1. In 1912, the Ku Klux Klan made its first appearance in Ohio during a rally in Dayton. The organization had a significant presence in Ohio during the 1920s, with as many as 200,000 members estimated in the state.

2. On August 8, 1949, the deadliest aviation accident in Cleveland history occurred when a United Airlines DC-4 crashed in Lake Michigan, killing all 44 passengers and crew members aboard. The cause of the crash remains unknown to this day.

3. The Ohio State Fair, which has been held annually since 1850, traditionally begins on the first Wednesday of August. Therefore, August 8 has often fallen during the week-long event, which features agricultural exhibitions, carnival rides, and live entertainment.

4. In 1974, Cleveland Indians player Ray Fosse was involved in a violent collision with Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Fosse suffered a fractured and separated shoulder as a result of the hit, which has been widely criticized as unnecessary.

5. August 8, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the Cuyahoga River fire, a significant environmental disaster that helped inspire the modern environmental movement. The fire, which was one of 13 on the river since 1868, sparked national interest in cleaning up polluted waterways and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.