The Thread of Random Internetz

August 17 - The newly named Beatles begin a forty-eight night residency at the Indra Club in Hamburg, West Germany.

August 17 - Gabon gains independence from France.

August 17 - The trial of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers begins in Moscow.

# August 19 - Cold War: In Moscow, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage.

ust 19 - Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 5, with the dogs Belka and Strelka (Russian for "Squirrel" and "Little Arrow"), 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants. The spacecraft returns to earth the next day and all animals are recovered safely.

August 20 - Senegal breaks away from the Mali Federation, declaring independence.

# August 25 - The 1960 Summer Olympics are open in Rome.

August 25 - The USS Seadragon (SSN-584) surfaces at the North Pole, where the crew plays softball.

August 29 - Hurricane Donna kills 50 in Florida and New England.

September 1 - Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, Sultan of Selangor and 2nd Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Tuanku Syed Putra, Raja of Perlis.