August 5 - The United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty.

August 8 - The Great Train Robbery takes place in Buckinghamshire, England.

August 15 - Trois Glorieuses: President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of Congo after a three-day uprising in the capital, Brazzaville.

August 18 - American civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

August 21 - Xá Lo+.i Pagoda raids: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces loyal to Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother of President Ngo Dinh Diem, vandalise Buddhist pagodas across South Vietnam, arresting thousands and leaving an estimated hundreds dead. In the wake of the raids, the Kennedy administration by Cable 243 orders the United States Embassy, Saigon to explore alternative leadership in the country, opening the way towards a coup against Diem.

August 22 - American test pilot Joe Walker again achieves a sub-orbital spaceflight according to international standards, this time by piloting the X-15 to an altutude of 67.0 miles (107.8 kilometers).

August 28 - Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his I Have A Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to an audience of at least 250,000 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. (source: Wikipedia)