On this day: Events on August 4, from beginning of APSARA nuclear reactor in 1956 to Britain’s attack on Germany in WW-1

On this day: Key events held on this day, August 4 in past years continue to impact our lives even now. The major events held on this day in history have shaped our geopolitical order and how we see our society and the world around us.

The day witnessed the declaration of Britain's war against Germany during World War I in 1914. Fast-forward to 1956, and the day marks a significant achievement of India in the field of nuclear research after the beginning of the APSARA nuclear reactor in India. Notably, it was the first research reactor in Asia to achieve criticality. Here is the list of key events held on this day.

Britain's war against Germany in 1914

Britain declared war against Germany on 4 August 1914. The development came after Germany refused to accept Britain's ultimatum of getting out of Belgium. Britain had pledged to protect Belgium's neutrality and, in response to the invasion, issued an ultimatum to Germany that was ultimately rejected, leading to the formal declaration of war.

APSARA nuclear reactor

The first research reactor in Asia, APSARA achieved criticality on August 4, 1956. This pool-type reactor, with a power output of 1 MW, used highly enriched uranium (4.5 kg) in plate form as fuel. Light water served both as a moderator and coolant. The reactor was primarily utilised for isotope production, basic research, shielding experiments, neutron activation analysis, neutron radiography, and testing neutron detectors. It was permanently shut down in June 2009.

Anne Frank in Holocaust

One of the most well-known victims of the Holocaust, Anne Frank were captured and arrested by the Germans from their hiding place in Amsterdam. Anne Frank was a Jewish teenager who gained worldwide recognition posthumously with the publication of "The Diary of a Young Girl," which she wrote while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany, Anne and her family moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to escape the growing persecution of Jews in Germany.

US neutrality in World War

US President on August 4, 1914, declared neutrality in World War 1 and said that America must be “impartial in thought as well as in action.” As the war escalated, the United States entered World War 1 on April 4, 1917.