Schoolchildren across the United States wish they could solve the mystery of 'Croatoan'. This mysterous word was found carved into a tree, the only surviving remains of the colony of Roanoke. On August 17, 1590, John White returned from Great Britain to find the colony completely vanished. Many other colonies, however, were more fortunate. They were able to survive and thrive in a often hostile land.

August 14th is V-J Day or Victory Over Japan Day. Japanese Emperor Hirohito unconditionally surrendered to the Allies to end World War II. The formal signing of the surrender would not occur until September 2, 1945.

On August 11, 1932, in an address accepting the Republican Nomination for a second term as president, Herbert Hoover proclaimed Prohibition as a failed experiment. However, it would be over a year before the official end of the crime wave that was known as Prohibition ended with the ratification of the 21st amendment on December 5, 1933. Cheers!

While two American presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, no president has been forcibly removed from office. However, one has resigned under intense pressure and fear of not only impeachment but also removal: Richard Nixon. On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon addressed the nation and resigned from office. He admitted to errors in judgment concerning the coverup of the Watergate break-in. On August, 9, 1974, at noon, Gerald Ford was sworn in and became the first president to never have been elected to either the Vice Presidency or the Presidency.