August 19: Salmon Escapees, Electric Cabs & Aviation Day

Some days in history are content to sit quietly and behave themselves. August 19 is not one of them. This is a day of great escapes, electric ambitions, and sky-high celebrations. Buckle up — or better yet, hail a very old-timey electric cab.

The Great Salmon Getaway of 2017

In 2017, roughly 250,000 farmed non-native Atlantic salmon staged the aquatic version of a prison break near Cypress Island, Washington. One minute they're minding their own business in a pen, the next they're free-swimming citizens with big dreams and no immigration paperwork. It's the kind of headcount that makes you wonder how you even lose 250,000 of anything. That's not an accident, that's a movement.

London's First Electric Taxi (Yes, Really, In 1897)

Long before your Uber driver silently judged your address, the Bersey Electric Cab rolled into service in 1897 as London's first electric taxi. That's right — the electric vehicle revolution had a soft launch during the Victorian era, then took a very long coffee break. Somewhere, a top-hatted commuter was quietly flexing the most futuristic ride in town.

Happy Birthday To A Very Talented Crew

August 19 has produced some genuine stars. Ethan Cutkosky, the actor best known as the delightfully feral Carl Gallagher on Shameless, was born in 1999. Sharing the year is Portuguese footballer Florentino Luís, while 2000 gave us NBA sharpshooter Keegan Murray. Add in Belgian heptathlon powerhouse Nafissatou Thiam (1994) and Colombian cycling speedster Fernando Gaviria (1994), and it's clear this date specializes in people who are annoyingly good at things.

National Aviation Day: Look Up

Fittingly for a day featuring history's first electric cab, August 19 is National Aviation Day in the United States, a celebration of flight and the brave humans who decided gravity was more of a suggestion. So today, gaze skyward, thank an aviator, and appreciate that we went from ground transport to conquering the clouds. Meanwhile, our salmon friends were busy conquering the open sea — proof that on August 19, everybody's escaping to somewhere.

Whether you're honoring aviators, tipping your hat to a 19th-century electric cabbie, or simply respecting the ambition of a quarter-million runaway fish, August 19 delivers. It's a day that reminds us: freedom, innovation, and a little bit of chaos have always gone hand in hand. Now go celebrate — responsibly, and preferably by air.