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The Action of 1 August 1801 was a single ship action of the First Barbary War fought between the American schooner USS Enterprise and the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli off the coast of modern-day Libya. As part of Commodore Richard Dale's Mediterranean Squadron, Enterprise had been deployed with the American force blockading the Velayat of Tripoli. Under the command of Lieutenant Andrew Sterett, Enterprise had been sent to gather supplies at Malta. While cruising towards Malta, Enterprise engaged the Tripoli, commanded by Admiral Rais Mahomet Rous. Tripoli put up a stubborn fight and the engagement lasted for three hours before the polacca was finally captured. Although the Americans had taken the vessel, Sterett had no orders to take prizes and so was obliged to release her. Enterprise completed her journey to Malta, and received honor and praise from the squadron's Commodore on her return to the fleet. The success of the battle boosted morale in the United States, since it was that country's first victory in the war against the Tripolitans. The opposite occurred in Tripoli, where morale sank heavily upon learning of Tripoli's defeat. Despite Enterprise's triumph, the war continued indecisively for another four years. (more...)

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• The Convention on Cluster Munitions comes into force, banning the use, production and transfer of cluster bombs (example pictured).
• Hundreds of people are killed and thousands more displaced by severe flooding in northern Pakistan.
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August 1: Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago; Lammas in England and Scotland; Imbolc in the Southern Hemisphere; Swiss National Day in Switzerland

• 1774 – British scientist Joseph Priestley (pictured) discovered oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.
• 1798 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile started between a British fleet commanded by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson and a French fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers.
• 1834 – The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 came into force, officially abolishing slavery in most of the British Empire.
• 1907 – Robert Baden-Powell held the first scout camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset, England, beginning the Scouting movement.
• 1944 – World War II: The Polish Home Army began the Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw against the Nazi occupation of Poland, a rebellion that lasted 63 days until it was quelled by the Germans.
• 1981 – The American cable television network MTV, the first dedicated video-based outlet for music, made its debut with the music video for the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.

More anniversaries: July 31 – August 1 – August 2