August 25 Galileo Galilei1270 PhilipIII became King of France following the death of his father LouisIX during the Eighth Crusade.1609 Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.1875 Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, doing so in approximately 21 hours 40 minutes.1942 World WarII: Japanese forces attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea.2012 The skeleton of King Richard III of England was discovered under a car park in Leicester.Henry Morgan (d.1688)Agnes Mowinckel (b.1875)Mary Tappan Wright (d.1916)Sean Connery (b.1930)More anniversaries: August 24August 25August 26ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout