as winning the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit with a record seven times. 

2012: Serena Williams won in London Olympics Tennis 
Golden double for the US at London Olympic tennis as Serena Williams won against Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in women’s singles; Bob & Mike Bryan won men’s doubles after beating French pair Michael Llodra & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 7-6. 

2017: Rwanda President elected again
Rwandan President Paul Kagame won a third term with 98.63% of the vote. During his vice presidency, Kagame controlled the national army and was responsible for maintaining the government’s power, while other officials began rebuilding the country.

1900: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
British consort of King George VI and Queen Mother after his death was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.

1901: Louis Armstrong
American jazz trumpeter and singer (Hello Dolly; What A Wonderful World) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

1933: Sheldon Adelson
American business magnate (CEO of Las Vegas Sands casino company) and major political donor to the GOP and Israel was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

1961: Barack Obama
44th United States President and first African-American president, born in Honolulu, Hawaii.