August 1 - Dahomey, now known as Benin, becomes independent from France.

August 3 - Niger becomes independent from France.

August 5 - Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso, becomes independent from France.

August 6 - Cuban Revolution: In response to a United States embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes all American and foreign-owned property in Cuba. - In the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Albert Kalonji declares the independence of the "Autonomous State of South Kasai".

August 7 - The Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) becomes independent from France.

August 7 - The Worlds first Standard gauge Passenger Preserved Railway, The Bluebell Railway, Opens to the public.

August 11 - Chad becomes independent from France.

August 13 - Ubangi-Shari becomes independent from France, as the "Central African Republic". It later becomes the "Central African Empire" for some years.

August 15 - Middle Congo becomes independent from France, as Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

August 16 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at an altitude of about 102,800 feet (31,333 meters). Kittinger set world records for: high-altitude jump; free-fall by falling 16.0 miles (25.7 kilometers) before opening his parachute; and the fastest speed attained by a human being without mechanical or chemical assistance, about 982 k.p.h (614 m.p.h.). Kittinger survived more or less uninjured, and he is still alive in Florida as of 2013. - The Mediterranean island of Cyprus receives its independence from the United Kingdom.

August 17 - The newly named Beatles begin a 48-night residency at the Indra club in Hamburg, West Germany. - Gabon becomes independent from France. - The trial of the American U - 2 pilot Francis Gary Powers begins in Moscow.

August 19 - Cold War: In Moscow, the American U - 2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage. - Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches the satellite Sputnik 5, with the dogs Belka and Strelka (the Russian for "Squirrel" and "Little Arrow"), 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants. This satellite returns to earth the next day and all animals are recovered safely.

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

August 25 - The 1960 Summer Olympic Games begin in Rome. - The American nuclear submarine USS Seadragon (SSN-584) surfaced through the arctic ice cap at the North Pole, the first submarine ever to do so.

August 29 - Hurricane Donna kills 50 people in Florida and New England. (source: Wikipedia)