1. Colonel Abraham Bowman, a Revolutionary War hero, was born on August 19, 1749, in Culpeper County, Virginia. He later migrated to Kentucky and became one of the early settlers of the state. Bowman served as a colonel in the Kentucky militia during the War of 1812 and played a key role in the defense of the state during the British invasion of 1813.

2. The Kentucky State Fair, one of the largest fairs in the United States, begins on or around August 19 every year. The fair first started in 1816 as a simple livestock and agricultural showcase in the city of Louisville. Today, it features a variety of attractions, including concerts, carnival rides, food vendors, and exhibits.

3. August 19, 1862, marked the beginning of the Battle of Richmond, a Civil War engagement fought in Madison County, Kentucky. Confederate forces led by General Edmund Kirby Smith defeated Union troops under the command of General William "Bull" Nelson. The battle was the second-largest conflict in Kentucky during the Civil War.

4. On August 19, 1929, the University of Kentucky officially opened the Memorial Coliseum, a multi-purpose arena on its campus in Lexington. The coliseum has hosted a variety of events over the years, including basketball games, concerts, and political rallies. It also served as a venue for the gymnastics events during the 1984 Summer Olympics, which were held in Los Angeles.

5. August 19, 1997, marked the beginning of the Appalachian Regional Hospital bombing trial, a high-profile case in Pikeville, Kentucky. The trial involved the prosecution of defendants accused of orchestrating the bombing of a hospital in the town of Whitesburg, which killed two people and injured several others. The trial garnered wide media attention and was widely considered a landmark case in the history of terrorism prosecutions in the United States.