What Day Is August 19? World Photography Day
August 19 is the 231st day of the year and World Photography Day. In 1839, France released Louis Daguerre's photographic process to the public on this date. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup in Iran that removed Prime Minister Mosaddegh.
About August 19
August 19 is the 231st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (232nd in a leap year). There are 134 days remaining until the end of the year.
The significance of August 19
World Photography Day is observed on August 19 because on this date in 1839, the French government gave the world Louis Daguerre’s invention for free. At a joint session of two academies in Paris, the full technical details of the daguerreotype process were announced. The crowd was so large the meeting had to move to accommodate bystanders outside. France had bought the patent from Daguerre and his partner Niépce’s family, then released it as a gift to humanity. England was the exception; there, a patent had been taken out separately. The CIA-backed coup in Iran in 1953 removed the democratically elected Prime Minister Mosaddegh, who had nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and remains one of the most discussed covert operations of the Cold War era.
Get this day by email
We'll remind you of August 19 every year.
On This Day in History
- 1839The French government released details of Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process to the public at a joint session of the Académie des Sciences and Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
- 1953A CIA-MI6 operation (Operation Ajax / Operation Boot) overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, restoring full power to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Baby Names for This Day
August 19 is World Photography Day. Names connected to light, vision, and photography:
- LouisBoy
Louis Daguerre, inventor of the daguerreotype; the French government released his photographic process on August 19, 1839.
- DaguerreBoy
A rare surname-as-first-name; Daguerre's invention made August 19 the birthday of modern photography.
- ClaraGirl
'Bright, clear'; photography is the art of capturing light, and clarity is its central virtue.
- IrisGirl
The iris controls how much light enters the eye; in camera optics it controls depth of field.
- LeicaGirl
The iconic German camera brand; rarely used as a given name, but evocative for photography enthusiasts.
- FoxBoy
William Henry Fox Talbot developed the calotype, a competing photographic process, in the same era as Daguerre.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 19?add
August 19 is World Photography Day, tied to France's release of the daguerreotype process in 1839. The CIA engineered a coup in Iran in 1953. The 231st day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 19?add
August 19 is the 231st day of the year, or the 232nd in a leap year, with 134 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 19?add
August 19 is Leo, which runs from July 23 to August 22.