- August 1, 1981 – First broadcasts by MTV. The first video played was "Video Killed The Radio Star" by the Buggles.
- August 5, 1967 - Pink Floyd releases their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
- August 18, 1969 – Jimi Hendrix plays the unofficial last day of Woodstock.
- August 20, 1882 – Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture debuts in Moscow.
- August 26, 1968 – The Beatles' "Hey Jude" was released as a single in the United States under the Apple Records label.
- August 28, 1850 – Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin premieres.