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Today in History, August 19th

On August 19, 1812, the USS Constitution beat HMS Guerrière and became "Old Ironsides." Plus the first Indianapolis race and Google's IPO.

By Today in History Updated November 10, 2026 3 min read Sources checked

Published August 19, 2026 · Last updated November 10, 2026

August 19 is best known for 1812, when the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate Guerrière and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.” The date also saw the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909 and the CIA-backed coup in Iran in 1953.

The big story: “Old Ironsides” earns its name (1812)

Early in the War of 1812, the small U.S. Navy got a badly needed boost on August 19, 1812, in the Atlantic about 600 miles east of Boston. Captain Isaac Hull’s USS Constitution caught up with the British frigate HMS Guerrière, and the two ships traded broadsides at close range for about 20 minutes. When the smoke cleared, the Guerrière had lost its masts and was a wreck. The Constitution came through with little damage. Sailors said British cannonballs seemed to bounce off its sides as if the hull were iron, and the name “Old Ironsides” stuck. The ship was no newcomer. Launched in Boston in 1797, with bolts and copper sheathing supplied by Paul Revere, it was rated at 44 guns but often carried up to 50. It beat or captured seven more British ships before the war ended. When the Navy talked of scrapping it in 1830, a public outcry saved it.

More events on August 19

Year	What happened
43 BCE	Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus, became consul of Rome at just 19.
1274	Edward I was crowned king of England at Westminster.
1791	Mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker wrote to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, challenging him on slavery and enclosing a draft of his almanac. Jefferson replied 11 days later.
1909	The Indianapolis Motor Speedway held its first race before 12,000 spectators. The crumbling rock-and-tar track was later paved with 3.2 million bricks.
1934	About 90 percent of German voters approved a plebiscite making Adolf Hitler both leader and chancellor, cementing his total power.
1953	A military coup backed by the CIA ousted Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq and restored the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
1960	A Soviet court sentenced American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers to 10 years for espionage.
1964	The Beatles opened their first North American tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
2004	Google went public, raising $1.66 billion through an unusual auction meant to give ordinary investors a fair shot.
2011	The “West Memphis Three,” convicted as teenagers in a 1993 triple murder, were freed after 18 years under Alford pleas that let them maintain their innocence.

Born on August 19

1871: Orville Wright, aviation pioneer and the younger of the Wright brothers, born in Dayton, Ohio.
1883: Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in Saumur, France.
1921: Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, born in El Paso, Texas.
1946: Bill Clinton, 42nd U.S. president, born William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas.